My Mum

Mum 2016

Mum and I 2012

I have been silent lately on the blog, and those close to me know why.
My Mother Marie Hunter passed away . She had been unwell for along time, so it wasn't unexpected. But when it did happen I was still very shocked.
Mum taught me most of my needlework skills so I decided to write a small tribute to her.

Some of my earliest memories are of Mum sewing "Mummy and Me" matching dresses for her and I. I loved that I got to play with all the fabric scraps, and made clothes for my dolls and teddy bear with them.

Mum taught me to knit, crochet, sew soft toys, embroider and make my own clothes. I remember making pom poms for toys, teddy bears, crocheting dollies for my dressing table, embroidering hankies, knitting slippers etc all while still at primary school.
Once at primary school I was told off by a teacher, as she thought my Mother had done my sewing project for me. Mum put that teacher right telling her, "Leeann does beautiful work, I don't need to help her!"

Mum loved doing cross stitch in her later years, I have many on my walls at home as does my brother and many of her friends. But I think knitting was always her favourite. She hated to just watch TV, she needed to have something to do with her hands.
Before she moved into Care she knitted lots of baby clothes, and gave them to me for when my Sons have children, she thought it would be nice for them to have something made by her, in case she was already gone by then.

In her last years at the Rest Home Mum knitted booties and baby matinee jackets. She used the same pattern and knew it off by heart, though she would sometimes add stripes, or change the lace pattern on the jackets. Her friend Rita would then sell them for her, and buy more wool with the money. So there are a lot of babies dressed in my Mums knitting.

This weekend I received a lovely letter from Mary, an old friend of Mums. She told me how she remembered when Mum was pregnant with me, she was so hoping for a girl after having two boys, and when I was a born I was "the best dressed baby in hand knitted woollen clothes in all of Levin"
Of course Mum taught me a lot more than just needle crafts, Love you Mum.

Thanks for reading this small tribute to my Mum.