Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Treasures

I have lots of family treasures in my home.  Lots from my  family and quite a bit from my husbands.  Many are on display but some are hidden here and there in little drawers or closets.  I came across  a plastic bag filled with some of my Grandmother's things the other day.  I carefully took them out for a photo shoot then put them all back.  Some are stained, I did not want to take the chance of them getting more damaged, so it was a quick trip outside.  Want a quick peek?


 This must have gone over a little dress, it is open in back.  I imagine it was for someone in my Grandmother's family, possibly her youngest sister Rhoda, probably made by my Grandmother's hands.


 This is my Grandmother at the age of 14, the other girl in the photo must be her younger sister Ruth.  Her much younger sister and her older sister died of the flu, 10 days apart.  My Grandmother came home from nursing school to tend to her family.  She must have been devastated at the loss.  I am not sure she ever got over the loss of her sisters.


If you could just see the detail in these pieces up close, of my!  My Grandmother was unbelievably talented with a crochet hook or thread and a needle. 


 I didn't even want to iron these, so they looked beautiful and flat.  A quick peek in the sun was all that was allowed.


I remember her  slips and pillow cases all had beautiful crochet edgings on them.


My Grandmother also was a quilter, I think my sister Claudia was the only one to inherit that skill from her.  She made us all quilts and  crochet afghans. They were plentiful in my house growing up, but where are they all now I wonder?  I have one quilt that she made me when I was just one year old, it was my wedding quilt.  I'll show you pictures of that another day.


My Grandmother was a force to be reckoned with.  She was fiercely proud and independent, in a time when women were not meant to be so.  She learned to drive later in life, and her 5 foot tall body could walk faster than me with my long legs.  She always let us have chocolate milk with our dinner, and she never made us eat our vegetables.  She always had a jar of sour lemon candy in her house, they was so rough they scratched the roof of your mouth when you sucked on them.  And she taught me how to crochet when I was just a little girl.  Of course I promptly forgot and had to be taught again by my sister, actually several more times.  Finding these little works of art made me remember what a great woman she was.  Yes, there was some difficulty with her too, but I like to remember all the good stuff. 

35 comments:

Elisabeth said...

Beautiful treasures - thank you for sharing them.
Your grandmother really was a talented crocheter!
The old photo is lovely, I have one like that of my great grandmother which I cherish. Old photos are wonderful. Elisabeth x

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing. I wonder how they had the time to do all of these pieces of art! Their lives were so much harder then ours are. I wonder if doing crafts (nesessities to them) was a tension release for them. Time to sit for awhile. Wonderful reminder of some of the things I use to take for granted...seeing all the things that my grandmas made. Beck then it was kind of like "grandma is crocheting, quilting again". Now I realize just how hard it was for them just to find the time to sit down.

JCDiTaranto said...

How nice to have memories you can look at and touch!

Teresa Kasner said...

Hi Meredith, you are so lucky to have all these treasures! My parents moved us to Oregon from Oklahoma when I was 4 years old, so we hardly ever saw our grandparents and when they passed away, we weren't there to get any of their things. I have my one grandma's vase and my great grandma's high chair and a bowl from the other grandma. Treasures! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

kathy b said...

Fantastic. I think the dress is a CHristening gown , the first one??

What talented hands you come from!!!!

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Gosh, Meredith. You are so lucky to have all those beautiful handmade things from your grandmother. The photos are really special, too. I don't think I would be able to tuck them away. You should frame them all and hang them in your studio space as inspiration for all your crafting. It's obvious that creativity runs in your family. Hugs, Tammy

Anonymous said...

That's the best way to be. I loved my Mom's mom. She was feisty and proud.

As an adult, I found out some pretty ugly things about her from my much older cousins. You know what? It doesn't change my opinion one bit. I know who she was to me and that was my loving Grandmom.

It is a shame you have those things hidden away. Is there some way you could display them in a way that would degrade them?

Mindy said...

Treasures, for sure! What incredible workmanship!

Karen said...

These are treasures indeed. How wonderful that you have such beautiful memories of your grandmother and that you appreciate all the time and effort that went into them. It makes me sad when I see handmade things like these at a garage sale or thrift shop.

Betsy said...

Such beautiful treasures and memories of your Grandmother. Mine also taught me to crochet when I was 7 years old and I've never stopped. It's my first love although knitting is a close second. I understand the feelings all of those treasures bring to the fore. Slowly our families treasures have come out of drawers and closets to be given to the next generation. My daughter treasures all of these things and has the family pictures prominently displayed throughout her home.
Blessings,
Betsy

cockney blonde said...

Fabulous treasures and such wonderful memories too. Thanks for sharing, x

WildflowerWool said...

Isn't it wonderful to have these things from our Grandmother's. I have things too and I treasure them.

Melanie said...

What wonderful memories Meredith! I am thankful my grandmother is still with us, but her health has been declining recently. She was the one who first taught me to knit as a child, and like you, I promptly forgot as well! lol I have so many of her knit items that she made for me and later my children. Now I'm going to make something for her...something I hope she can cherish as much as I cherish the items I have from her.

Sentimentally Me said...

How WONDERFUL! I have one little dish from my maternal grandmother and that's IT. Lucky lucky to have those wonderful textiles :)

Sweet Posy Dreams said...

Wonderful treasures. We have a lot of keepsakes, too. So many, in fact, that we don't know what to do with them. It's a shame to have them hidden away, but what can you do? My mother once had some baby clothes framed. They were lovely, but required quite a big wall.

mynestofyarnandbuttons said...

