Sunday 22 April 2012

Darn that

I love the way blogging takes your mind from big things to little things in just one leap. From thoughts of elections, I suddenly realised I was thinking about the lost skill of darning.

Deciding to cut up an old single sheet, to make cot sheets for the crib where baby Izzie will be sleeping when she comes to visit next month.... I discovered a darn.


It's a very small darn, about half an inch wide....and I remembered that this was one of the sheets that I "acquired" when my cousin Margaret died a few years ago. It came with a whole pile of bedding that I thought might come in handy one day.

I have never darned anything in my life, in fact I remember being told off by my domestic science teacher when I informed her my mother would throw a sock away rather than sit and darn it.

So, cousin Margaret must have noticed a small rip in this otherwise perfect sheet, found some matching cotton and mended it with these overlapping, weaving in and out kind of stitches.

I still wont darn anything, but I love this little patch of stitching, and am so pleased it has survived and will be part of Izzie's crib's bedding.

Thanks Margaret. This has made me think about you today and remember what  lovely cake baking, hand knitting gorgeous home maker you were.


A photo of my lovely cousin Margaret, with her mother, Auntie Mamie...taken in about 1952.

25 comments:

  1. I'm with you absolutely on this one, Janice, although to be honest it's not that I won't darn but that I'm sure I can't darn. In our family, my Granny was a tailor, though not a Taylor; my mum the most wonderful sewer (I'm never convinced about this spelling!) and knitter and my sister had her own business and is the most talented Taylor/tailor yet! I can knit and love to but sew...hopeless. This in no way stops me from appreciating fine stitching. And to me, sheets from years gone by have a quality I can't find (or afford) these days and I too have a stash - neatly darned in places - that I will treasure. Bit of a blog post this....hmmm...
    Gorgeous photo of your beautiful cousin - and she could darn too...:-)
    Ax

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    1. Yes Annie, cousin Margaret could bake the best chocolate cake in the world, make the most delicious pastry I've ever tasted, knit fabulous sweaters for anyone in the family who would stand still long enough to get fitted out....and she looked incredible while she was doing it all. Do you remember darning toadstooly shaped things ? I blame my lack of darning skills ( and the will to do such things) on the lack of a darning toadstooly thing. Jxx

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    2. You'd definitely need one - but I can't blame my own lack of darning on the same lack - my mum has a lovely darning toadstooly thing. I was so fond of it as a child and probably talked to it - but make sensible use of it...no! Could never fathom thimbles either. If you ever do decide to darn anything at all, a toadstooly thing would be an essential and I'm sure they're pretty rare these days. Only that makes them rather desirable....
      Axxx

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    3. Annie, Perpetua says they are called mushrooms....not toadstools at all....J x

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  2. Hello Janice:
    The art of threading a needle never mind darning has eluded us completely we are somewhat ashamed to say. But, as you say, there is something rather good about an item which has been patched up rather than simply thrown away. So much of today's world is based on built in obsolescence that it is refreshing to see something which has had new life breathed in to it by a simple act of darning. And, how wonderful that, in this case, you are reminded of your cousin Margaret.

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    1. To be honest, Jane and Lance, my needle threading skills have taken a downturn since middle age...but I am always delighted to be able to recycle something, perhaps not as efficiently as my cousin Margaret would have done, but I think she would have been impressed by the neatness of the hemming on the cot sheets. J.

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  3. What a tender discovery, Janice. I love coming across these stitches in life and imaging the time taken to stitch, repair, remake, whatever at the hands of a loved one. Such warm and loving memories you have of Margaret, and what a beautiful picture of her and your aunt. I was thinking about the lost art of darning just the other day as I realized I had a hole in my sock. Said sock and its partner are now dusting cloths, which is a sad thing to say as I actually have my mom's "darning toadstooly thing.", with no earthly idea on how to use it.

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    1. Well, I think recycling socks with holes into dusting cloths is nearly as "worthy" as darning...so be proud ! As for still having the correct tool for darning, even if it remains unused... well, you deserve a conservation medal at the very least. You are right about stitches though....very very precious. J.

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  4. When we were first married, Lee asked me if I darned socks. Guess his mother did and I know that mine did too. I told him that I'd hold the holey sock over the wastebasket and say "Oh, Darn!"

