The closet housed a lot of the projects Grandma was working on - which means they were current. While she was using scraps, none of them were antique fabrics, just dated a bit - say a decade or so. Well, there were some things in that closet which were quite a bit older than that. I felt like an archaeologist on a dig for ancient treasure. Today's post will feature some of the older finds.
This advertisement was tucked in with a box of cardboard templates. I never knew Grandma to be interested in textile painting, so I cannot imagine why this was saved. Maybe there was something inside or on the back that was of interest. I need to check again.
Here are some of the cardboard templates. Untold quilts have been made with these. The penciled-on labels are fading; some of it is Grandma's handwriting.
One box had a shoebox in it that was filled with bias tape and rick rack, many unopened. I asked Grandma why she had so much of this (because I also remember there being a lot of bias tape and rick rack in that sewing kit I got awhile back). She said that she made a lot of aprons, and these were helpful in her construction. I suppose the bias tape would bind pockets, or maybe become apron strings (?). Of course, rich rack makes a nice embellishment on aprons, so that makes sense. Anyway, take a look at the price on this random one I pulled out. Gracious!!
The oldest items of all reside in this shabby brown box.
This is a project of Grandma's sister, Leota. The pieces are cut and sorted, the pattern is in the envelop in which it came, and a block is partially completed.
I do not remember my great aunt Leota, and I should. We just didn't see these relatives very often. She was an older sibling of my grandmother's. Of the 9 surviving children, Leota was 5th and Grandma was 7th. Leota was born in 1913 and died in 2000. Grandma was born in 1916.
Well, there you have it - some very old things from Grandma's closet. I can see doing one more post about that closet, and then we'll close that subject for awhile. If you missed the previous posts about the closet, here are the links: first, second, third.
Happy Quilting, Friends!
I do a lot of genealogy work and things like this make our ancestors seem so much more real, rather than just seeing a name in a book. What a treasure this is!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, what wonderful finds. I too have a lot of inherited binding. My grandmother used it as the top binding and the ties for aprons. Very little cutting was needed and it was just on straight, hand-sewn seam. I love that old box of quilt relics.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing all these old things especially the patchwork. Thanks for sharing. X
ReplyDeleteWhat treasures you have Jayne. I remember some of the same things in my Grandmother's closet too! I especially remember the smell of cedar mixed in with lavender. Thank you for sharing this story with us.
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