OBITUARY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22592, 23 December 1938, Page 2

OBITUARY

MRS C. J. MOUNTFORT

Mrs C. J. Mountfort, who died at Sydney on December 14, was the widow of Mr C. J. Mountfort, F.N.Z.1.A., of Christchurch. She will be remembered by all as an ardent worker in the cause of charity in the city. For several years she was associated with the Church of the Holy Trinity, Avonside, and during the war with the Navy League and the Red Cross Socitey. Mrs Mountfort had travelled extensively in the East, on the Continent, in England, South America, New Guinea, Papua, and! the Pacific Islands.

She is survived by one son, Mr H. H. Mountfort, of Sydney, and two grandchildren.

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

HANDICRAFTS EXHIBITION

ADMIRED BY THE QUEEN

(TSOI! ODB OWK COBEBSPONDMT.) LONDON, November 21. A mahogany Victorian workbox for Princess Elizabeth, a finely worked handkerchief sachet for Princess Margaret, and a coat made for 3d from sacking—a replica of others presented to Cabinet Ministers—were among the interesting exhibits at the Handicrafts Exhibition of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes. Princess Elizabeth’s workbox was made by Miss Colby, who manages a 130-acre farm in Somerset, and who does most of the farm work herself. Some 200 minute pictures of silk and cretonne go to make up the patchwork padding. The lining of the lid was embroidered with tiny flowers from a piece of glazed chintz more than 100 years old. It was admired by the Queen when she paid a visit to the exhibition.

It would, said her Majesty, be just in time for Princess Elizabeth to make her Christmas presents. Coloured floral embroidery for the handkerchief sachet with a Queen Anne design in fine chain stitch, with miniature roses, marguerites, thistles, and oak leaves in coloured silk, was worked by the Misses Hamilton, of East Sussex. It was much admired by the Queen, who said that it would delight Princess Margaret. The Queen was also much attracted by the glove exhibits, and ordered a pair each for the Prin'cesses in brown and white speckled lamb, with lambswool lining. Threepenny Sack Coat

The threepenny sack coat was the work of Mrs Hilda Hodges, whose husband farms 1000 acres in Warwickshire. It was originally a sugar-sack, but arrived on the Hodges’ farm filled with oats. Now it is a well-tailored gardening suit, and a replica of coats Mrs Hodges has presented to Mr Waller Elliot, Minister for Health, Mr Oliver Stanley, president of the Board of Trade, and Sir Kingsley Wood, Air Minister. When Mrs Chamberlain visits the exhibition it will probably be offered to her for the Prime Minister. Ninth Exhibition

The exhibition is the ninth to be organised by the National Federation, which has 5600 institutes in England and Wales with a membership of more than .310,000. In the three years which have elapsed since the last exhibition the members appear to have improved greatly in the designs, and in some crafts also in the quality of the work; Their touch seems lighter and not so serious, and beauty and skill appear to come easier to them than in the early days of 1915, when the movement started.

Among the exhibits are canework by crippled workers from Devonshire, weaving by crippled girls of Stratford-on-Avon, qpd lace made by disabled women. Spinners from the Shetlands. toymakers from Cornwall, weavers, lace workers, basket-makers, potters, cottar quilters, all brought their work to London. Two of them were women who have turned their family seats into centres of village industry. One was Lady Hart Dyke, who has turned Lillingstone Castle into a silk farm. The other was Mrs Thackeray, of Elsing Hall, Derenham, Norfolk, who has transformed her thirteenth-century moated grange into a weaver’s shop, where she has taught the craft to scores of local people. She is so enthusiastic that she will wear nothing that is not woven; even her shoes are of woven leather.

Royal Members Also Pay 2s

The Queen and Queen Mary both paid visits as institute members, since they both pay their 2s a year subscription to the Sandringham Women’s Institute. One of the many interesting exhibits to attract the Queen’s attention was a beautiful toy theatre, which showed a Victorian Christmas party. She watched the puppets dancing round the laden Christmas tree to music. The theatre was made by Mrs K. Marshall, of Dorset.

The thrift exhibits made from odd pieces also interested the Queen, and one of the demonstrators who goes round the country visiting the institutes, explained how some pretty shoes for children had been made. Chairs from casks were another thrift exhibit, and aprons for field work made from sugar-sacks. These came from Lincolnshire, where there are three federations.

Qu.een Mary was much attracted by a child’s .bedstead, beautifully carved from sweet chestnut wood cut from a tree in the garden of a member living at Westerham, Kent. This bed, together with the bedding, coverlets, a chair, a dressing-table, and a rug, was the combined work of women living in the villages of West Kent. Her Majesty’s purchases were an embroidered cushion made by Mrs Trevor, of Oswestry, and a set of raffia baskets made by Mrs Hawthorne, of Warwick. On leaving, Queen Mary said that she thought the design of the exhibits had greatly improved this year, and that the staging of the whole exhibition was better than in previous years.

FOR FOOT. TREATMENT. MISS B. WILSON. 8.1.C.L., 699 Colombo St. (near Hereford St) Corns, Falling Arches, etc., etc ’Phone 32-641. W8229