Old Pa Murphy's Garden Hoe

Here is a picture of the old garden hoe David used in Stanthorpe when we were helping his dad with some Spring planting. It used to belong to Brian's father, who was also known as Pa Murphy. That's why Brian likes to be called Pa Murphy, to carry on the tradition.

an old hoe belonging to the Murphy family

This old garden hoe is so old, it even has rounded corners, when originally it had been square. Old Pa Murphy was a farmer on his property in Kyogle in New South Wales. All of my son's great-grandparents are from N.S.W., he's a real Aussie!

David with his grandfather's old garden hoe

Aunty Annie's English Porcelain

Last month, when I visited my mother she spoke to me about this English Porcelain that once belonged to a lady we call Aunty Annie.

three pieces of old English porcelain

Aunty Annie was the lady who married my father's grandfather Charlie after his wife died. So really, she wasn't an aunty, she was a step-grandma. Aunty Annie's best friend was my grandmother Beverly's mother, Mary Margeretta, or Aunty May. That's how my parent's met, because My father's mum Mavis and Beverly knew each other, and conspired to have my parents go on a date!

the Imperial stamp on the back of the casserole dishes

My grandma Beverly inherited Aunty Annie's things, instead of my grandmother Mavis. Who can understand the reason? But in the end, it is in my mother's cabinet. These three pieces were the only ones that weren't chipped, the rest of the set was thrown out. It's not worth a great deal of money, but it's one of our family treasures that helps tell the story of our family.

A Precious Old Birthday Book

During our recent visit to Stanthorpe, Brian showed me this amazing old book that he has. Oh, what a treasure it is!

great-granma's old birthday book

Brian's mother kept this birthday book and often referred to it, as she was reknowned for never forgetting a person's birthday. It s a great record of special events, like her wedding in 1939.

3rd August marks the date of a special wedding day in 1939

This is an amazing old book, I'm not sure how old the actual book is, but it looks very old, and is very precious <3

The story of the old watermelon knife

When we visited Stanthorpe last weekend, we proceeded to cut up a watermelon with this old knife that Pa Murphy produced. He then began to tell the story of the old watermelon knife.

an old bone handled knife from 1939

This knife was given to Brian's parents as a wedding present on the 3rd of August 1939. Brian remembers as a kid rolling the large watermelons his father used to grow, they were so huge, up to where they would be cut up and eaten in the afternoon. They used to use this old knife which is the perfect length and strength for the task.

cutting up summer watermelon

Brian didn't see the knife again until he was visiting his brother John, who then was a bee-keeper. John was using the knife to scrape the wax away from the honey turning machine. I think Brian must have protested at such a special knife being used for that, and the knife got sharpened at a professional knife sharpener and the knife came up almost as good as new. Now the knife is in Brian's kitchen and was the perfect tool to cut up this summer's watermelon for a cool afternoon snack! I've tried to remember the story as best I could as it was told to me, maybe one day I'll get a chance to fill in more details ...

My Great-Grandmother's Extendible Table

I really appreciate sensible, functional and flexible furniture like this old extendible table that once belonged to my great-grandmother. I like extendible tables so much that I have a small one myself.

my great-grandmother's extendible table folded out to full size seats 10 or more

Extendible tables like the small one we have, are really sensible for renters like us, because you never know when the next place you live will only have a small space for your table. But never mind, one day you might live somewhere where there is more space, and you can extend it out for large family gatherings. I'd like to get a photo of this old table folded into its small size, but that wasn't convenient this time. This table is at my mother's house and there's plenty of room for us all to sit around and enjoy a family meal together.

Wooden inlaid chess table

This amazingly delicate wooden inlaid chess table was made by my great-grandfather Charlie. Inside is a mechanism that once played music.

wooden inlaid table made by master craftsman my great-grandfather Charlie

The hinges are currently rusted, and I'm not sure if they can be fixed but we should try. This special tiny table is at my mother's house.

