I'm a lifelong sewer and crafter and have a HUGE stash of fabrics, threads, wools and other materials, many of them inherited from my mother and grandmother. I have just made a silk covered Journal for my GD's birthday, the silk was bought by my grandmother on her honeymoon in 1910. A nice link with a past generation. I regularly sew with threads made before 1900 and they are as good as the day they were made. I also sew with my grandmother's black & gold Singer machine given to her by her mother when she married. It's only a straight stitch machine, but it still works like new and is great for heavy materials. I do also have a modern machine.
My mother was a superb knitter. I am not - too slow for me. But I have many knitting patterns, mostly from the 1940s and 50s, but some earlier, together with some beautiful wools in 2ply and single ply. I love the styles from the 40s but sadly I am no longer the right shape for short, snug fitting cardigans and jumpers. It's interesting how standard sizing on patterns has changed over the years, or perhaps people have just got bigger!
I still have some of my childhood dolls, and last year I reclothed them (and rewigged a few) thinking that my younger GDs might enjoy them when they visit. As we had three sons I never got to make dolls clothes for my children. Sadly DGDs are not interested! My dolls don't do anything, they don't talk or transform into something else. So now they just sit in a cabinet where I can admire them. I found lots of vintage patterns available on the internet, but also had to make a few myself for the smaller dolls.
