Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Talented Tuesday: Needlework Experts

My mother (Daisy Schwartz Burk) and my younger sister, shown above, were talented with a needle and thread or yarn. Mom did petit point and needlepoint when she was first married, but from an early age she had been crocheting afghans, doilies, etc. She never sewed her own clothes because her mother (my grandmother, Hermina Schwartz), was a proficient seamstress who made the family's clothes for many years--and when my mother was working and earning money, she wanted store-bought apparel, not home-made.

My younger sister embroidered, did needlepoint, crocheted, and was good at many different hand-crafts.

My mother taught us to crochet before we started school (I now quilt as well) and my twin sewed a lot of her clothes during high school and college. Now one niece is an expert crocheter and another loves to embroider. The tradition of needlework continues!

I still have some items embroidered by my grandmother and mother, which I treasure and take care of so the memories and stories of their talents remain alive.

4 comments:

  1. Crocheting was the one thing my mother did - and she did it well. She didn't like sewing, cooking, or knitting...but ask her to crochet something and off she'd go.
    Thank you for sharing.
    regards,
    Theresa

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  2. Theresa, I'm so glad you stopped by my blog. Do you still have anything your mother crocheted? I don't have my mom's crocheted items but I do have a few bureau scarves she embroidered that I love to use and hope the next generation will enjoy, as well.

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  3. My mother also was never interested in sewing or knitting but loved to crochet. At age 90 years, she crocheted a throw for my son. He carries it in his car to this day in case of emergency. It has good memories of his grandmother for him and if he should be in a difficult situation on the road, it would bring him comfort.

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  4. Wow--it's wonderful that your son treasures his grandmother's needlework so much. Thanks for commenting!

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