It's in the genes....

When my Grandad passed away a few months ago, my sister and I had to go and help our cousin sort out his house. It was a very strange feeling going through someone's personal belongings when we'd only really known both Grandma and Grandad at a distance. When Grandma was alive she wrote fairly often, but we didn't see them very much.

Our Grandad was not exactly a sociable person and although we spoke on the phone occasionally, it was a delicate relationship.

So it was really lovely to go through the photo albums that we hadn't really been allowed to touch before, and to try and piece together a little of what Grandma was like in younger days.

One of the things I brought home was the above tin, and it was with real delight when I opened it that I found these:

The cotton reels are quite old and it was like opening a bit of 'history'. I also found a box with Grandma's embroidery threads in beautiful colours and a selection of lovely old tea tins, some of which still had tea in, which I will show you later.

I knew Grandma like to embroider, but finding her actual cottons and needles, was quite moving. I thought I got all my love of sewing and making from my own mother but it's there on my Dad's side too. So it is all in the genes then....