My Grandmother's Cookbook

This old and worse for wear cookbook was given to my grandmother in 1966, David and I have even used it! It's good to look up old recipes for traditional sauces, to name just a few.

an old cookbook given to my grandmother in 1966

 Inside the book there is a note to my grandmother and the date 1966. What a special old thing this cookbook is. I wonder how many times my nan used it to cook a meal for her family?

inside there is a note with the year 1966

Apparently these blemishes you can see are caused by moisture and acid in the paper, I'm not sure? I will have to find out how to look after this vintage treasure ...

Old and Large Wooden Hook

This special hook once belonged to my great-grandmother. Now, that could be Mary Margaretta or Elizabeth Jackson, I'm not sure but I will find out!

this large wooden crochet hook once belonged to my great-grandmother

My mother gave this to me recently, I've only used it once to try a rug idea with some thick yarn I have here. That yarn is too stiff to work with, so I hope one day to come across some thick yarn that I can make into a rug using this hook. This old wooden hook is such a special thing, I do appreciate old things that have stood the test of time.

Vintage Crochet Edging

This vintage crochet edging is on a set of 6 napkins given to my parents in 1969. It was given with a large crochet tablecloth as a wedding present, but we don't know who the person was who made it. I didn't take photos of the tablecloth yet, perhaps I can manage that next time I visit my mum.

vintage napkin edging from 1969

Next time I need to crochet an edge, perhaps I can look at this photo again and try and copy it. I think it's particularly nice, don't you? Although I'm sure I won't be using as tiny a hook and thread as this person did, that just hurts my eyes to think about!

Vintage Doily from 1969

This is a gorgeous crochet doily made by one of my great-aunts and given to my parents as part of a wedding present in 1969. I believe it was given with a vase, perhaps my mum still has it? That's highly likely, my mum has a huge hoarded stash which I'm sure she doesn't fully comprehend the extent of it. When I get the chance, I'd love to try and copy this pattern, perhaps I could even write it down. I just love the simplicity of this symmetrical design. It would be nice if I washed and blocked this doily, I will when I get the chance ...

doily made by my great-aunt and given as a wedding present in 1969

Filet Dolies made by my Great-grandmother

This filet crochet doily set was made by my great-grandmother, Mary Margaretta Davis. I apologise for the quality of these photographs, but as I have stated before, these treasures are stashed away at my mother's house, and these are the photos I managed to get at my last visit. One day I hope to share better photographs. The purpose of these posts now, is to record the identity of these heirloom crafted pieces, as I get the chance to do it.

small filet doily made by my great-grandmother Mary Margaretta

matching large filet doily made by my great-grandmother, Mary Margaretta

3 Vintage Motifs

Here are some motif samples made by my mum, I'm not sure when she made them. These are made with fine crochet cotton and are about 40 years old.

two small square motif samples made by my mum

a small oblique shaped sample made by my mum

Pink Edge Crochet Doily

Here is a lovely crochet doily with a pink edge made by my mum, I think this was also made between 1969 and 1971, like the two embroidered linen doilies I blogged about yesterday. I'm very sorry, but she doesn't remember where she got the pattern. It was, afterall, a very long time ago!

40 year old crochet doily with pink edge made by my mum between 1969 and 1971

Vintage Embroidered Linen Doilies

As promised, here are two more embroidered linen doilies made by mum. These are designs and colours she chose to make after she was married in 1969, before I was born in 1971. She says she did them because after she was married, dad didn't want her to work so she was bored and wanted something to do! But don't worry, my mum chose to go back to work when the kids started school.

a gorgeous blue embroidered linen doily with crochet edging made by my mum between 1969 and 1971

These are simply gorgeous and obviously made by a master. My eyes hurt just thinking about trying something like this. These are so very special, I hope you like seeing these photos, but I do apologies for the state they are in. One day when I get the chance, I will wash and press these and take fresh photos for you to enjoy. They are currently tucked away in a safe place in my mother's hoarded stash.

a stunning crochet edged linen doily with pink and purple flowers made by my mum between 1969 and 1971

1960s Highschool Embroidery Samples

This week I'd like to share some photos of vintage crochet and embroidery work, starting with these four embroidery samples made by my mother in the 1960s. I apologise in advance for the state they are in, these samples are in need of washing, pressing and blocking, but I feel a dismayed sense of urgency to record these precious things while I can. When I get a chance, I will share photos of them in better condition.

