Knitting, Sewing and Such - Part One

Matron's main teaching task at Westleigh College was to teach us knitting, sewing and weaving.

Each grade knew what they would be doing each year as the tasks required progressed as we advanced through the levels. They were the same for all the years I spent there. Nothing changed much in the entire curriculum.


The very first thing we learned was how to make what Matron called a "pigtail" using a cotton reel.

This is technically called a Knitting Nancy. We started off with a reasonably sized cotton reel that had four nails hammered in at the top. Matron would cast on four stitches and do a couple of rows and then we would continue until she said we had done enough.

These were done with colour changes as well as it helped use up scraps of yarn. When they were long enough they were stitched onto a piece of felt, in a coil shape, and became a not-so-safe pot holder. I doubt any of them were ever used: at least not for holding pots!

In any case we enjoyed making them and certainly felt a sense of achievement.


Usually the next task was knitting a pair of bed socks which essentially amounted to using one knitting stitch to produce two squares, sew them up, and thread a draw-string near the top so that they could be tightened around the foot. Pom-poms were added to the draw-string as they looked a lot better with them.

This was simple enough for most of us to do and it paved the way for knitting more complex things like a baby's singlet, booties, a tea cosy and eventually a jumper. Many of the more complex items were finished by my mother or my aunt, thankfully.

I don't think I had very much success with any of the later tasks, but I still knit simple things.
I haven't made a "Knitting Nancy" item since way back then!

We also learned simple embroidery stitches and plain hand-sewing stitches like how to sew a hem. These were used to complete a tea-towel. The linen was bought by the yard, hemmed and then we embroidered a tea-cup motif on it.

As we improved we handled harder items like doylies. Most were simpler than the one pictured. I have made a few since then so I suppose Matron taught the basics well.


Of course it would be remiss of me to not mention the fact that some similar projects were tackled later when I went to High School.


We also used our embroidery and sewing skills to make a stuffed felt toy. The one pictured is a good example.

This was very definitely not my favourite project!

Miss Lillian Everard

Miss Lillian Everard was simply addressed as "Miss Everard". She was the oldest.

We all knew her name was "Lillian" because that is how Miss Clarice addressed her, even in front of us!

Miss Clarice usually did this when she was correcting something Miss Lillian had said or done, and you could easily sense the displeasure and irritation in Miss Clarice's voice.

She was never able to disguise her emotions when she was speaking and we all learned this from a very early age.

I don't recall Miss Everard actually teaching me for a whole year, but she certainly taught some of the classes I was in.

All the class-rooms housed composite classes of three levels: grades 1, 2, and 3 and 4, 5, and 6 and so on. I think there were 4 main rooms, and a separate Kindergarten. (The Preparatory grade).

I think her speciality was history and I enjoyed these classes a lot. In later years this provided some familiarity with much of the history I studied.

Most of the history we did was British History and we used the "Kingsway History" books written by Rhoda Power. I wish I still had them. These books were definitely not part of the Victorian State School curriculum back then, but since Westleigh College was a private school we were not bound by these rules. I think we were fortunate to have used them.

I think Lillian was the most overtly religious of the Everards.

Whilst the school was not specifically denominational we recited "The Lord's Prayer" every Monday morning at assembly, and I recall her reading us psalms, proverbs and other passages from the Bible.

I think all the Misses Everard attended the Church of the Epiphany which was almost next door to their home. The building is still there, and is still an impressive sight when driving (north) towards it along High Street, Northcote.

Like Matron and Miss Clarice she also had long grey hair parted in the middle, braided and in some kind of chignon/bun. The main difference was that Miss Lillian had a fringe. None of the Everards changed their hairstyle in the whole time I was there.

She also dressed appropriately for her age, if not a tad older, and I think she must have been well into her eighties. She was certainly the most frail of them, and with hindsight I am guessing she was getting senile, or even in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease.

Like the others she would dress up for Speech Night and sport a fur stole or cape.

She didn't frighten or intimidate us like Matron or Miss Clarice.

Miss Lillian Everard was more gentle, caring and empathetic.