Grandma's Ghost

My maternal grandmother's name was Rita. Isn't that just so pretty? I love that name. She died when I was 16 years old. And as often happens, I didn't realize all that her existence encompassed until she was gone. I knew she sewed, but I didn't know she went to school for it and was a bit of a wizard at  it--the clothes and gowns she made were unbelievable! I knew she crocheted, but I didn't know that she made those old-fashioned lacy tablecloths that you just don't see anymore and that take tons of hours to make. Every time I am faced with a sewing conundrum that leads me to Google (and usually a fair bit of time finding exactly what I want) I think "This would be so much quicker if I could just ask Grandma." A lesson learned too late...

My brother lives in the house that used to be my grandma's. When my uncle was over there the other day helping my brother and Dad with some major yard work he went to check the attic for something and called my mom right away. "There's her big old sewing box up there and a bunch of patterns. Did you know all that was up there?" Needless to say, we shot over there immediately. The patterns were pretty much a no-go--they became squirrel fodder long ago (grandma had squirrels in her attic once - I loved this, but apparently homeowners don't find such things amusing). All I salvaged were a few muslins she had saved in plastic bags. But the sewing box? Into the car and home right away to explore. Is there any better way to spend a raining-cats-and-dogs Sunday?

Looks like the squirrels had a go at this too...

The nephew told me "I would like to have a box like this to store things in." I don't know what he wants to store in it but he had second thoughts when he saw that the wood was in pretty bad shape on the top and didn't even hold the screws on one side.

 

 It's one of those huge boxes that pulls apart and has a bunch of different levels. There are removable legs too in case you wanted to stand it up next to a sewing table or chair.

 I like looking at these and wondering what they were for. What was she making that was purple? Why the red anchor? Were they just great deals or did she have a project in mind?

 This I can relate to - if ever I am featured on 'Hoarders' it will be because I've been buried under my own zipper collection. If you look to the right just under that yellow zipper you can see a black thread--she had salvaged the zipper from something and left a few hanging threads. My mom said that whenever Grandma was tossing something she removed everything she could still use.

 One of the hallmarks of a dressmaker - endless hooks and eyes.

I love the old-fashioned packaging on these needles. I need a ballpoint needle and I'm wondering if I should just use hers or leave it as she left it....

 Mumsy wasn't sure where the Necchi sewing machine ended up....I believe her old Singer is the one in our spare room. I'm going to have to pull that out and show it to you one day--it's the kind that is built into the desk and folds down into it. It's wicked old-fashioned looking. Anyway---these are throat plates and bobbins and machine feet for it. Most of them I couldn't even identify--she had 4 hemmers though, each one different (and I only know that because it had 'hemmer' stamped onto it).

She had an unbelievable amount of buttons. Which I pretty much expected she would. Who doesn't love buttons? I have a ton and I rarely use them. Hers are all of the 'useful' variety--mine are more novelty buttons.

 Check out the prices on those labels. One day someone is going to go through my sewing box and find all my labels that I keep forgetting to put on things. And her corner-poker-outer stick looks much better than the one I use which frequently does NOT poke the corner out.

 Good old-fashioned shears, pinkers, and seam nips. And a snap setter. I love that she had this. I don't know why but it seems more like a luxury instead of a necessity, like she treated herself to something to make inserting snaps a bit easier (because those little tools they give you are no fun to use).

 I love this old box that used to hold embroidery threads. Packaging certainly was different then, eh?

 These electric scissors prompted the nephew to ask "Did they even HAVE electricity back then?"

After I took everything out I used a hand-vac to get rid of any dust and debris. I wiped it all down, and then put everything back. I don't know if I could ever bring myself to use any of this. I know they're just things, and I have most of what she had--the fancy scissors, and all the zips, and the rulers and the little gadgets. I feel like I'd be disturbing something that shouldn't be disturbed. And yet...wouldn't there be a fabulous connection between past and present? How great would it be if I could cut fabric using her shears, and have her knowledge and wisdom travel through my fingertips and result in a perfect project? But then again...this is me we're talking about. I would probably just sit there, turning her shears over in my hands and thinking "These were Grandma's. She used these decades ago. And now I'm holding them." Then my mind would be blown and I'd get nothing done...

What about you? Do you have any similar (or even not-so-similar) "hand me downs?"