A Sewing Kit - with a bit of family history~

Hello dear friends! 
So glad you could stop in today.  I have wanted to share this for some time now.
Made (exactly) 2 years ago~
This is my Grandma; my fathers mother~
I have been blessed with several dozen good family photo's; so I try to include them when creating.
This is actually a sewing kit! - that started out as a card.

I was making a card for one of my sisters and she didn't have this particular photo; so I thought I would use it.  This was grandma at 15 years old.  She was a bride's maid in a wedding in 1926  I believe.
Well I was at my sisters house and we needed to sew something; but she had no essentials!!
So when I got home, instead of finishing this as a card, I decided to make it the front cover of a mini sewing kit! It is maybe 7"X5"

 

 

He name was Alberta; but her family called her "Bert" or Bertha from what I gathered.  : )

She was born on a farm in Gagetown, Michigan - 1911.

Both her parents were from Eastern Canada; and both were French. 

I don't know the story of how they made their way to Michigan at the turn of the century,

but I think perhaps my father does.  He has done quite a bit of study~

Alberta's grandparents & greats came over from France to Canada in the mid-1800's

from what we can tell from my fathers genealogy studies.

There were 14 children in her family; but 2 died  young. : (

 

Grandma lost her own mother when she was only 9 years old~

But she did have several older sisters who were able to take care of

the younger ones.

 

Even in her old age, and for as long as I can remember back, Grandma would cry if ever she talked ablut her mother.  She never did get over loosing her so young.  She told us there was sickness in the house (maybe scarlet fever or something quite severe.)  Her mother nursed the children back to health and then died herself from it. 

My My.

I didn't realize what a sad and troubling thing this would be to post~ I just started telling her story! and it lead to this.   But life can be so hard at times. 

Yet, she really was a jolly sort of person to be around : ) She loved the little things in life, and one of her favorite things was to rock us little kids to sleep.  Even 4 & 5 years old - if it was nap time, you could crawl up into grandma's lap and she'd sing and rock till - -z z z z z z z  ; ) !!

And she loved a porch swing!  And she loved the breeze in her face.  Yep~

 

Well, let me tell you a bit more about this mini sewing folder/kit~

The base is a medium canvas; covered on the outside with white burlap.

The inside pockets are made from a vintage brown hanky. 

Since my dear sweet wonderful  : ) sister did not even have a needle or thread!

I simply set her up with the basic essentials. The right pocket is full of small spools.

There are needles, pins (tucked in the rosette)  and scissors tucked in a piece of wide 'twill tape' ; sewn @ points to the back.  On the left side is a box of buttons and misc. stuff.    I included a  measuring tape and a roll of fusible web for quick hemming~

 

All of the sewing I did on this kit was of course done before adding the photo or embellishments to the front.  I added (sewed in to the sides)  2 long strips of twill tape to tie it all together. 

 

I added bits of my favorite lace (which is almost gone! - that's OK; I'll find a new favorite; )

and also some seed and micro beads.

The papers are from  (click >) MAJA DESIGN, a scrapbook paper company from Sweden.

 

 

 

THANK YOU!!!!  For stopping by and meeting Grandma Alberta : )   

and peeking in to see my sisters sewing kit~

We are still in the throws of snow here in central Colorado *sigh*

But it is not surprising : J  And I'm learning to enjoy whatsoever season I'm in.

(well, trying to learn - - more than just 'patience'; but true contentment where I am)

 

Spring comes to us when she is good and ready! 

I mostly say, we don't really have a Spring.  It's the end of Winter with some warm days mixed in; then . . . SUMMER is upon us!

And Summer is my favorite~

Blessings to you all and may God direct each and every day.

Karen