Creating beautiful keepsakes one stitch at a time

Linda regularly sells her handmade creations at the Cobram Lions Market, including baby blankets, ponchos, beanies, bags, footy pens and keyrings.

But her Barbie dolls, dressed in intricate crocheted outfits ranging from wedding gowns to mermaid tails, have quickly become some of her most popular creations.

It was at the market that Ash discovered Linda’s work, purchasing a ballerina doll for her daughter, before later approaching Linda with an idea for something more personal — a Barbie inspired by the Murray River.

“I had the idea for my daughter as a keepsake, and she brought the vision to life so amazingly,” Ash said.

“When Linda made my daughter’s doll, I honestly felt her beautiful work deserved to be noticed by the whole community. That’s why I shared it on Facebook.

“I just felt like everyone needed to see this amazing little piece of art and the talent behind it.”

Linda said the colours and patterns of the dress were carefully chosen to represent the Murray River, with the yellow top symbolising the sun and blue representing the sky.

“Then there’s a row to represent the sand, and I did a shell pattern down the bottom to represent the water,” she said.

“When I thought of what represents the Murray to me, it was the fruit industry ― peaches and cream ― the animals, koalas, kangaroos, birds like the cockatoos.”

Linda said she had been crocheting since she was 12 years old, having started with knitting.

“I had an old Italian lady that lived next door, and she actually taught me to crochet,” she said.

“She used to make these chickens, doilies and things out of crochet cotton.

“My mum was a dressmaker by trade, my great-grandmother used to embroider all those fancy tablecloths and things, so my mum reckons that’s where I got my craft skills from.”

Linda and her husband, Andrew, moved to Cobram from Melbourne in 1986, and barely 12 months later, her parents followed.

The family had fallen in love with Cobram after visiting for holidays, when Andrew and Linda’s father played golf.

When Linda had children, she returned to knitting and crocheting, making a small bassinet blanket for her daughter and knitted layettes.

One layette caught the eye of a friend, who encouraged her to enter it into the Cobram Show.

Although Linda didn’t win that first year, she entered again the following year and claimed second place.

From there, her craft continued to evolve and she began making crocheted shoes and clothes for babies, which she sold on eBay.

Her work eventually caught the attention of a photographer in New Zealand, who contacted Linda about creating sets and character outfits for photo shoots.

For about five years, Linda made crocheted hats with flowers, matching shoes and costumes including monkey suits, frogs and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

She later moved on to making tote bags and other items before friends encouraged her to try selling her work at local markets.

“I started off with just one little trestle table with my bags laid out on it at the Cobram Lions Market,” she said.

“This is my third year and I’ve now got two tables, a gazebo and hanging stands at the market.

“What I love most is seeing what’s in your head come to life and seeing the finished product and going, ‘oh, that's pretty’.”

For Ash’s daughter, the special Murray River doll Linda created will be a special keepsake by which to remember home for years to come.