Vintage Thingies Thursday

My Mum

I thought I'd show a few things that hold memories of my Mum, she was born in 1918 so she had lots of vintage stuff, most of which my sibs did not want, their loss my gain!


I have some beautiful linens, this table cloth was hand made by Mum's oldest sister my Aunty Mary who was a missionary nurse in the Belgian Congo. I understand that it took a couple of years to make & looking at the embroidery & the crocheted edges I believe it. The cloth was a 21st. birthday gift so that would have been 1939.


These "doilies" were made by Mum, not sure when but around the same era. In those days ladies were taught all the "ladylike" skills of handwork!


These plates were also a 21st. gift I believe, they were well used & I love them. The pattern is "Nasturtians" by Royal Doulton.
My Mum would have been the first to tell you she was not a great cook & actually disliked it immensely [she would much rather work in the garden all day] one reason I learned my way around the kitchen very early in life & turned out to be an enthusiastic cook, self defense I always say!
However, living in the outback of Australia for many years Mum collected heaps of recipes that use very basic ingredients & here is the little book with her handwritten collection.
A few things I remember she made very well, one, home made ginger beer from a "ginger beer plant"[ that sat in a dish on the kitchen window sill] non alcoholic & so refreshing on a hot Australian summer day, cold, gingery & tingly yum! I have tried unsuccessfully to duplicate this recipe so if anyone can offer advice from their own experience I would love to make some.
Mum also made a terrific, rich caramel sauce, thick, golden cream from our little Jersey cows & brown sugar, that's all. These Caramel Apple Rolls remain in my taste bud memory & Golden Steamed Pudding, one of Dad's favorites & very popular with the rest of the family- it enticed me to eat my vegetables on many an occasion, "no dessert unless you eat your veges", remember!


Here's where Mum must have first moved into the microwave adventure, I recall she never really got the hang of it, too many years with an old fuel stove, LOL!
This apron I made for my Mum, my first Home Ec. project in 7th.grade, I had to draft the design & then hand embroider & do the "pulled thread" work. You can see how worn it is but I found it in Mum's linen closet all starched & ironed.



Here is my favorite photo of Mum & me, isn't she beautiful? I think I was close to one year old.
You can barely see the pin she is wearing on her left side just below my hand-my Dad made it for her when he was in New Guinea during WW2 & I have it still.
Now pop over to Suzanne's blog to catch up with the rest of the VTT gang!