Being a bridesmaid to my aunty was a highlight in my childhood and the experience left me with a few lasting memories.  Thai Silk, the scent of Tuber roses and the nail biting wait for special permission from the parish priest to be allowed to go into a church of another denomination … (what do you suppose was going to happen to me?)

It was a fabulous time of dress fittings, shoe buying and my first ever visit to the hairdresser.  The back of my hair was studded with tiny white roses, two of which I found in my old music box ….

After the wedding the dress was shortened and I felt like a princess in my hot pink thai silk ‘good’ frock.

Whilst unpacking I found the off cut of my princess dress … Meet Jemima …

I labored for weeks making Jemima …. Oh to have had the choices of haberdashery that we have now.  No such thing as prepackaged white fluffy stuffing, rubber foam chips or kapok were the only things around.  No such thing as eyes, noses, fabric paint, dolls hair …. it was ‘make do or not at all’.

I recall feeling quite dissatisfied that the stuffing showed through her face but have always thought that unraveling hand  knitted socks was a 10 year old’s moment of  brilliance for curly hair ..

Of course, she had to have matching shoes …