topic Re: Found In A Hope Chest in Home

Found In A Hope Chest

Greeneyedlady21 — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 19:57:11 GMT

Honestly I'm not sure if my Mother or my Grandmother (her mother) made this for me. I have pictures of myself as a kid with this on my bed. Blue was always my favorite color and it still is.

I washed it on the hand wash cycle. Sure it's old and a bit fuzzy/slightly tattered looking. But I'm going to use it. It makes me so sad but comforted at the same time. Miss my Mom so much. My grandmother died when I was 13. I don't think she could have made it, she was ill during those years. My Mom and my Grandmother both did knitting and crocheting. They tried to teach me, it's just not my thing.

Three years ago my Mom started to knit a scarf for me with the encouragement of a home health aide. She never finished it. I found it recently in her armoire and it just made me dissolve into tears. Just typing it does.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

2blonde — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:04:33 GMT

@Greeneyedlady21 Oh, I'm so sorry.......I can see you're still grieving for your mom. It's sweet and sour when you find such a personal rememberance, isn't it? That afghan brings back memories for me too. I think we all had at least one of those at one time in our lives.

Like you, knitting and crocheting aren't my thing. I tried to crochet an afghan once, and it turned out kind of weird and misshapen. I still have it to this day, though!

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Greeneyedlady21 — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:05:52 GMT

@2blonde My Mom died in June.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Coopsmommy — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:06:11 GMT

@Greeneyedlady21

Thank you sharing such a lovely story......it's a beautiful item made with love. That beats anything else in my book.

I have a couple of hand stiched quilts made by grandmother and I keep them out as well. It bring back good memories!

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

chprsp — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:06:25 GMT

I have a multicolored one with black background upstairs in a cedar chest. My father's mother made it. Since she died before I was born it has to be nearly 70.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

2blonde — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:11:35 GMT

@Greeneyedlady21 Oh my, I didn't know it was so recent. No wonder you are feeling so sensitive. My mom died nearly 50 years ago when I was only 20, and I still think of her often.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

odie96 — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:15:53 GMT

Greeneyedlady, you have me with tears!! My mother died when I was 24....many years ago and it still weighs heavy on my heart. I am so sorry for your grief. It's one of the hardest things I've been through. Her desk is in my living room almost like she left it!!! YIKES!! Everytime I go through it I find something I've never seen. Several years ago I was going through looking for some old pictures and found two love letters that my Father had written to her in 1945 while she was in the hospital in a town 100 miles away. I read them and cried.....read them and cried again....So sweet to think after years of marriage he still adored her. I wouldn't take a million dollars for them. The last time I went rambling I found a write up of the house where my Mother was born and a beautiful picture. I treasure the things in that desk!!! It's memories that belonged to my parents...Enjoy your afghan... I think your Mom will be watching over you as you go on this long road of grief.........

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Greeneyedlady21 — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:16:09 GMT

@2blonde That must have been so painful to lose your Mom when you were so young. I'm grateful that I had so much time with my Mom. She died from cancer, before that she had a chronic illness for a couple of years. I took care of her the entire time, she died in hospice at home.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

2blonde — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:30:01 GMT

@Greeneyedlady21 You were a good daughter who took care of her mother when she needed you, just like she took care of you when you were young. You can go on with no regrets about that. Many other people will have to live with the "what if" thoughts forever.

My mother's death was a complete surprise to me, as I was already living with my new husband, not at home. I do wish I would have paid more attention to her health back then, but at 20, I was more wrapped up in my own life. (My mother was an alcoholic.) It did bring my little sister and I closer together, though.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

magicmoodz — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 22:32:29 GMT

@Greeneyedlady21 your mom's death is so fresh it is understandable that you are overcome with grief when replaying such sweet memories.

Maybe you should pick up that scarf she was crocheting for you. (Youtube is such a wonderful resource for how-tos.) It could prove to be a wonderful way to work through your grief. I had not crocheted in many years so basically forgot the stitches but was encouraged by one of our fellow posters, went online, found a pattern and I am almost finished with this scarf.

