This is the knitted dress of our Mum's that Keryn referred to in her blog yesterday. I think it was made of 3 ply wool and it was knitted before or during the second world war. There are two lacey vine stitches and waist and yoke are a smocking stitch. Even the shoulder pads in this are knitted! Mum used to boast that Dad could join his hands around her waist, which measured 18". Unfortunately there are a few moth holes and age stains on it, but I'll never throw it out, too many memories.

The tumbling blocks quilt is one that Keryn made for Mum years ago and it always lives on her bed.

I can remember Mum asking us on one of our birthdays, ( I think about our seventh) what we wanted and we both asked for material of our own. We always had plenty of her dressmaking scraps, but we wanted new stuff for our doll's clothes. So she took us to a large store in town called The Co-Op ( short for Co-operative) and with great difficulty we chose some half yard pieces from all the tantalising rolls of fabric. I can remember a printed orange gingham with a sprig of flowers on it, and a white fabric with a purple rosebud. We bought material that we both liked so that we could swap bits at home, and we still do the same thing now. Keryn sends pieces of her treasures to me and I send mine to her.

Once when Keryn had come home for a visit we went to a quilt shop on the way to the airport when she had to fly home. We had a pair of scissors (this was long before 9/11) and we sat in the waiting area, spread our purchases out and proceeded to cut it all in half to swap. We got some funny looks, but it was better than waiting around feeling maudlin about being separated again. One day we'll live together, but heaven help us if we combine stashes, we'll need a whole 'nother house just for that!