More Treasures from Mum's Loft!

Yesterday, whilst putting Mum and Dad's Christmas stuff back into the loft for them, Mum suggested that we brought her Mum's jewellery boxes down and had a look. I'd been waiting for her to suggest that since I first realised they were there in the summer.

We found lots of brooches:

My granny loved flowers but this brooch, made from china, doesn't look as though it's ever been worn.

More flowers, this time in a white metal posy holder (I'd spied this one when I had a little peek in the box in the summer).

I love this filigree butterfly

and this enamelled brooch.  At one time during the afternoon I was wearing most of them at the same time!

We found lots of necklaces - most of which I tried on, not all at the same time though!  The glass test tube we think must have belonged to my Mum's brother, who died in his 40s, and who had various chemistry sets as a child.

We also found earrings (all clip on) and buckles and more brooches.  Mum remembers her Mum wearing one of these on a black hat - she must have looked very stylish.

We also found this lovely silver bracelet, hallmarked from 1937 and Granny's engagement ring.

I suggested that Mum should keep the jewellery boxes downstairs and wear some of the pieces, but she didn't want to so we packed them all away again.  But before we did that she said I could have one piece - what a hard decision.  I almost chose the filigree butterfly brooch, but in the end I decided on this 1950's plastic necklace.

I know I will wear it lots and lots.

Granny's Dresser

When my granny died 23 years ago I was desperate to have her dresser but didn't have a house big enough so it was put into Dad's shed.  About 12 years ago Dad told me they were chucking it out and as I still didn't have a house it would fit into I couldn't really insist they kept it so I assumed it they had indeed chucked it.  But, this summer, whilst moving the swing-boats out of the same shed I found something covered up with a dust sheet and asked dad what it was - it was granny's dresser!

First of all I brought the base home.  In the cold light of my kitchen it looked quite a mess, 22 years of living in the shed as well as many many years of nicotine from her cigarettes had to be cleaned off.

It cleaned up quite well and I could start to see the real 1930's style and shape.

Then I brought the top home.

I stripped off the nicotine stained 1970s wallpaper that my grandpa must have put on the back and discovered some really pretty paper, possibly 1950s, underneath it, but it was too torn to keep so it all came off.

After more cleaning I painted the back boards.

Putting the top onto the base was quite easy as my highly organised Dad had put the original screws (and the key) into the drawer of the base.

Today I put some treasures in it.  Some of my great granny's china,

some Royal Tara china that I bought with the money that granny left me in her will,

and some other bits I've acquired over the years (mainly from charity shops).

It's a little tatty well loved in places, but I'm so pleased to have it :-)

Take One ...

Take one pack of co-ordinating tea towels, wash and unpick the edges,

one piece of foam,

one cheap chest (full of bird food, cat food, gardening gloves etc)

instigate some late night sewing,

and voila - one covered seat in the still relatively tidy conservatory.

With the sweet little bird cushion (a £10 purchase from Dunelm) it looks, and feels, rather a pleasant place to have breakfast or a cuppa.

Remember mum's loft? It looked like this at the end of July

well now it looks like this

it's not totally finished but it's getting there.  

Amongst yesterday's discoveries was this handle and wires in a lovely wooden box.  

After asking on twitter I now know the wires are ties for sacks the handle twists them together.  I'm guessing it was something to do with my fenland family but I have no idea why there are so many, but you know who to ask now should you ever need to tie a sack up!

Treasures From the Loft

Yesterday I was at Mum and Dad's in north Norfolk to help them start sorting out the loft.  It'd got into quite a state as Mum hadn't been able to get up and down the ladder to it but now that she's the owner of a new hip she wanted to start tackling it.

We did quite well, with a bag of stuff going to the tip and 3 bags ready to go to the charity shop, oh and I came home with a car boot looking like this!

Amongst cushions, bedding, and old jars I also brought home some boxes of treasure:

playing cards with this delightful lady her elegant cigarette holder,

old christmas decorations, mainly old glass baubles but also the Father Christmas model and paper fairy that, as a child, I used to get so excited about when they reappeared from the box,

a clay chess piece (about 10 inches high) that I made during my PGCE,

and all these other ornaments, some of which I remember and some of which I don't.

And loads of old photos, including this one of my mum as a bridesmaid that I don't ever recall seeing before - shame she doesn't have the dress and jacket anymore as they look amazing!

When I eventually got home I also found treasure in the greenhouse

the first of the tomatoes :-)

I am sure there are more treasures waiting for me in the loft - I'll be back there in a fortnight to continue the mission!