Material Memory: British Textiles Biennial 23 Photo credit Jack Bolton
My Granny’s Jacket - tattooed
This jacket is part of a suit which belonged to my Granny who died in the early 1980s. I’m pretty certain it was purchased in Edinburgh: other than rare trips to visit us in England my Granny never left Scotland. Branded as “Woodcock Sport” and I think dating from the 1930s it’s now close to a century old.
After Granny died my Mum had the unenviable task of clearing the Edinburgh, Leith, tenement flat she had grown up in. Other than a lot of hand knitwear the suit was one of the few items of clothing she brought back to the family home in Lincoln. I was in the habit of raiding my Mum’s wardrobe and on finding the suit I immediately wanted it. My Mum didn’t wear it. Eventually persuasion succeeded and it passed to me.
Granny was short and plump whereas I am tall and have arms that are perhaps somewhat longer than they should be! Granny had shortened the jacket sleeves. On me they ended way above my wrists; so I extended them by adding fake fur to make deep cuffs that stand proud of the sleeve. The box pleated skirt was both way too wide and too short for me. Solution - I cut the waistband off, replaced it with more fake fur and wore it low, at the hip, thus gaining the length I wanted. (Sounds awful doesn’t it but it worked!).
In my adult life I have moved more than 20 times. Each time my precious things have gone back to Lincoln for safe keeping. The last occasion the jacket lived in the hall cupboard there for quite some time. When I eventually retrieved it to my horror, I discovered it had been seriously eaten by moth. I knew it couldn’t go to a textile recycling bin but how to mend it/make it wearable?
Then my Dad died. Some considerable time later I saw an IG post by Mary Horesh Ealing Repair cafe. She was organising a sustainable fashion show. The impetus I need to sort my jacket - a eureka moment – Tattoos! Not that my father had any. But he was in the Navy during the 2nd World War. And so the damage to the outside has been darned with classic sailor tattoos. They are replete with symbolism (see below). As the photos show I haven’t completely hidden the damage just worked with navy (ha ha) darning thread over the top. In this way if you look closely the battle scars are evident.
I’ve only used tattoos pertinent to my Dad’s life as a sailor.
Anchor: An anchor is the safest and most secure thing at sea, and it has long been a symbol of protection, stability, and security. Representing honour, loyalty, and, of course, hope. An anchor tattoo was frequently accompanied by a heart, the words "Mom" or "Dad," or a sweetheart's name. Anchor tattoos were also signified a sailor had successfully completed a journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
Swallow: Only a sailor who has sailed 5,000 nautical miles is “allowed” to get a tattoo of a swallow. Why the swallow in particular? Because it is seen as a symbol of return; the swallow is able to cover great distances and still get back to it’s home. Because of this a swallow tattoo is also a symbol of good luck and protection.
Polar Bear: Indicating the crossing of the Artic Circle. Dad was part of the Artic Circle Convoys of World War II
Shell Back Turtle: proudly displayed by sailors who have crossed the equator. I’ve used a Celtic design as a nod to the Celtic side of the family.
Tattoos depicting Neptune also demonstrated this fact.
Diamond: there are quite a few - here its for honesty loyalty and purity.
Nautical Star: North star, purely for superstitious reasons, a nautical star or compass rose tattoo was to help sailors voyage at night and return them home safely.
Light House: As a symbol of light, hope and protection. Seafarers look to it and are guided by it in times of need. Occasionally, it might also symbolise God as the principal bearer of light.
Hold Fast: meaning to hold tightly onto the lines while the ship is being tossed in bad weather. These words served as a special reminder to hold on and persevere during tough times.
There a few others:
Starfish: My daughter’s nickname as a young child.
Little Fish: A variation of the above.
Constellations: Capricorn - Granny, Scorpio - Dad, Leo - Mum, Sagittarius - Daughter and Gemini - me
To be replaced by a photo of Heather wearing the jacket when it returns from Material Memories at Blackburn Crypt
The jacket lives on! The fake fur cuffs are now lined with pieces of Chinese cloth my eldest sister brought back from one of her many travels for me. The moths (or whatever ate it) were voracious and ate through areas of the lining too which I’ve yet to replace. At some stage I will do it, when I’ve found the perfect colour of lining cloth.
Wearing the jacket is a complete joy, literally wrapped in family history. So really the moth damage has been the making of it. Not sure my Dad would have approved of the mends as he was not a fan of tattoos!
Not sure if in the future my daughter will wear the jacket. It and the skirt will need a lot of adjusting for her. Besides I plan to wear it for at least another decade. (Pleased to say she already wears some of the lace knit tops made by my Great Grandmother for my Mother in the late 1940s.)
For now here ends the story of my Granny’s jacket.
Heather x
By the way as of October 2023 my Mum is 94, I am 62 and my daughter is 24.