Treasures

Those of you who read my blog (and/or know me in "real life") know that my mom passed away in February of this year.
You could understand that, to say the least, it's been a gut wrenching journey since then. Besides all the standard probate checklist, I've had to try and deal with family members that have not always been upright and honest in what they're doing.
I'm not going in to that (aren't you glad?!) but did want to share a couple of treasures that going through my mom's things have turned up.
I crocheted for years and years - my mom and great grandmother taught me the standard grannies square when I was about 10.
I laid it down for a while but picked it back up when I was pregnant with my son (who is now almost 21).
I didn't want to do the regular yarn crochet and found myself drawn to the white cotton thread doilies that you find in antique shops.
So I began the loving journey of teaching myself this type of crochet.
Needless to say, my mom loved the lace that I made and all she had to say was "Oh, Callie! (my nick name) I love that!" and it was hers.
Those doilies that I so lovingly made for my mom have come full circle.
Below is a picture of a few of them...
I loved ( and still do) the intricate lace patterns and worked with some little bitty thread back then! My eyes are not good enough to work with such small thread now.




Again, I've said this before but I'm saying it again...My grandmother was a doll Doctor and a maker of dolls.
She and I must have been so much alike in some ways - always making things with our hands, sewing, quilting, drawing...you know - just being artists.
I found a copy of her "Doll Doctoring" manual.
I looked and looked and couldn't find a date on or in the book. It is about 3 inches thick and a veritable cornucopia of knowledge.
Everything one would need to know about fixing up a damaged doll baby...
And look at this box that I found - my mom's handwriting.
"Very Old Doll".
Indeed.

Look at her! My grandmother had evidently began the restoration process - you can see that she has had some "re-do" work on her beautiful head.

Look at those buttons that make the movable arms and legs...

The fabric of her body is so old that it's falling apart.

The clothes that were inside the box were too small for her - they may have been her clothes when she was younger.

But they are just as old as she is. Teeny tiny crocheted lace on one of the dresses.