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mom3aut1not
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I hadn't thought about antique linens for the girls (and maybe the boy). My mother has a lot of antique linens and handwork that I have never seen and that she also wants to pass on eventually. (This stuff really is antique -- I believe that my great-grandmother and others of that and earlier generations made them. I hoipe they don't all fall apart.)
I guess when I get them, I'll start passing them on.
In Christ,
Deborah
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Mary G
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I just came across an article about hope chests in the January/February 2007 issue of Piecework Magazine. It has lovely example of things the author's grandmother put in her hope chest -- crocheted dresser scarf, knitted afghan, etc. The neat thing is that the author talks about how her great-grandfather made the chest for his daughter when she turned 12 and how he then made chests for his own granddaughters (the author's mother and aunts). How cool is that?
On a side note, if you've never looked at Piecework you might want to -- it's loaded with great articles about historical and contemporary needlework! Just gorgeous stuff!
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Alice C
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Hope chests! Oh, I love the idea of a hope chest. For the last 5 or 6 years I have collected every book I can find on the subject. (Most have been mentioned here already.) I never had one as a child, but boy did I ever want one.  I really wanted to include more on the subject in Sewing, but I never got around to it.
Mary G wrote:
Isn't it too bad that all the really feminine things for girls are never Catholic -- they're always Protestant? Where are all us Catholics and why don't we put a book together?  |
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It’s funny you should mention this. I just recently finished writing another little book along these lines. It’s something I actually started way back in 2001, before I did the sewing book. Time and projects came and went, and I did not pull out that big fat folder again until last summer. But I had not forgotten it; it’s been in the back of my mind all the while. I have no idea if CHC will want it or not, they don’t know a thing about it. It is simply something that has been on my heart (so dear to my heart) for so long that I simply HAD to finish it, if only to print out a copy for my own daughters and for my goddaughter. I am working on the illustrations now.
I feel so strongly that we as Catholics should have the same access to lovely homemaking materials as our Protestant friends. (Please, if you are thinking of writing a Catholic homemaking book...do it!!) Materials that teach our daughters to love and long for the vocation of wife and mother while all the time enriching our Catholic faith.
Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now.  You gals are awesome.
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~ Alice C
a number of things
gardens of grace
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Mary G
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Alice C wrote:
Hope chests! Oh, I love the idea of a hope chest. For the last 5 or 6 years I have collected every book I can find on the subject. (Most have been mentioned here already.) I never had one as a child, but boy did I ever want one. I really wanted to include more on the subject in Sewing, but I never got around to it.
Mary G wrote:
| Isn't it too bad that all the really feminine things for girls are never Catholic -- they're always Protestant? Where are all us Catholics and why don't we put a book together? |
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Alice -- I agree 100% and am looking forward to seeing your next venture. I love your Sewing book -- it's such a complete resource with facts, tips, history, etc.
Blessings (and welcome to the 4Real world!)
It’s funny you should mention this. I just recently finished writing another little book along these lines. It’s something I actually started way back in 2001, before I did the sewing book. Time and projects came and went, and I did not pull out that big fat folder again until last summer. But I had not forgotten it; it’s been in the back of my mind all the while. I have no idea if CHC will want it or not, they don’t know a thing about it. It is simply something that has been on my heart (so dear to my heart) for so long that I simply HAD to finish it, if only to print out a copy for my own daughters and for my goddaughter. I am working on the illustrations now.
I feel so strongly that we as Catholics should have the same access to lovely homemaking materials as our Protestant friends. (Please, if you are thinking of writing a Catholic homemaking book...do it!!) Materials that teach our daughters to love and long for the vocation of wife and mother while all the time enriching our Catholic faith.
Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now. You gals are awesome.
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Alice C
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Mary G wrote:
| Blessings (and welcome to the 4Real world!) |
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Thank you Mary G! These forums are such a blessing. I have been spending all my forum-time over at "Our Lady's Loom" and I am just now beginning to venture into the other areas. They are all wonderful!
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~ Alice C
a number of things
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RenB
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Hello ladies;
I am a newbie here, having known many of you from email loops and forum boards on the internet. I finally joined in here after a move from one coast almost directly to the other.My name is Renee. I wanted to chime in here, as I am the one the book Hopechest; A legacy of love by Rebecca Wilson, she dedicated to at the front of the book. I am 100% Catholic, therefore if you read the book, it is sprinkled with Catholic ideas we added into the book's writings. This author is a personal friend and a lovely lady, certainly her website is worth a visit to.
