Buttons and memories

When I was a little girl I would spend some of my School holidays being looked after by my Granny. My sister , my cousin and I used to play a ton of games. We had the best fun making mud pies, putting up the tent, playing bowls and running through sprinklers. I have a scar on my forehead from where I fell from "the mean machine" (an old chopper bike that my Grandad bought at an auction) and fell head first into my Grandad's prized rosebushes! Oh the thorns!  He believed in buying almost everything second hand. If anyone was having a conversation about purchasing somehting new, he would extoll the virtues of visiting the "saleroom." We would jokingly finish his sentences for him " those come up at the sales all the time"

My Grandparents were both retired, my Grandad loved to visit auctions where he would buy antique  furniture to sell on and clocks that needed to be restored. He would fix them all himself and then sell them. Their house was  like an aladdin's cave for a nosy child like myself. I have always loved raking around, give me a box of photographs or a cupboard full of junk and I could spend hours just raking through. Oh the "treasures" that I was allowed to play with!

My Gran loved to sew. Although I don't have many memories of her sewing, because she became too shaky and had very bad osteoporosis and osteo - arthritis. I do however have two beautiful dresses that she made for me and I still have an apron that she made, because I loved to bake. It is made from beautiful vintage fabric with roses on it. I love seeing my girl wearing this apron when we bake. (and my boy! sshh don't tell him I told you) Unfortunately I have allowed it to get stained and it upsets me whenever I see it. But I suppose it just proves how long it has been enjoyed.

She had a huge cupboard in her living room. It had double doors on the front and her couch sat in front of it. I would beg Granny to let me look in her cupboard. This was her fabric cupboard. Some days she would pull forward the couch and open up those doors. I remember it seemed to go on forever! I would spend hours looking through the little drawers. Flicking through the boxes of patterns. Running my fingers through all of the buttons in the tins. The piles and piles of linens and fabric, silks and sheets. I can still see it.

Hands down my favourite thing in this cupboard was the parachute. A beautiful white silk parachute from WW2. I would ask Granny to tell me the story over and over again about how people would be thrilled to find these parachutes. They were commonly used for wedding dresses because everything was rationed and money was tight. I am sure most things in this cupboard were bought at an auction, someone would have tossed it into a box while clearing out a house. I am also sure this is where the contents went when my family was emptying out the house once my Grandparents had passed. It would have been a fitting tribute.

I was always desperate to learn how to sew. I remember being allowed to use her sewing machine once. I made a little outfit for my doll. I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I was also allowed to use her pinking shears! Wow I loved those things.

I have been thinking a lot about my Granny recently. It could be because it would have been her Birthday on Monday. I think it has has a lot to do with how much sewing I have been doing. She used to love sewing dresses and outfits for my Aunt and I just love seeing my girly wearing something that I made.Unfortunately I only started sewing a year ago. I am teaching myself with the help of tutorials from blogland.We lost my Gran 4 years ago, 5 weeks before my baby girl was born, so I could never tell her how much I love it.

What I wouldn't give to go back in time. I would ask Granny all about sewing. What she liked to do. I would raid that cupboard to within an inch of it's life! All of that amazing fabric!!  At the very least I wish I had those tins of buttons. We Cousins would spend hours and hours sorting them, weighing them, selling them to each other. So many memories are rubbed into the buttons in those tins.


I loved those summer days, spent playing cards with a pile of pennies each. Baking in the kitchen. Watching Grandad tend his tomato plants in the greenhouse. Watching old black and white movies and having to shout to hear each other over the horseracing that my Grandad loved to watch. At full volume.

And of course I couldn't have a post about my Gran without mentioning the Glory hole. In her kitchen there was a huge cupboard, it went deep under the stairs. This was fondly called the Glory hole and it was anything but glorious! LOL. This was where everything was stuffed! From the hoover to spare dishes and glasses, bags, newspapers and my favourite little stool with the steps that folded out from underneath! It was crammed. Lol.

I didn't realise how alike we are. I suppose I have only realised as I am getting older.  Apart from our joint love of sewing and photographs, family history and things that are old/vintage. We have our shared dislike of all things housework! Her house was never really untidy and it was by no means dirty . But occassionally frames needed a little wipe on your trousers to take away the dust.

Every cupboard in my house is like a Glory hole. You have to be very careful when opening any of the doors. I should probably do a tour like an air hostess - "here we have the over head cabinets, please open the doors carefully as items may  have become dislodged during recent rummaging" And more often than not, my frames need a "quick dicht" across my thigh before letting someone see the beautiful face within. But I am realising that this is me. I would still rather be baking, spending time making memories with my children, playing with fabric and running my fingers through piles of buttons.

I am now firmly in the mood to head out to an auction and see what treasures await! I wonder who I can bribe to come with me? Maybe my sister, for old times sake.