In the first of a series of tales of old objects that are still very much loved and used, Nora McElhone tells us about an extra special sewing kit.
When my husband’s family cleared out his wonderful gran’s house her sewing things were passed to me as the only person in the clan likely to make any use of them.
I was the lucky recipient of a mid-century Singer sewing machine, which sadly (and quite literally) blew up in the early days of lockdown. The part of the inheritance that lives on is a little brown case of sewing things that brings joy every time I open it.
The case itself has seen better days – a brown leather valise that had a different life prior to becoming a handy place to keep spools of thread, needles and other stitching accessories. Embossed with the initials J.M.L, a bit of digging revealed that it belonged to John Moncur Lindsay, my husband’s great-great-uncle who died in 1938.
A treasure-trove
One of the locks doesn’t close and there are plenty of scrapes and scratches to point to a lifetime or more of use. But it’s the contents that make my heart sing each time I open it. Beautiful spools of thread in myriad colours – wonderful, wooden spools, the kind that you might see a child playing with in a Shirley Hughes picture book.
There are the usual threads in black and white that get used frequently but there are also a host of beautiful shades to match almost every required repair or project. Some of the names might not make the grade by today’s standards but they are undeniably evocative of a time long gone.
Gay kingfisher is a deep, vibrant turquoise blue, while light kingfisher is a shade paler. Napoleon is a rich regal colour not to be outdone by royal blue or coronation red. The case contains pretty much any hue I have ever needed and some useful things I didn’t even know existed.
Hunting for some invisible thread? I’ve got that. Carpet thread? No problem! Need a spare zip or want to match the particular border of a Cub Scouts badge? We’ve got that covered.
Adding more heirlooms
Over the years I have added some bits and pieces of my own: a wee needle book that I got from my godmother when I was a little girl, stitch rippers and tiny scissors with polka-dot handles from my own mum, whose sewing and knitting skills will always put mine to shame.
With any luck I’ll be able to pass the whole lot, plus all the memories of last minute badge-sewing sessions, costume creations and replaced buttons on to one of my own brood when the time comes.
Do you have an everyday heirloom that you still love to use? We would love to hear about it. Email nmcelhone@thecourier.co.uk with your name and details of the object and why you love it so much.
