Thursday, February 25, 2010

Grandmother's Sewing Tins


She now spends her days in an assisted living apartment.  She naps, reads the paper, takes calls from friends, and receives occasional visitors, most often her dear friend (also 91, still living alone) or my mother-in-law.  She's never been much for T.V., but she does like her news programs on the radio.

Years ago, like most other women of the Great Depression, she used to sew.  By the time I was born, she no longer sewed out of necessity; sewing became a hobby, taken up less frequently with each passing year.  But when I decided I wanted to learn, she was my first teacher.  When she came to stay with me while my parents were traveling, I completed my first 4-h project, an apron, under her tutelage.


I still sew today, but--like Grandmother--not out of necessity.  Last summer, my family went through many things in her home, which we continue to maintain.  I was encouraged, as her only grandchild, to take anything I wanted.  I sent a wide variety of items along in our crates to Germany, among them a couple of tins that had been filled with some of Grandmother's sewing supplies.  She had a serious supply of trims and bias tape!  I took anything that was beautiful or that I felt I'd use in my own sewing. 

The Girl and I spent a pleasant afternoon hunting for treasures (buttons and jewelry to be shown later).  Somehow into one tin went a few miscellaneous items, including a couple of wonderful vintage brooches and Grandmother's library card from Chicago back in the '50s.  

I love it all.

8 comments:

World Sweet Home said...

What a lovely post, it makes me think of my grandma who was a professional tailor...I wish I could learn to sew soon!

Tess Kincaid said...

Little sewing boxes give me a warm, woolly feeling. I used to make a lot of my clothes, when I was a teenager, but haven't sewed in ages. Lovely post.

kirsty said...

I have a few tins like that, passed down through several generations. I used to love looking through all the buttons as a child, and still enjoy having a little rummage today. Some of it is terribly outdated, but it comes in very handy for pirates treasure for my little boys!

Heleen said...

I love tinns and boxes with (family)history! what a sweet post this is!

A Whimsical Girl Named Debbie said...

Hi pretty lady!

I love vintage sewing tins - so much nostalgia attached to them! Have I told you how much your blog makes me happy?! And, did you see that I have an award for you at GirlWhimsy {check my "Over The Top" post}? I'm not sure if you do the whole award thing, but I wanted you to know how I feel about Fairytale Hausfrau. Please stop by to pick it up.

http://girlwhimsy.blogspot.com

A Whimsical Girl Named Debbie said...

Oh, sweetie! I'm sorry! I see that you did pick up your award. Thank you!

http://girlwhimsy.blogspot.com

figwittage said...

grandmum's have the best stuff! an old library card from Chicago? i think that's fabulous! i loved going through my grandmum's books (some were from libraries.) :) i wish someone in my family sewed because i want to learn.

Gwendolen Elaine said...

What fun! I love going through things like this...you never know what you'll find...and I love surprises!

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