1960s high-school embroidery on linen made by my mother, one corner detail

this is the 4th embroidery sampler my mother made in high-school

I believe these high-school samples are so very special so I will start with these, although there are many, many photographs to share with you from my mother's stash, including intricate doilies made by my great-grandmothers and great-aunts that were given as wedding gifts to my parent's in 1969. I can only share a few photographs this week, because this is what I managed to get photos of at my last visit on the weekend. We are planning to try and visit my parents once a month, they are couple of hours drive away, and we have now committed ourselves to care for their fruit trees, which are in such a dismal state we can't bare to see them slip further into decline. I will also be posting about that adventure in the near future.

3rd year high-school embroidery sample from the 1960s, the large leaves were made by someone else and added on

When I looked at these samples, I got a sense of the amount of time this intricate work required. Every year the home-economics teachers got the students to make a new sample. By the time you look at the 3rd and 4th sample you can clearly see my mother had already graduated from this skill, so the teachers had set her to some busy work to keep her occupied. I hope to find time to improve my embroidery skill, I do still remember a bit my mother taught me when I was younger, but my skill is very rudimentary to say the least!

2nd year high-school cross-stitch embroidery on linen sample

Personally, I find embroidery, and cross-stitching for that mater, a luxury in time-wasting. In my opinion there are far more productive things you could be making with needle and thread, and quicker ways to decorate with paint and stamps. That's why I think this skill is so treasured. If I find time to improve my emrboidery skill, it will be with the goal to simply sew faces onto crochet toys, I think a face on a toy is best embroidered on. But who has time for this intricate decoration?

this simple red napkin and tray mat set were the 1st sample my mother made in high-school

I hope you enjoyed seeing photographs of this very special embroidery work from the 1960s. Check back on my blog soon for more photos of vintage crochet and embroidery.

My Grandmother's Mandolin

We lost our grandmother a few years ago now, so her very special mandolin came to be in my possession.

my late grandmother Beverly's old mandolin, which she played as a child

Apparently someone did some work on it for her, but I don't think whoever it was did a very good job. The wood is clearly split. I have no idea who I could possibly trust to restore it properly. So it currently sits in my piano stool, as I have no where else more appropriate to put it.

I hope one day someone will know what is the proper thing to do with it. It's a very special thing.

Jug Cover my Great-grandmother Made

This beautiful white jug cover with delicate real shell weights was made by my maternal great-grandmother, Mary Margaretta Davis. She is the  great-mother that made all of the delicate crochet doilies, some of which I have already blogged about. My other maternal great-mother Elizabeth Jackson also could crochet, but she did more work with thicker yarns like baby jackets. I don't think I have any samples of her work, but she is my mother's grandmother who's parents owned a tailor shop.

A beautiful white jug cover made by my great-grandmother Mary Margaretta Davis

When my mother gave this to me a few weeks ago, it had an awful stain on it. Mum said I could try and wash it out with lemon juice. I did a search and found a site that recommended how to wash cotton in lemon juice so I gave it a try. The doily spent a couple of hours in the sun sitting on this glass and the stain has definately faded. I was worried it would deteriorate the cotton, but it doesn't seem to have and is still holding together strong.

I hope one day to have the time to copy my great-grandmother's pattern. She has swirled it, instead of starting new rounds with chains. One of the many things that is on my list of things to do!

