The Lower Belford Country Women’s Association branch at Lower Belford may be one of the smallest in the Hunter River Group but it has been punching above its weight for many years when it comes to success in the handicraft competitions. The branches handicraft officer Edith Shearer spoke to Louise Nichols about their success.
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AS A child Edith Shearer learnt the art of sewing and knitting from her mother.
It was a time when every girl was expected to be a dab hand in these departments because like their mothers they to could one day be making their own children’s clothing.
Her mother the late Margaret Turner must have been a pretty good teacher because her daughter continues to enjoy making children’s clothing and other handicrafts.
And as the Lower Belford Country Women’s Associations (CWA) handicraft officer she has seen her dedicated band of members win the Hunter River Group handicraft trophy seven times since 2003.
That is not a bad effort for the Lower Belford branch because the trophy is a competition open to branches with less than 35 members and Lower Belford only has around 14 members.
In fact in the open classes of the handicraft competition where Lower Belford is up against branches like Belmont with more than 80 members the local group came overall third this year.
“Our branch is doing really well when compared to the larger branches,” she said.
“Belmont has weekly handicraft sessions where members can obtain lessons and tips on what to do – here we do all our work at home and when we have a problem we bring the item to a meeting and everyone gets in and we find a way to work things out.”
Mrs Shearer puts the Lower Belford success down to teamwork.
“We like to consider our little branch as a social friendship group and we love to catch up with everyone each month and enjoy a cup of tea and a chat,” Mrs Shearer said.
“If we didn’t have that meeting place many of us would lose contact with people in the community so that’s what is wonderful about the CWA.”
Mrs Shearer joined the branch in 1997.
She described the meetings as providing an escape from the hard work of running a family dairy farm.
For her doing handicrafts can provide a much needed release for those tough times.
And when her two children Ann and Paul were young the lessons she learnt from her mother were put to good use making their clothing.
“When I get down or feel overwhelmed then I get the sewing out and start working,” Mrs Shearer said.
“While I am sewing I forget about the problems because I am concentrating on the work in front of me.”
Mrs Shearer is a mollydooker and the only thing she doesn’t do left handed is knit something she puts down to the fact she learnt how to knit from a right handed mother.
“I crochet left handed but have always knitted right handed like Mum,” she said.
At the recent Hunter River Group judging one of Mrs Shearer’s little girls’ dresses scored 88 out of 100 and only just missed out on going directly to state finals.
Just to prove her versatility Mrs Shearer is still vying for state recognitions with her first Handicraft success for Lower Belford CWA prize winning Rick Fruit Cake entry in the The Land/CWA Cookery Competition.
Today one of her favourite handicrafts is teddy bear making.
Many of her finished teddy bears are given away to family members and friends.
With two grandsons often visiting who are more interested in hammers than knitting needles Mrs Shearer still finds the time to plan her next handicraft report and think about her next item of sewing.