When I went back to visit family on the east coast a few months ago, I had the opportunity to grab some hand-me-downs from my granny’s house. I was able to go back in time and send myself an entire box of my great-grandmother’s linens!
What amazes and inspires me about the treasure trove of table dressings I now possess is not just the quality of the work, but the quality of the care shown by my great grandmother and my granny over the last 75-100 years. There were few stains, no mustiness, and the ironing was as crisp as could be. I could tell that these were cherished items of which Nonna Youngblood was very, very proud.
It really made me think of how disposable so many things are, and how the ‘stuff’ I have isn’t really anything to cherish – if (when) I ruin a place mat or the cat decides that the napkins are chew toys, I just go buy another. But maybe there’s a lesson here – well-made, handmade things are worth having and worth caring for.
Besides the doilies I’ve made so far, I have plans for many more handmade items (or handmade touches on purchased items) that I intend to keep in good shape. I’m totally in love with crochet edgings right now, so I’ve been swatching a bunch in Curio, for various applications later!
I’ve found that between my Pinterest crochet board and the gorgeous colors of Curio, I can hardly stop myself from trying every pretty lacy detail I can find. I’m learning how to put an edging on an actual thing (it’s like magic!) as well. It doesn’t look nearly as nice as anything I found in great-grandma’s goodies, but it’s a start.
Even if there’s no future descendent who will inherit these items, I aim to create something useful that I, at least, can be proud of.
