As I have mentioned previously the meaning behind the name Esme Rudy comes from three important women in my life, My Grandma Esme, my Nanna Ruth and my Mum Wendy. Each one has had a big influence on my life, especially my creative one. So I thought that I would introduce them to you. Sadly both my Grandma and Nanna are no longer here, but the skills that they have taught me and my memories of them will always be treasured.
My Grandma Esme tried all crafts. You name it and she probably gave it a go over her many years: patchwork, crochet, knitting, beading, card making, sewing, lead lighting, Ribbon flowers, floristry, decoupage, lace making, embroidery, teddy bears, but she was more well known for her beautiful porcelain dolls and china painting. Many a time did we go to her house and there would be doll pieces laying about on the dining room table. Ones that she had just taken out of their moulds and she was either in the process of sanding down, painting on their fine facial features, or putting the dolls together. One school holidays I spent a week with Grandma and we made a doll together from pouring the slip into the moulds, firing, sanding, painting on the face, putting it together and then finally dressing it in hand made clothes from material that I had chosen from the fabric stash.
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| One of Grandma's tea cup and saucers. |
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| A crochet blanket made by Grandma that covers one of our lounge room chairs. The size is roughly big enough to cover a single bed, so plenty of room to snuggle under on the couch. |
Even now I have many pieces around our home that she has made over her many years and some that I hope to hand down to my children.
My Nanna Ruth was a knitter. From my memories as a child, she always had something on the go and it was usually a little cardigan for one of her many grandchildren. I was always amazed that she could knit while watching TV and not even need to look at her work or the pattern (something that one day I hope to achieve), and that she could put her knitting down and then come back to it hours later and not worry about where she was up to, she would just start knitting away. I have been lucky enough to inherit many of her knitting patterns and her well worn tortoise shells needles.
My Mum Wendy is also very talented. Mum knits, sews, does the most beautiful embroidery and over the years has decorated the most amazing cakes. Mum and Dad in years gone past used to run their own cake decorating business. Let’s just say our birthday cakes as children were awesome. Mum even made and decorated my wedding cake.
I must say though, that one of my most treasured possessions is my Christmas stocking that Mum made. It was the first of many and over the years how beautiful they have become. Mum makes her own designs and then embroiders them on canvas. I have Santa carrying a sack full of toys, my brothers have a toy soldier and a Christmas tree surrounded by presents, my Dad has Santa fly fishing in a stream and my Mum has Mrs Claus reading her favourite books beside an open fire. When Little O was born it was very exciting to see what design would be on his stocking (Santa on a house roof climbing into a chimney). And of course with myself and Little O having one, I couldn’t leave C out, so I made one for him with Santa snowboarding (a favourite sport of his).
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| Not sure if the photo does it justice. And did you know according to my Mum, Mrs Claus is a huge Tolkien fan. That's her reading Lord of the Rings (oddly enough my Mum's favorite book). |
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| Mr Claus partaking in one of his favorite past times...fly fishing. |
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| This belongs to one of my brothers, a Christmas morning scene. |
So with such talent in the gene pool I am lucky and blessed to have inherited some of the creativity that these special women have. Here’s hoping I can inspire my children in the same way.
Anna
XO
