THE OLDEN ways of doing things – from sewing to bootmaking – gave an historic change of pace to an event usually characterised by showground favourites like dagwood dogs, fairy floss and showbags.
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This year’s Ballarat Show featured an array of talented craftsmen and women, showcasing their skills passed down or reclaimed from the 19th century and earlier.
Antique sewing machine collectors and enthusiasts Wayne and Judi McKail, from Maryborough, stitched the names of passers-by on a Cornely from 1880.
Meanwhile, bespoke boot and shoemaker Dundan McHarg from Clunes showed how he made “lasts” of people’s feet and stitched premium kangaroo hide with pig bristles to make Musketeer-style shoes that could last a lifetime.