A Family Tradition

This audio forms part of a series of audio interviews conducted in 2023 by Smartify as part of the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project. Listen and discover the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands through the eyes of the stitchers of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands.

Listen here to Melanie of The Dam Stitchers as she talks the roots of her family in Yorkshire's historical mining industry and a love for knitting and stitching which spans generations.

I was 4 years old also when I learned to use a treadle sewing machine. And I wasn't allowed fabric because it was too expensive so I learned to sew on sheets of paper with lines drawn. I couldn't reach the treadle so my Mum operated the treadle and I sat on a high stool and guided the paper through the needle. And I was never even at school, I was very small. I've always loved sewing. Absolutely loved it.