Wishing you a sense of peace as cherished memories no longer bring you tears, but rather a smile. I am confident it is what your beloved mom would want.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Misplaced Parisian — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 22:36:18 GMT

@Greeneyedlady21

Oh sweet soul you have my empathy. I understand. My beloved maman crossed over a few years ago and the pain of missing her is immense. The blanket is beautiful and represents a lot of love for you! As you snuggle under its warmth, remember how much you are loved. Thank you for sharing your find with us. I send you gentle thoughts of comfort.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Catiele — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 22:43:36 GMT

My Mom crochet all the time. She tried to teach me but I could only make one long line. It was funny. My Mom gave up. I have many that she and my Aunt made for me. Doilies and table runners. I treasure them.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Greeneyedlady21 — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 23:10:02 GMT

My Mom's wedding dress is in that same chest. When I say hope chest it's a big bureau sized hope chest with a lid not drawers. She had lots of old yarn in there and old linens that aren't any good. But some treasures at the bottom, including an old cameo pin still in the box. In perfect condition. I don't know the story behind it, I wish I did. It's not a woman's face, it's a scene. I found some baby clothes too, don't know who those belonged to. I have some of my old baby clothes.

My Mom's wedding dress is in very good condition. I'd like to get it preserved in one of those boxes. It's short sleeve with a full skirt. She loved to tell the story of how she spent $75 on it at a local dress shop. I'm sure back then that was a tidy sum. But when we would watch Say Yes To The Dress together she would be incredulous at the prices.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Scooby Doo — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 23:22:33 GMT

My mother died from cancer in 1980. I inherited some treasures from her cedar chest, but I didn't really understand or appreciate them until many years later. After I retired I took up quilting as a hobby. I had never done it before. One of the treasures in the chest was a quilt started by either my mother or grandmother. Don't know which. It was made many years before, but only the blocks. Back in those days quilts were made out of flour sacks that had pretty designs on them. I didn't know that. Anyway, I put the blocks together with sashing and a border and finished it up. I think Mom would be proud. I also inherited a Sunbonnet Sue quilt that my mother made in probably the late 1920s. There was also a crochet afghan that my grandmother made probably in the early 60s, and it looks like it was never used.

I love making quilts and I make a couple each month that I give to the Humanitarian Center for donation. I have fun making cute crib or twin quilts. Someday my kids will be surprised when they open my cedar chest and find lots of treasures that I haven't shown them. Each has a special tag sewn into the binding.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Coopsmommy — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 23:55:44 GMT

@Greeneyedlady21

My heartfelt sympathy for you on the recent loss of your mother. How interesting with all the other things you've discovered. I'm sure you'll treasure them always!

@Scooby Doo @Catiele @Misplaced Parisian @Catiele @magicmoodz

What wonderful, touching stores ladies.....it's a gentle reminder of just how precious life is. It makes all the "drama" seem just so small in comparison doesn't it?

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Misplaced Parisian — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 00:00:25 GMT

@Coopsmommy

You are spot on, life is precious. Thank you for your kind post.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Wiscfan3 — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 00:22:05 GMT

The afghan is beautiful. I am glad you are going to use it and I am sure you will feel comforted and close to your mom as you do. I lost my mom almost 2 years ago and I use many of her things and always think of her and feel her with me as I do. Today I used an old set of her measuring spoons and thought of how many times she must have used them. My thought are with you. It is tough losing our precious moms.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Catiele — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 00:37:59 GMT

Thanks to all of you. Many memories. The ones I am not using are in my hope chest. My brother has my Moms hope chest.

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Texasmouse — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 01:16:07 GMT

My beloved mother passed away four and a half years ago and I still sorely miss her. Ten years ago, I moved far away from her but I would call her every day and she was happy that I did, saying that it helped her feel as though I wasn't so far away.

Before I moved, I was getting rid of a lot of things and one of them was a bag full of remnants of yarn that I had accumulated from many years of knitting for my kids, etc. Since my mom was still knitting at the time, I gave it to her.

Well, before I moved away, she presented me with an afghan that she crocheted using those remnants and I was so touched that I broke down in tears. Every time I look at it, I still get emotional. There's nothing in this world that would make me give up that treasure!

Re: Found In A Hope Chest

Coopsmommy — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 01:52:27 GMT

@Texasmouse

Now, I'm tearing up....what a lovely, thoughful gesture from your Mother. I'm thankful to have my mother with me. We talk daily as well.

My sweet Daddy passed 5 years ago from cancer and I was his primary caregiver. It was a long, hard battle but I kept him at home like he wanted. I wouldn't change one minute. He was scared and I was grateful to be able to comfort him like he had done for me so many times both young and old.

The circle of life.

ETA:

@Wiscfan3Unexpected, gentle reminders are the best!