"Buttons and Bows"


A few days ago I was dusting our bedroom after Chuck had finished painting. I was wiping my sewing box when I got to thinking about my Grandmother. It had been her sewing box and was given to me by my mother 7 or 8 years ago. In the photo above I am standing in the pink sweater (Please remember this was in the mid 1980's!) with my Mum in the red sweatshirt, my sister is standing in the navy blouse and my grandmother is sitting. My Grandmother made most of her clothing right up until a few months before she died in 1994.
When the sewing box was given to me there was only a few things left in it. My Mum is not a sentimental person and probably threw out everything she thought was garbage. But the button jar survived!
I assume most of you know what a button jar is. And I assume if not you or your Mother your Grandmother must have had one. My Mum does have a button jar, an old Nivea container full of buttons. I haven't seen it in a number of years now.
I am sure someone knowledgeable would be able to date these buttons
Are buttons even that pretty anymore? I am not a sewer so I don't tend to notice buttons.
I imagine this came from a blouse.
This button I do know about because I asked my Mum about it. Her brother Bob was in the Militia back in the 1940's. I guess you were given extra buttons for your uniform in case you lost any.
This is the sewing box. It sits in our bedroom.  I can still see my Grandmother sitting at her sewing machine with this box open beside her.
Yesterday was my birthday. I thought you might get a laugh out of some old birthday photos. I always had sleep-overs and since my bedroom was rather small we slept down in the rec room. Looks like we had quite a time! The girl in front is Laura, I am beside her then Cathy, Tracey and Jackie.
Usually we had a party in the evening, then watched some TV after which we would eventually go to sleep. The next morning was a yummy breakfast and then usually some fun activity. That is a funky chandelier! I have no recollection of it. Looking at this photo I was wondering why the room looks so empty. I do remember we had a tall, antique buffet  against the back wall. Then I remembered, my parents had ordered a dining room suite and sold the buffet before the suite came. Chuck and I still have the table in this photo. Chuck uses it as his work table in his workshop.
So many memories seeing this shot of the kitchen. My Mum is NOT a morning person and for her to be up serving us breakfast was a miracle. Sadly Laura in the front of the photo passed away a few days after my Dad did seven years ago after three bouts of breast cancer.

After a few stormy, cold days we are enjoying a few rainy, milder days. The snow is melting fast!

Have a great weekend!
Robin

Comments

  1. Those buttons are wonderful, so pretty. Mom had a sewing box, but not like your grandmother's, just a regular small sewing box. I remember I would love to look through her collection of miscellaneous buttons, etc. They were treasures, in my child's mind. :-)

    Those birthday photos are great! At least by sleeping in the rec room your parents might have been spared the full onslaught of girlish giggling half the night. LOL. Our old house didn't have a basement, so sleepovers were in my room, and I'm sure noisy.

    Anyway, happy birthday once again -- or maybe I should type happy day-after birthday. LOL.

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    1. Hi Kim, thanks again for the birthday wishes.
      My Mum has a green plastic sewing box, probably bought in the 70's. I imagine she had a wooden one when she was younger as she was a great sewer and crafter but it is long gone.
      My Dad would get his revenge for us giggling half the night and come wake us up very early for breakfast!
      Take care and talk again soon!

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  2. Thank you for sharing. I love the starfish button, so unusual. Your grandmothers sewing box is a lovely piece of furniture, it looks so well cared for as well. Lots of happy memories xx

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    1. Hi Cheryl, my grandmother was very fussy with her furniture and most of it looked new when she passed away. My Mum took care of it too and I always have treated it gently.
      Have a good weekend!

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  3. Beautiful sewing box! I inherited my great aunt's button stash - there's stuff in there from the 30's on - it's got some fabulous treasures that come in quite handy for my knitting!

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    1. Thanks! Sounds like you have a great button stash! How wonderful you can incorporate some of it into your knitting.
      Have a good weekend!

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  4. Happy Birthday Robin. : )
    I have a button jar and haven't looked through it in a long time. That is about to change. : )
    Your grandmothers sewing box is very pretty.
    I only remember having 2 birthday parties when I was a kid. My mom wasn't big on parties.

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    1. Hi Karen, thanks for the birthday wishes.
      It would be interesting to see what you have in your button jar.
      I think my parent's were always big on us having parties because they didn't have them growing up.
      Enjoy your evening!

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  5. Belated birthday wishes to you! I like seeing those old pictures especially the multi generation one. You look lovely in that pink sweater.

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    1. Thanks G.M! I wish we had taken more photos with all the generations. My sister has one with her and her son, my Dad and his Father so four generations. We do treasure it. Pink isn't a colour I think to wear. I do have a short sleeved pink blouse for summer I do love!

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  6. Some lovely memories there Robin 💕

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    1. Hi Maria, yes there are some good memories in those photos. Thankfully my Dad took lots of photos of us all growing up.

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  7. Sounds like you had a lovely childhood:)

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    1. Hi Sandra, thanks for popping by! We were blessed knowing that our parents loved us and loved being with us.
      Take care!

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  8. This is such a sweet post. You were all beautiful girls...I'm talking about that first picture. Even your grandmother at that age was beautiful. Happy Birthday, a day late. I'll have to remember that you and Eli have the same birthday. :) Thank you for the comment. That is so sad about the one friend that passed away. Some of those buttons look familiar. I may have them in my button collection.

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    1. Hi Henny, this post did stir up a lot of memories for me, most of them nice ones. My Mum, sister and grandmother were/are beautiful. They all have the same gorgeous skin. I inherited my Dad's!
      Have a wonderful week.

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  9. Robin, beautiful photos and memories. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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  10. Just stopped by to say hey and have a good week:)

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    1. Hi Sandra, thanks and have a wonderful week too!

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