Grandmas' Cupboards

Earlier this year my Mum in law, my kids beloved Grandma, left us. One of the hard things when someone passes is not just dealing with the grief, but the finalisation of her belongings.

It has taken us several months to slowly go through things, which while being an emotional time, was also a healing process. She had 3 sons, and none of them could go through her cupboards. I think it is a man thing, that sorting your mothers personal things is forbidden. So the task was left for me. Grandma was an immaculate woman, with a place for everything, and everything in its place, so while it wasn't a hard job it was a time of reflection.

My Mum in law could never crochet. She used to boast how clever I was (not because I had a Uni degree) but, rather that I could crochet.

I made and gifted her many things over the years. While many of them I had long forgotten, she has treasured every little item.

I had a moment of sadness and said to hub - "She has kept everything I ever made her" to which, as you would expect a bloke to say responded - "well you didn't think she would throw them in the bin!". So here is showcase of some of the things I found that I had made for her.

Doilies, she loved doilies and I always knew this was a cherished gift. I had though, forgotten how many I had given her over the last 30 years. White doilies, ecru doilies, ;emon and purple doilies.

Ecru doily with the pineapple pattern, I think I made this is the early 80s.

A yellow doily with an old design from one of my Nana's books.

I actually remember making this lavender fillet rose. I can't work out how to turn the photo, however this was one of my first attempts at fillet crochet. The rose is a bit stretched because my tension was tight. I remember making this one for her shortly after my husband and I became engaged.

This is another piece of fillet that I worked her name into the corner of the handkerchief. She has kept this for many years, and I found it with some other handkerchief's I had edged for her. I am going to keep this one in a safe place in case one day, my daughter gets married, this can be her little piece of Grandma on her wedding day.

These made me laugh as the yellow hat is from the starched crochet era. I used to make doilies and them shape them with white glue over a cottage cheese container. There was a Leisure Arts brochure at the time that had a number of variations of these. The sachets were in her cupboard. Crocheted by me in blue thread, they are drink coasters which I then stitched onto little fabric pillows I made, filled with lavender and stitched on a ribbon to hang on a coat hanger.

This is a pocket tissue holder. I had forgotten all about having made these. One Christmas in the mid 80s I crocheted a pile of them in different colours and used them as stocking stuffers. I will try and write the pattern out if anyone is interested as they make great little gifts.

The funny looking creation above is one of those string bags that squeezes up and fits into the round pocket. I have also liked the variegated threads!

And this little oddity is a moth ball or camphor holder. Another funny little thing I made for Grandma years ago; and she still had it in her cupboard. I can also write this pattern up if anyone is interested. They make cute little decorations on the tree and can be filled with scented timber balls or lavender. Very kitsch, but very cute!

It was therapeutic for me to find these things which I had long forgotten. There were also scarves, and shawls, and crochet towels and afghans that I had done over the years. I will show them at another time. This will be our first Christmas without Grandma, however she will always be with us in spirit. I feel honored that she treasured my work, and despite downsizing over the years, had kept my crochet.

Thanks for looking!