Handmade Heirlooms

While I was home for the holidays my mother and I spent some time reminiscing about the past, as we tend to do. It's part of our QT ritual. To my delight, she brought out all these beautiful pieces either her or my grandmother had made many years ago. The picture above is of an apron my grandmother had made as a special gift for my mother when she was in her 20's.

My mom grew up in a humble and peaceful town in Palestine, in a time with no internet, cellphones or color TV. (Sorry mom, not trying to date you here.) In those days learning the skills of sewing, crochet, cross stitching etc. was part of a girl's upbringing. It was and sometimes still is a skill passed on from generation to generation, mother to daughter to granddaughter. 

The very first Dumyé doll was actually made on my mother's old Singer sewing machine. Admittedly we had to read through the manual together to figure out how to get it going again but nonetheless, it seems the love for crafting handmade heirlooms has now been passed on to me. 

Was your mother or grandmother crafty? Did they ever make you something special? Please share your stories below in the comments section. We would all love to hear them.