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1 CRIPPLED BOY LIES FACE DOWNWARD j
TO PLAIT LEATHER BELTS j
Lying face downwards, as the
posture in which he can work
with least difficulty, a crippled
Melbourne boy makes plaited
leather belts, baby harness, and dog
leashes of such excellent craftmanship
that there is constant sale for them.
Another badly paralysed youth de
signs and makes original and attractive
fabric lampshades which are bought
by an exclusive city Interior decoration
firm, and several crippled children
only five years old turn out saleable
wool tapestry needle-holders and bright
buttonhole posies.
Their work and that of many other
( .
disabled children and young people
were warmly praised today by Lady
Dugan when she officially opened the
Christmas shop of the Victorian Society
for Crippled Children's Craft Club, at
ICS Little Collins Street, where a col
lection of It is displayed.
Several young Invalids visited the
shop in wheel chairs or on crutches to
see their work on show.
Lady Dugan made no speech, but
closely examined the different types of
work, and bought a large white
macrame handbag, worked by a boy
in his teens, and made up by Miss
Sylvia Docker, the society's occupa
tional therapist, and a butterfly-wing
style picture made of colored silverfofl
sweets wrappers by a girl who is able
to walk only a few yards on crutches.
This girl draws her own designs and
works by a method of her own inven
tion. A chocolate factory came to the
rescue when supplies of the foil seemed
unprocurable.
A 15-year-old girl In a wheel-chair
who has only very limited use of her
hands, made some of the most attrac
tive soft toys in the display — quaint
grey cats with embroidered scarlet
tongues and blue eyes and gay gingham
clothes. She made their clothes on a
hand machine. When first a member
of the Craft Club she could do only
simple wool-work.
Boys of eight and nine have con
tributed beautifully worked tapestry
cushion covers, and a young girl with
paralysed back and legs is showing a
sandproof, khaki hanging wardrobe and
cretonne flower holders, made by
machine, smocked dresses for children,
and embroidered underwear. A city
shop has bought some of her needle
work.
Orders are taken for most of the
articles on show made by infantile
paralysis patients at the Children's
Hospital, the Hnmpton Convalescent
Home, and Fairfield Hospital, as well
as young invalids In their own homes.
The shop will be open until Novem
ber 20. 1
$