When I found out Rebecca was slowly gathering her thoughts to get this book into print, she requested a few of us from an email loop assist her with specifics. I enlisted my own mother (her name if Faye in the book) with her thoughts on a hopechest, having been presented one long ago when just a teenager, a chest with few items plus her wedding gifts, the only thing she had with her on her journey to make a move to my father's home town.
I concur with many of you on this thread about creating a truly and authentic Catholic resource, and it would appear that for this specific reason alone, the Catholic community has slowly been coming forward with treasured resources we love to gather for our families usage. This book was published for a first printing, then republished with much more information after my mother and I requested the author add a section about single vocations.
Ladies, here's a gentle thought for you today. Do you have daughters in the "Little Flowers"? (My name was also in this booklet when our group gave ideas to Rachel Watkins, the fabulous woman who put this whole program together. We love her!!!) Is it not the goal of this group to pass along the womanly arts to our daughters? Not all women are called to marry, that is absolute. We pray on our daughters behalf from the time they are wee ones that it be God's will to whisper in their ears, his vocation desires for them. A seed can begin in the Little Flowers group then, or other girl's groups, to begin teaching the womanly arts for sure, but how about those items our daughters can place inside their hopechest, cardboad box, rubbermaid bin or bottom dresser drawer, those they can use in their future to celebrate the liturgical year?
A possible Religious vocation should not be excluded in tihs endeavor. Do not let this thought disuade you to begin with your daughters. I know a woman who was married and lost her husband. She entered the Religious life and became a Nun, taking with her the special hopechest her husband had handmade for her. Inside of it, she stored many items of perfect use to her and her order.
Here are some items for a few examples to whet your appetites.
Begin with the basic parts of the liturgical year, a few items per year not to be overwhelming but a continuum process the girls can enjoy for many years as their goal for filling a chest.
How about those womanly arts? How about sewing specifically in any manner, either machine or hand sewing? Do they not fit into the future for any daughter, no matter the vocation? A parish altar sewing guild offers a place to learn and obtain much knowledge of sewing items specific for the altar and priest's garments. A mother and daughter could reap much by simply sitting in the group and observing the skills used there. The CHC sewing book for girls has items falling into this category for girls, a cape for Mary or the child Jesus. An apron is terrific for anyone. Altar creations for a home altar?
How about making a special pair of candles for their first home, ones they can have blessed someday? Perhaps specific types of candles could be made awaiting exact years to be noted on them later on. A vocation to a religious order can also use these?
They could learn the art of rosary making, getting better over time, then splurging on a very beautiful one or two someday to place lovingly into their chests, one to use, one to share with a spouse if that's God's will, or one to give away as a gift?
How about a Jesse Tree to place in there? What about all the crafty items presented through the various lady's blogs linked from this forum during Advent, Christmas, Ordinary time, Lent, Pentecost etc. This year, our 7 & 9 year old children made their own clay ornaments with copy/paste pictures from the internet to store away for thier own tree someday. Slow but steady, imagine them at first creating their own Jesse Tree to store in the hope of using it someday. Could they not double up these items to use in a Religious order too? How about Lenten objects, purple cloth to cover statues awaiting an exact trim for their statues.
What about Christmastide? How about special music created just for them on CDs? Or cookie cutters specific to the occasions. How about their own creche, kings for Ephiphany, blessed chalk to use someday to bless their doorways on Ephiphany?
A Holy water bottle is always useful, how about a lovely font someday to go with it?
Every girl has family members or special people in her life she wishes to remember. Teaching the art of simple gift making is certainly creativity at it's best, specially for those on a tight budget. How about making a yearly book with pockets to place homemade cards into to give on occasions to them?
Make a cookbook together as a family over time, including pictures of your children or activities resulting from a special tea like Alice shows on her blog. I made each of our eight children such a cookbook, created a special cover and had them all spiral bound. Our older ones who are married now use them with their own children, the ones at home still have them stored away for another time. Everyone needs to cook, another most welcomed item to lovingly create. Anyone can buy a book, why not make one with your own family favorites?
I know I have many ideas myself and love to formulate "memories" into our family's projects, specially those they will take with them when leaving our nest, as four already have. They will treasure them. It is worth it all, truly!
Enjoy the Catholic flair of this lovely idea ladies, and the sky's the limit. Happy idea gathering...and please, I hope this makes some sort of sense as I've had to type it in haste with children preparing to head off to piano lessons today.