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    1. I would expect nothing less from you Jane....a role model in so many ways. My mother told my dad, she didn't cook breakfasts, the day they got back from their honeymoon. Lots of love J. xxxx

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  5. A lovely, tender post, Janice and what a beautiful woman your cousin was. I'm afraid I have to break your run of non-darners by admitting that I CAN darn, though I haven't had to do it in a very long time, ever since the children left home and DH took to wearing nylon socks.

    Now, however, he loves my hand-knitted socks and there is no way on earth I will throw away one of those away if I can possible darn it, not after giving so many hours of my life to making it. :-) I even have a darning mushroom tucked away somewhere, just waiting for the first hole to appear....

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    1. So, I was close when I called it a toadstooly thing. I'm very proud of myself. I did actually suspect that as a famed knitter of socks, Perpetua, you might be someone who could do it. I think...technically I could, I think I understand the theory ....and I suppose if some incredibly valued piece of fabric required it, I would have a go, but Mark's socks.....no way. J.

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  6. I love darning. I don't attempt socks but I have been renovating the edge of carpets and it is the most satisfying job. I think this can be classed as darning as the thread has to go in and out in two directions.

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    1. This sounds very impressive. I suppose darning is weaving really isn't it ? I do recognise that renovating things is generally satisfying, but somehow, socks, unless they are Perpetua's home knitted works of art, just somehow do not enthuse me So... carpets yes, socks no. J.

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  7. I enjoyed reading your post, but I'm afraid to say that darning is beyond me! Tim is so much better at all kinds of sewing than I am so he usually gets lumbered with it.

    He's better at ironing too ...

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    1. The more I hear about Tim, the more I think it would be very useful to have one...he sounds brilliant. J

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    2. Well, for a small price ...!

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  8. I have darned things, but never got into the habit and never had a 'mushroom'. However, I remember my mother darning socks, in particular, and have just asked her if she had a 'mushroom'. She told me that she didn't have one but she used a small juice glass and turned it upside down -- 'it did the same thing' she said to me -- just 5 minutes ago!!!

    About thimbles! My mother gave me her very old and beautiful sterling silver thimble several years ago. I use it whenever I have something to sew. In the days when I was first sewing, my grandmother (and teacher) told me I should learn to use one -- she had worn out 3! It was good advice as my thimble finger soon began to get very sore indeed. Now I wouldn't sew on a button without one.

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    1. It is disturbing to discover that not having a toadstooly mushroom is not an excuse not to darn. I will have to look to see if I have a suitable juice glass.
      I know what you mean about thimbles too. I dont have a "special" one, but do use one when I sew. When my mother-in law died, our daughter Jodie specifically asked if she could have "gran's thimble"..not that she sewed, but she remembered gran playing hunt the thimble with her when she was a child. J

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  9. No, I'm not a darner either - terribly wasteful really. I can just about do a hem but that's about it. If something has a hole, it has to go.

    Beautiful photo of your cousin Margaret and her mother. Very apt to have a 1952 picture, with all the diamond jubilee celebrations this year. I have a party to go to in June where I have to dress in 1950s style: may use this photo for some pointers.

    (I've just seen your comment over on my dad's memoirs about your dad being in the Royal Engineers too. So pleased you're enjoying the read)

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    1. Thanks Trish. The 50s party sounds fun...I certainly wish I had my cousin's dress, it looks wonderful....mind you, it looks as if she had a 22 inch waist, so that wouldn't be much good ! Yes, I am really enjoying reading about your dad. J.

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  10. Hi Janice - I remember learning to darn at school. Maybe it was a convent school thing about making do and mending - I was never very good with needle and thread. That skill went to my youngest sister. Needless (possible pun on needles) to say I haven't darned since.

    It is lovely though how memories come to surface from such unexpected quarters and that's the wonder of blogging and sharing!

    Celia x

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    1. hi Celia, thanks for your comments... it is amazing how blogging seems to free the mind to wander... I love it, and love reading other people's wanderings. J

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  11. I Love this one. Margaret's cakes were always the best!

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    1. Thanks Jess....she did make amazing cakes, I have a lot to live up to. J x

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