Hi Meredith, Love your treasures and boy are they treasures. It's amazing that maybe something we make will one day be a treasure too! I wonder?!?
xoRobin❤

RURAL said...

You have a wonderful collection of lace and memories...it's so nice when treasures are handed down, respected, and loved.

She sounds like a pretty cool Grandma.

Jen

kathyinozarks said...

such wonderful treasures-thanks for letting us see

Gerda said...

Beautiful treasures to cherish, and memories to keep. groetjes, Gerda

Pradeepa said...

Beautiful treasures! Your grandma must have been quite a remarkable lady.

Suzan said...

Well, you certainly know where you get your talent from!! My mother crochets ALL our pillow cases with edgings like the one in the middle. And we have dollies that she has crocheted all over the house and a table top. So wonderful that you have her dress and picture. Maybe you could put them together into a shadow box with some of her lace edgings so you can see them all the time. My Mom's Mom also quilted and used all the old cloths that they didn't use for cleaning rags. Just pieced it all together and made several crazy quilts. To this day- Mom will look at the quilt and tell - this was my summer dress, this was dad's overalls for the pigs, this was Mom's sunday dress etc. love that family history!! You have a wonderful collection! Put a note with it so the history isn't forgotten or lost!!

Stitchy Mc Floss said...

They are all so beautiful. :)

I love that your GrandMother, and then your Sister taught you to crochet. It truly was a gift that lasts a life time.

I love the filet pieces. There is something magical about filet to me. I just love it.

Wishing you a lovely day dear friend.

Rose Red said...

How wonderful to have these treasures, especially your grandmother's crochet and sewing. I love those edgings especially.

Gracie Saylor said...

Treasures indeed! Thanks for letting us have a peek at them. My mom and Nana were so talented as well. I am glad they made the time in their lives to express their creativity so beautifully. [My mom was a nurse too prior to having children, but your grandmother certainly faced a tough loss when her sisters died while she cared for them.]
xx,
Gracie

Crystal Rose Cottage said...

Isn't it wonderful to have such wonderful momentos from the past? It's particularly special when we know who they belonged to and who made them. It's nice to think that you inherited their talent and know the time and joy that goes went into making these heirlooms. I know I did not inherit any of my own interests needlework from my own mother because she never did anything remotely like that but I know my dad's mother did although she never really shared it with me. Must be in the genes..
Love the little pinafore! ~Hugs, Patti

Unknown said...

I think remembering all the goods things are lovely. Your Nan sounded like a very clever and brave lady and i love the little lace borders and the crochet work she did and the quilt will you finish it? dee x

Julie said...

Hi Meredith - I'm visiting from Claudia's blog. It's nice to meet you. J

Donnamae said...

Hi! Visiting from Claudia's...didn't know you had a blog. Your grandmother 's needlework is beautiful...you did inherit your skill from her....I have the Packer scarves to prove it! ;)

Mrs. Micawber said...

What a precious heritage ... and it's easy to see that she passed her skills down to you. :)

I especially love the lace insertions in that little pinafore, and the amazing crochet trims. And it's fascinating to see that side parts were trendy in your grandmother's day too!

Looking forward to that wedding quilt....

Susanne Tyree said...

I have some treasures too, in fact a polka dot sundress that I wore when I was little, so it would be around 60 years old. It is in a drawer in the bedroom. I have several other things that I cherish too, some from my mother-in-law. Funny how years ago no one gave a hoot about the family pictures that my mil gave my husband. After she moved to the nursing home and we had to clean out her home those pics became an issue. My brother-in-law, who also helped clean the place out, hinted around a few times that he wondered "where mom's pictures all went". I kept my mouth shut, he never cared about them before. I'm sure he knew where they were anyways. Now they are mine and will be passed on to my girls. I was wondering, have you ever thought to press the doilies and put them behind glass in a picture frame? And to put them on a spot on a wall that doesn't receive direct sunlight would be a good place to display and enjoy them. I know some things are way to fragile to leave out. Those old women were made of tougher stock than we are and many things they made out of necessity. I think they labored over their needlework because they needed something of beauty to brighten their days and fill their evenings. They were hard workers, and many young women were required in school to learn to cook, sew, and do needlework. I think many of us owe a debt to them for being so patient to sit and teach us their craft, passing it down to us. I think they knew we would need something to get lost in when our troubles seemed too much to bear. I can surely understand all that. Besides, have we not heard that idle hands are the devil's workshop, lol....is that in the Bible? I surely need to research that one.
Love you friend. Thank you for sharing,
(((HUGS))) Susanne :)

Babajeza said...

Reading your post makes me remember my mother's aunt Lucy, who must have had the same sour lemon candy your are writing about. You couldn't eat more than one at a time. :-) Those quilt blocks are great!

Lap Dog Knits said...

yes indeedy you have wonderful treasures....

remembering the good stuff is special...and funny the stuff we do remember - my grandmother...it was jars of after dinner mints that I loved...but there were also those lemon drops...I think I'll go fill a jar...thank you

Anonymous said...

I love that you remember the good stuff! How wonderful to have all these treasures done by her hands. My grandmother was a force to be reckoned with too. They were made of some strong stuff back then, weren't they? Such precious memories. Thanks for sharing yours.
Love,
Danette

Annie Cholewa said...

What incredibly detailed work. Thank you so much for sharing these things with us Mere. What a talented woman she was.

Between Me and You said...

I'm making up a 'Memory Box' for my grandaughter when I leave this mortal coil (not planning on it just yet but preparation is everything!). I hope she remembers me as fondly as you obviously remember your dearest Grandmother. She sounds like quite a character.