CHAPTER 15
SOUTH BRISBANE – JANUARY 1893
Under Mrs Hamilton’s steady tutelage, Lillian began to feel proficient in her new trade in only a matter of months. She soon grew used to wielding the large dressmaking scissors to cut patterns carefully from the cloth. She stood close and handed pins to her employer as the latter knelt at a lady’s skirt to hem it to the correct length. Before long, she was trusted enough to stitch fabric pieces together on one of the Singer sewing machines in the workroom. It was fascinating to watch a bolt of material being transformed into a dashing creation that showed off a woman’s figure to perfection. She tried not to envy Florence’s wonderful embroidery skills. The younger girl had had years of practice. With a tailor for a father and a dressmaker for a mo
