Turning into my Gran?

I was taught to do crochet, knitting and embroidery by my grandmother and those skills have never left me. I see young people now who dont even know how to hold a sewing needle let alone use one. I still do embroidery and patchwork but never really got into knitting. I hated following a pattern made by someone else.

I hardly ever remember seeing my grandmother without a piece of crochet or embroidery in her fingers, She always wore horn rimmed glasses and they would slip down her nose as she worked. She was never one to sit with idle hands.

Both of my DiLs sometimes send clothing to me, hoping I will be able to repair it for them. One of them could probably do it herself, but she works so hard that I don't mind helping out where I can.
Unfortunately, neither my gran nor my mum taught me how to darn, but I can do a just about passable job of it when needs must.

Actually, I don't remember my grandma teaching me anything, but we spent many happy hours playing cards together ?

Nannina

As a student nurse 50 years ago we had to wear particular stockings as part of a strict uniform policy. The only place to get them was Cole Brothers which later became John Lewis. They were in pale grey shade, expensive and were soon laddered by unforgiving hospital equipment. I became very popular as my waist length blonde hair made the ladder repair almost invisible. We’d have been straight in front of matron if we appeared with a ladder and carpeted for even a hint of nail varnish ?

I used to use my long mid brown hair to repair ladders in tights. I thought I was the only one . My hair was finer and a better match than cotton thread.

I also have my mum's mushroom, though it could be my grandmothers.

I also have a needle case that I made when I was about 6 at school. It is red gingham. It came back to me when my mum died. I also have a button tin.

I don't recall either of my GM's doing any kind of craft work other than darning.

My mum used to knit, sew, embroider, do tapestries etc.

I do all of the above thought I can only knit with one of the needles under my arm - as my DM taught me - which means I can't knit with circular needles.

I live in boots and woollen socks. I have to darn the toes regularly as my big toe is the longest one and turn upwards. Yes I am using all the stuff from the 1960's.

jocork

Last week my daughter mentioned that a pair of her work trousers had a split in a seam. I suggested she mend them. Her response was to suggest throwing them away. They now await my mending expertise! I don't throw things away unless they are beyond repair but that's how I was brought up. It saddens me that so many people throw things away that could have a continued life. It's no wonder the environment is in the state it is! You're not turning into your gran but into an eco warrior!

Despite their year of needlework at senior school, neither dd apparently knew how to turn up a fallen hem (properly). Of course I’ve shown them, but I doubt they ever do it.

If schools still do any needlework in ‘Home Economics’ I’d have thought hems and stitching buttons on (properly) would be a good start. But now I come to think of it, I don’t think such useful basics were on the agenda in my (long ago) day, either. We spent ages making the dratted cookery apron, though.

Socks are so cheap to buy these days, why darn them?

That's very eco-friendly, I'll have to learn. I gave my daughter a pair of tights this Christmas from M and S, they were £15! I still have M and S socks from the 90s which are fine, while the Christmas ones are already getting worn at the toes.

Urmstongran

Not me, but Himself mentioned the other day he’d not had ‘cabbage and ribs’ for 50 years (since he married me I suppose) that his gran used to make in a big pan on the hob. Said the meat ‘fell off the bones’.

Poor neglected man.
I’m a mean woman.

She didn't teach him how to cook it, then?
Oh what a mean woman she was!

I’m not a sewer or knitter, but recently mended a favourite pair of black thick but fancy patterned tights with holes. As they had a pattern, the mending looked fine. The gusset had given way too so that was sewn up.
Another pair of black trousers was sewn up at the knees as it has the fashionable torn look there which I don’t like but do like the triangular diamond shape around them.
Anyone else a fan of button thread? I used to use it a lot, so strong.

Have my grandmother's sewing mushroom! Useful for all sorts of repair jobs.

I love that all three of my grandchildren now say "Nana will be able to mend that!"
Actually my daughter probably can herself, but I love doing it.

I'm the only female in our family who cooks and sews. I mend all our clothes - I learnt from library books after I left home. In my twenties I learnt invisible mending to patch a favourite skirt. My DM always hated cooking and my DGM cooked as little as possible, although DM was a good laundress and looked after our clothes well. I think I must have inherited some skills from the other side of the family that I never knew. I know one cousin who can cook quite well but can't be bothered as she doesn't enjoy it. Another does embroidery but no sewing and definitely no mending.