The Wooden Blocks Pa Murphy made

Here are some simply delightful wooden blocks, and a special red and green wooden train made by Pa Murphy as a gift for Thomas!

the wooden blocks Pa Murphy made

Isn't this collection of wooden toys just lovely? Its so much nicer than the mass produced blocks you buy from the store. All the more special are these toys because they were made for Thomas by his grandfather. These are something you would want to keep and treasure, and hopefully pass on one day, because no one has anything quite the same as these wooden toys. I'm not sure where the wood came from originally, but I think these are at least some what environmentally friendly because they were made from scraps of wood from Pa Murphy's workshop. For something like this you really shouldn't buy any wood especially, as any tiny bits of left over scrap wood of any shape will do. These were lightly coated with vegetable oil so a very nice, environmentally friendly toy for Thomas!

two small wooden toy cars by Pa Murphy

Another reason why I like these toys is because they are a classic and timeless toy that doesn't have the branding you see everywhere nowadays. As much as possible, I'd like to help Thomas learn the true value of things, and not according to if they have some recognisable logo or image on them, as hard as I know that is going to be!

Definitely an addition to my collection of hand crafted family heirlooms! Thankyou Pa Murphy <3

The Silver Candle-stick Holders my father made

This pair of candle-stick holders are so very special, they were made by my father around the time my parents were married in 1969.

My father was a jeweller's apprentice so knew how to make these from brass and then coat them in chrome. One looks a little tarnished now, and I'm not sure how I can clean them and polish them up. Dad suggested I could get them re-chromed, which sounds very complicated to me! I'd rather they stay the way he made them.

These have been passed around between our family members for a while, and now have come back to me for safe keeping. I intend on keeping a small collection of precious items that have been hand crafted by family members. These items are family heirlooms as far as I'm concerned and I will be teaching my son to treasure them. It's much more precious to have things hand made by your ancestors than other things that have been simply bought mass produced. I hope the collection will demonstrate to my son that its possible to make these things ourselves, that one day he can also choose to make things. So far we have a wide selection of handicrafts in the collection, including carpentry, embroidery, jewellery and of course heaps of crochet. These things are made by family members as far back as my great-grandparents! I also hope the collection will be compact. When passing heirlooms along I do think it's important that the items are not too cumbersome to keep, that they don't become a burden and don't take up too much room.

Check out other items in my collection of family heirlooms if you're interested! There is more to come ...

Rose's Rocking Chair

It was pure chance that I came to meet this special rocking chair, which Rose has kindly lent to us for a couple of months.

I was pushing Thomas in the pram past Rose's unit when she called out to me as it had been a month or so since she had seen Thomas. I asked if she wanted to hold him, and as it was especially windy that day, she invited me inside. While we were chatting this rocking chair caught my eye and I exclaimed 'Oh! you have a rocking chair, where did you get it? We've been looking to buy one.'

The chair is 34 years old and had been used when Rose's daughter Halley was a baby, and Halley had recently returned it after using it for a few months for her 8 month old son Harry. Rose offered to lend it to us while Thomas is little, but I said I was afraid to break it as it's so special. But Rose insisted it was alright, saying it was a cheap old chair that doesn't get used much, but I think this chair is very special. I've been using David's computer chair to rock Thomas to sleep but it's just awful, developing a horrible high pitched squeak as it's just not meant to be rocked.

It was a special set of circumstances that found me inside Rose's house and the recipient of such a generous loan. I've been asking David since before Thomas was born to help find a rocking chair, we found some on ebay but they weren't right.  But I was really worrying about breaking the rocking chair though, and after I imagined some worst case scenarios in my head, I was then able to tell myself 'the amount of useful worry is now done'. No good can come from worrying more, there is a limit to the amount of useful worry. It was a moment like an epiphany that went off in my head and I was finally able to stop the worry. That was new. And all because of a rocking chair and a windy day.