Silk blouse made by Toula Mavrokefalos, the mother of long-time Brighton resident Olga Black. Olga Maria Black was born in Melbourne in 1930, the daughter of Ithacan migrants Constantine and Toula Mavrokefalos. Constantine first emigrated to Australia in 1902, returning to Greece circa 1912-13 to serve his home country in the Balkan Wars. Toula's family had left Ithaca for Romania when she was only six months old, but she happened to be visiting the island at the very time that Constantine arrived, fresh from the war. Within three weeks they were married, and when Constantine returned to Melbourne in 1914 his new bride came with him. Constantine had trained as an accountant, but his qualifications were not recognised in Australia. Changing his surname to the Anglicised "Black", he started off working in his older brother Dionysios's cafés before going into business on his own. In 1917 he opened the Paris Residential Café at 54-56 Swanston Street, which offered both dining and accommodation. The business saw some years of success, but did not survive the Great Depression. Constantine died in 1944. Olga's mother Toula learned to sew as a child, while growing up in the Romanian village of Brila. She developed her skills making lace and embroidering items for her trousseau. Some of the linen she embroidered had been woven from flax on Ithaca by her own grandmother, Efstathia. During the Depression, when money was scarce, Toula embroidered at home, doing work for a factory in Flinders Lane. Using a cotton reel, a threepence and a sixpence she created and embroidered designs on hundreds of blouses. Olga spent her preschool days sitting at the table where her mother worked. Toula would involve Olga by allowing her to help choose the colour combinations. Toula lived with Olga in Brighton until her death in 1976. Olga inherited her mother's sewing skills. She re-invented some of Toula’s trousseau nightdresses and skilfully altered other clothing, making dresses which she wore around Brighton for many years.Cream silk short-sleeved blouse. Hand embroidered around inside of stand collar, centre front panel and sleeve edge in red, blue, black and green floral and geometric design.migration, ithaca, romania, olga black, toula mavrokefalos, toula black

This work box belonged to Miss Mary Southcombe who, with her parents Thomas and Mary came from Devon Wales to Portland on the sailing ship "Clara" in 1854. Later that year they settled in Belfast (Port Fairy). Miss Southcombe resided in Port Fairy all her life and carried a wonderful record of citizenship extending over a period of more than 80 years.This workbox used by Miss Mary Southcombe a pioneer of Port Fairy is also a beautiful piece of it's type.Pearl inlaid wooden sewing box with many compartments made of card and covered in purple silk each compartment had a lid made of the same componentsdomestic items, sewing, box, miss mary southcombe

These old spools or bobbins were used in textile mills and on looms in factories. The wooden one is a piece of the Industrial Revolution. Two vintage or antique wooden and thick cardboard industrial large sewing spools. The wooden one is an example from the Industrial Revolution. It has a round wooden top and base, with metal bands around both ends. There are two holes in one end at the side of the bigger hole in the middle which the spool would be attached to a machine. It has thick twisted discoloured cream string like thread wound around it. The cardboard wide open ended spool is smaller with thick cream coloured silk thread wound onto it.They were probably used in mills or factories.cotton reels, thread holders, threads

Used for storing various threads for mending in the home - cotton, silk, wool nylon.A decorated brown lidded round container coated inside with black and brown type lacquer. The outside of the container and lid has patterns painted by hand in yellow and red of a bird, ying and yang symbols and oriental script all surrounded in black lined sections. It appears to be made from papier-mache which is layers of cardboard glued together and tightly compressed. This can be seen by the damage sections which grey cardboard shows though. It would have been lacquered over and painted. The container has a variety of sewing items and mending threads for stockings, socks and other work. Some pearl buttons included.As mentioned above, the container has various patterns painted on it. The sewing items include brands of threads for sewing work - Darneezi, Eagley, Rite Tone, Clark's Filosheen,Chadwick's Wool and Nylon, Nylusta.sewingcontainer, threads, containers, sewing equipment

The Hamilton-Smith collection was donated by the children of Grace Mary Hamilton-Smith nee Ellwood (1911-2004) and John Hamilton-Smith (1909-1984) who settled in Wodonga in the 1940s. The Ellwood family had lived in north-east Victoria since the late 1800s. Grace’s mother, Rosina Ellwood nee Smale, was the first teacher at Baranduda in 1888, and a foundation member of the C.W.A. Rosina and her husband Mark retired to Wodonga in 1934. Grace and John married at St. David’s Church, Albury in 1941. John was a grazier, and actively involved in Agricultural Societies. The collection contains significant items which reflect the local history of Wodonga, including handmade needlework, books, photographs, a wedding dress, maps, and material relating to the world wars. This quilt sampler was made before 1900 by Rosina Ellwood. Crazy quilts were fashionable in the late Victorian era. The rise of the trend is attributed to the display of Japanese art and ceramics at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition (U.S.A.) that featured asymmetrical designs. Inspired, quilters began sewing pieces of fabric of different sizes and textures together into abstract, asymmetrical patterns. The craze spread from America around the world. Embroidery, ribbon and silk embellishments, and hand stitched applique birds and flowers were popular additions. One magazine estimated that a detailed crazy quilt could take over 1,500 hours to complete. Crazy quilts remained in fashion in metropolitan cities until about 1910, though the style endured for longer in rural areas. This item is unique, handmade and has a known owner. It forms part of a significant and representative historical collection which reflects the local history of Wodonga. It contributes to our understanding of domestic and family life in early twentieth century Wodonga, as well as providing interpretative capacity for themes including local history, social history and women’s history.A colourful patchwork quilt sampler using mixed fabric types including velvet, cotton, brocade and satin, backed on cardboard.hamilton-smith collection, hamilton-smith, stiching, needlework, sewing, handmade, domestic, quilt, quilts, crazy quilt, crazy quilts, women's history

A brown cane oval woven sewing basket with a lid which has a pink studded silk lining. It contains - a pair of scissors, a cotton reel, embroidery thread, a bone handled crochet hook, tailors chalk, plastic containers, darning wool, press studs, bias binding, a doily and applique flowers.Crotchet cotton - Coates fast 609 colour Mercer Crotchet 60, 6 Black British Snap press studs - Guaranteed Rustless Size 1 Made in England, Standard darning Wool, Tailor's Chalk - RogeR & Gallet Paris, Scissors 101, 89 on one side of blades and Razor Silver Steel Saranti Forge Nogent france on the other side, Standard darning Wool Co Pty Ltd Stawell, Vic. Australia, steel crotchet hook has an embossed pattern on the handle, Superior Linen Thread No 30, Lindsay Thompson (Threads) Ltd Belfast, black pure flax linen thread 60 750 yards reverse twist.sewing baskets, baskets, sewing equipment

Belonged to the late Mrs. Holbrook. Hoiles Family.Wooden sewing box with mother of pear in laid in diamond pattern on lid & surrounding keyhole. Has pink silk lining. Complete with accessories envelope in base and also cardboard needle case.sewing boxes, sewing equipment, boxes