I never knew my gran on my mum's side as she died when my mum was a teenager, but mum said she was an amazing seamstress. Her talent seems to have come down to me to some extent, though I'm more of a crafter these days. I make small decorative items to raise funds for charity and to give as gifts. I used to make my own clothes but not any more. The last major item I made to wear was my wedding dress! Now I'm retired and have time again I'm out of practice. I definitely mend things though and often add decorative touches to cover up mended bits. I recently covered a small darn with sequins and seed beads then added more to make it look like it was the original.

GrandmaSeaDragon

No Marg75 I don’t do elbow patches any more, but have to repair trouser pockets where the coins have worn through the fabric. Did a pair of my SILs the other day too!

ask in the bank, if you can find one, for coin bags, small plastic bags meant for depositing coins, so that they are weighed; they have various denominations/quantities printed on them.
they are v useful for carrying coins without damaging the fabric of the pocket.
i have used them for many years.
must stock up before coins as well as banks disappear totally.
i also keep my keys in them for same reason.

Last week my daughter mentioned that a pair of her work trousers had a split in a seam. I suggested she mend them. Her response was to suggest throwing them away. They now await my mending expertise! I don't throw things away unless they are beyond repair but that's how I was brought up. It saddens me that so many people throw things away that could have a continued life. It's no wonder the environment is in the state it is! You're not turning into your gran but into an eco warrior!

Nonogran

I have recently darned a ladder in two pairs of tights. Took me back to younger days and without much money, simply had to make do and mend.
A small ladder in the foot of a pair of tights is no big deal for getting an extra wear or two out of them.
I was chuffed with the result but gave myself a small chuckle of achievement as I put my needle & thread away.

Tights.....aahh.... Hazy memories...I've not worn tights for maybe 16+years! I do however use that phrase "I've got tights older than you!" With absolute confidence and grain of truth At anyone who's a bit rude to me and is under 50! I have a pair of thick brand new still in pack tights I bought just before I finished work in 2006! What to do with them?! Jelly bag any one!?

Unfortunately these cheap materials encourage us to throw them away and buy more, instead of repairing them. Well done Meg54 for using your skills to mend them.

Kali2
? Yes - I make Scouse - I eat Scouse - & I’m a Scouser .

Pammie1

Joesoap

Chrissyoh,I am a scouser too I havent heard of pastry being in a Scouse, its meat and veg then served with beetroot, delicious,I suppose the pastry was more filling and went a long way.Im getting hungry now!

I’m from Liverpool originally and I make scouse with lamb neck (I think it used to be called scrag end) or breast of lamb, onions, celery, carrots and swede with roughly cut floury potatoes - and a tablespoon of barley. Lob scouse was made without meat - usually by boiling a lamb bone after it had been used for the roast on Sunday and whatever it was used for the next day, then adding the veg to the broth. I’ve heard of scouse pie, but more usually, to make it go further the scouse was served on a slice of bread to soak up the gravy.

I had no idea 'scouse' was actually a meal- thanks for this.

I do darn and have a mushroom, my 39 year old son also recently darned his cashmere jumper bought from a charity shop years ago. I make lots of things my mum and gran made, leek and cheese on toast, scotch pancakes, bacon ribs and cabbage, neck of lamb stew. I would darn socks if they were decent ones. Very disappointed with the quality of Marks clothing these days!

I only had one granny and I don't think she darned!
I have a darning mushroom and used it to darn the elbows on my husbands jumpers and socks when we were first married 47 years ago. However I couldn't get the darning wool anymore so stopped ! Can you still buy darning wool?

Whenever we have a chicken for Sunday lunch, on Day 3 or 4, the carcass goes in a huge pan and with veg, lentils and fluffy dumplings it makes a heart-warming dinner. We call it a broth. A couple of years ago I met two cousins from New Zealand who were born in the UK and we all discovered we made the same trifle that our gran used to make!

I can darn, knit and crochet thanks to my gran. I'm okay at embroidery too. All dying arts.

My DD, now 50, told me that she's turning into me! All the things that I used to say to them, as children, she now finds herself saying to her teenagers.
It was my job to darn my Dad's woollen work socks, from quite an early age. Heaven help me if they turned out lumpy, too. I don't darn socks any more, but recently I made a good job of my son's favourite jumper, which was getting thin on the elbows. I don't know what happened to Mum's wooden mushroom, though. My sister probably asked her for it, as she did with many other things.

I have a darning mushroom. Not used it. I have turned two collars on otherwise perfectly good shirts. Made my own clothes when younger and knitted my own cardigans. Crocheted a dress for my baby daughter. All these crafts taught by my mother.

My wife inherited a darning mushroom years ago and since we’ve had the Gc, the eldest being 11yrs, my wife must have used it every month