28 October 2010

Treasure Chest Thursday: Hattie's Doilies

You may have read about Hattie's Bible and what a wonderful gift I have been entrusted with.  Now, the same generous woman gave me doilies handmade by my great grandmother, Hattie Fenn Glover.  Hattie's great great niece, CBR, sent them to me with this note:

"Brenda,
When my mother(MLFB-name withheld to protect privacy) was a little girl, her family drove up to Munising to visit Fenn family.  Aunt Hattie was crocheting every day as older women often did then.  She crocheted these 3 doilies out of string (all they had at the time) and gave them to my mother for her "hope box".  Mom had a small box with just a few special items in saved for her future.  From about the time when mom was on her own (18 yrs. old) until now (93 yrs. old), she has used these doilies without ever putting them away.  They always reminded her of her aunt and grandfather Tully, who she traveled with.  From her great-aunt Hattie, my mother passes these to a great-granddaughter.  As told to me by my mother, CBR-name withheld to protect privacy)"

I am emotional just writing this.  I look at these white doilies and envision my great grandmother's hands as she crocheted.  Was she left or right handed?  I crochet left handed.  I haven't decided the best way to display these wonderful hand made heirlooms.  They have been very well taken care of and are in excellent condition.  Based on the age of Hattie's great niece, I would say they were made in the early 1930's. 

8 comments:

  1. These doilies are lovely and a wonderful gift! I love my doilies and have some in almost every room. Unfortunately I can't remember which ancestor made them, I just know some were made by my grandmothers and some are from my husband's grandmothers....and I have many more not on display. Great treasures!

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  2. I have a bunch of doilies, table runners, even bedspreads made by my husband's grandmother in Spain. They are all sizes and I'm not sure how to care for them or store them. They were given to me in plastic bags, but I've since thrown away the plastic (I heard that was bad for old linens) and stored them all in old cotton pillow cases. My cat sleeps on my bed, so I'm afraid to use one of the bedspreads- but hopefully I will someday!

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  3. Lisa and Heather, aren't we lucky to be the recipient of such treasures! I hope your treasures bring you as much pleasure as mine have me.

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  4. One wonderful way to show off your doilies is to put them in a picture frame and hand them on the wall as wall art, because indeed they are art. I too have dollies from my great grandmother and she had showed me how to crochet, what a treasure I will always remember, I was only five when she passed away, but I still remembered how to crochet!

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  5. Your blog was mentioned as the featured blog from csgenealogy newsletter this week. What a beautiful story, certainly a great heirloom.
    Elisabeth Preserve Your Family History

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  6. Anonymous, I love that idea! I was afraid if I displayed them, unprotected, the sun, dust, etc. would get to them and eventually ruin them. Plus, if I frame them I can blog about it and I always need new blog ideas!!

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  7. Elisabeth, thank you for letting me know about being a featured blog, how wonderful. Yes, I agree, it is a great heirloom.

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  8. I was recently contacted by my Fenn 'cousin' and she said Hattie is right handed. I guess I didn't get my left handedness from her.

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