The photo is of a needle point that my Grandma did back in the 30s. She used a flour sack for the cloth (you can see the imprint on the back of the picture). All my life this picture hung over my grandparent’s bed. When my grandmother moved into an assisted living home last November, she told me to take the picture. It was too big for my luggage, so I had left it at my parent’s home to pick up when I drove down, but my dad got it to me earlier, sending it up with my brother. The idea of using something like a flour sack for embroidery is foreign today (The idea of embroidery was foreign to me even yesterday). I’ve hung the picture over the quilt rack that has the quilt she did which has embroidered flowers of each state in the Union (in case you’re wondering, there’s only 48 states in that quilt). Someday I will lay out the quilt and photograph it for your pleasure.My brother, sister-in-law and niece were here today. His daughter just graduated from college with a degree in biomedical engineering and has taken a position in a firm about 40 miles from here. They were helping her move and trying to tell her about our arctic winters in an attempt to entice her to move back closer to the Carolina coast. I don’t think they’re going to be successfully. It was good to see him. It'll also be good to have another relative in the state and I’m proud to have one of my own kin trying to stem to exodus from Michigan!
I hope everyone has a wonderful week.
A picture to cherish...
ReplyDeleteI am no good at embroidery. But I have seen my grandmother using seemingly most useless stuff for embroidery or other craft work. My mom? She is good at stitching. I am good at neither!
It's nice to have family things. Your grandmother must love you "guarding" the embroidery
ReplyDeleteI still have to finish unpacking--and photograph my father's shoe shine box he crossed Turkey with (to five star hotels but still...)
Now that I own a house my sister has decided I can have pictures and some stuff left to me--will get them when I'm in NY in July. That makes my sister sound horrible. I really didn't have room in Manhattan. Really
Went to Wilmington last Saturday. It was lovely. Took a horse drawn trolley tour of mansions. Then went to Wrightsville Beach and saw two weddings--I couldn't believe I remembered the part of the beach that's least crowded with the most amount of sand and dunes. actually was easy--the Southern most part :)
Gautami, Your embroidery is done with words!
ReplyDeletePia, You're right about the S. end of WB being the least crowded--I spent lots of time there fishing by the jetty, snorkling by the rocks out at the mouth of the inlet. You have to be careful of the current! If they are still doing it, you should check out the Christmas Candlelight tour through many of the mansions along the river. It's a treat to see inside the homes. You should also visit the old synagogue in Wilmington. There's nice architecture in the city.
The art work of our parents, grandparents, etc... is so special. Your Grandma did a very nice job with the flour sack embroidery.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like I have a lot of catching up to do with fellow bloggers! Off to read and have a good week!
It's so lovely.
ReplyDeleteI guess I missed the memo about the new southern invasion of the north!
ReplyDeleteI'll tell you, there is very little that holds more value for me than things that belonged to my Grammy. They are my own personal treasures.
ReplyDeleteIt will definitely be nice to have family closer to you, but you may need to prepare her as the Michigan winter approaches! :)
I wish my niece is living 40 miles from here. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteVenus, thanks.
ReplyDeleteEd, Hush, we're trying to slip in unnoticed this time (Heck, with the yankees invading the south, there's no longer any room for us down there).
Stephanie, yes, those memories do seem more special. Although needlepoint isn't an art form that I have displayed before, this one is special. I do have a small needlepoint made by a friend in Pgh that has a bear eating grits and saying "Southern bears love grits and honey." That's in a bathroom.
Mother Hen, I can only image how hard it is to be an ocean away.
What a treasure that picture is. (And quilt, too.)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'd puncture myself and develop gangrene if I tried even sewing on a button.
I read somewhere this morning that Flint, Michigan, is the worst city for recession recovery. Whatever that's worth.
I never thought of using a flour sack but it does have a woven pattern to it similar to aida cloth.
ReplyDeleteIt must be odd to have sex in a bed that had this hanging over it. Just an observation.
Your grandmother did beautiful embroidery, and I'd love to see the quilt!
ReplyDeleteSomeday I will lay out the quilt and photograph it for your pleasure.
ReplyDeleteThat line cracked me up, even though I truly would love to see the quilt. It was just funny for some reason.
You're lucky to have those things from your grandma: what treasured gifts.
Murf: Mind out of the gutter please. Ed's bone(r) and Sage having sex under that? Really. You have a husband :)
It's very nice, and I'm sure will be treasured always. My grandmother crocheted several blankets for us, one of which is always on our bed. Thanks for the visit and comment on my blog.
ReplyDeleteRemember to not allow too much sunlight onto the fabrics of the quilt and the needle point. UV is terrible for fabric preservation.
ReplyDeleteWhen the first real MI winter hits your niece she'll know in a quick heartbeat about acclimatization.
Bone, I can sew on buttons, but that's about it. Everything else goes to the lady at the dry cleaners.
ReplyDeleteMurf, these are my grandparents you're talking about. They didn't do that!
Diane, thanks, I'll get a picture of the quilt soon.
TC, thanks for keeping Murf straight, but it was my grandparents bed that the picture hung over. Over my bed are pictures of Chessie (the cat) which are actually two covered from old C&O railroad magazines
Dan, it's great to see you back blogging.
Walking guy, yes, both the framed piece and the quilt are out of the sun. I used the quilt on my bed for many years and it does show some wear.
The picture is really nice. It's wonderful to treasure family heirlooms, even if they would mean little to anyone else. I drove around Lake Michigan last year with my son- it was a wonderful adventure- didn't even know you were up there then! Times are certainly tougher, and I hope the state rebounds.
ReplyDeleteFlour sacks themselves are foreign, much less embroidery on them. They were used to make clothing, too in the not so long ago.
ReplyDeleteCheers.
TC - Thanks for making Sage share what he has hanging over his bed. Now I don't know which is worse to look at. :-)
ReplyDelete