Blessings;
Renee
Mommy to eight, Grandmommy to six.
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MichelleW
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Thank you Renee, that was very helpful.
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Michelle
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RenB
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OH!!! Alice C, I'm so sorry! YOU, YOU, are the wonderful woman who wrote the book from CHC on sewing. I have the book, love it, use it and thank YOU for writing it. Oh do write your next book, for sure, another hopechest inclusion over here!!
And Michelle W, you are woman after my own heart! Expresso cups, oh yeah!(wink)
Blessings;
Renee
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MichelleW
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You know, espresso cups (not my grandma's, but ones I found at Ross for $2 for a box of 6) is what I started my children on when I decided we were going to start having a regular tea time. They were about 2-3 years old and holding real china was important (to me, and THEY felt so special). They were just the right size and the right "feel."
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Michelle
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Bookswithtea
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***My name is Renee. I wanted to chime in here, as I am the one the book Hopechest; A legacy of love by Rebecca Wilson, she dedicated to at the front of the book. I am 100% Catholic, therefore if you read the book, it is sprinkled with Catholic ideas we added into the book's writings.***
You know, I noticed that there was a reference to a rosary and thought, "Oh my! In a book sold by Vision Forum?" I've seen some of your quotes in the book and I had a hunch it was from a Catholic. So so excited to have you join the thread! Welcome! I love the idea of making candles and having them blessed. I bought my dd a beeswax candle making kit from Magic Cabin for Christmas. I think we just might do this and then save them for her future.
I am really enjoying the book, btw. Please extend my gratitude to your friend for writing it. I had the vague idea but needed some inspiration. I'm furiously scribbling notes in the front cover every time I get another good idea for something I want to add.
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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teachingmom
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I finally had time this afternoon to visit this thread. There are some wonderful ideas here!
alicegunther wrote:
ladybugs wrote:
I haven't read the entire thread so sorry if I'm repeating or if this is not relevant...
What about one Christmas ornament a year? That way when they're grown and gone (I don't even want to think about that) they have some ornaments??? |
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Yes, Maria, that is what we do! With six daughters, it is about all I have been able to manage, although I'm really giving thought to all the beautiful ideas here. |
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That's exactly what we do too. I also try to add to my own ornament collection, so our tree won't look so forlorn in the years after our girls leave the nest. 
I love the idea of collecting things related to celebrating the liturgical year. We have always loved the tradition of the Jesse Tree during Advent. I could have each of the girls cross stitch some nice Jesse Tree ornaments for their future homes and put away. Do any of you know of cross stitch patterns for this?
I also really love the idea of a homemade family cookbook. That would be such a treasure!
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Alice C
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RenB wrote:
| OH!!! Alice C, I'm so sorry! |
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Renee, there is no apology necessary! I love Rebekah Wilson’s book! I just discovered it last year and I think it is just lovely. Thank you for the great list of ideas for our daughter’s hope chests, some of these I had not thought of!
RenB wrote:
| Make a cookbook together as a family over time, including pictures of your children or activities resulting from a special tea like Alice shows on her blog. …….(snip)…… Anyone can buy a book, why not make one with your own family favorites? |
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It’s funny you should mention that. In the book I just finished, the reader creates a homemaking notebook (recipes along with various homemaking information) modeled after the ones our grandmothers and great-grandmothers depended on. The book itself is quite different than the sewing book and is aimed at slightly older girls (10-14ish). A one line description of it would be something like “A Catholic young lady’s introduction to hospitality and the home arts through the tradition of tea.” The focus is on learning hospitality (through hosting tea parties of various sorts to celebrate feast days etc) but it goes through a little bit of everything from cooking and cleaning to an introduction to simple gardening. There is not a great deal on each topic, it is not in any way meant to be a home economics text. Just something fun.
The crazy thing is, the writing is done and the illustrations are underway and I have no clue what the title should be! I’m horrible at naming things. 
__________________
~ Alice C
a number of things
gardens of grace
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KellyinPA
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[/QUOTE]
It’s funny you should mention that. In the book I just finished, the reader creates a homemaking notebook (recipes along with various homemaking information) modeled after the ones our grandmothers and great-grandmothers depended on. The book itself is quite different than the sewing book and is aimed at slightly older girls (10-14ish). A one line description of it would be something like “A Catholic young lady’s introduction to hospitality and the home arts through the tradition of tea.” The focus is on learning hospitality (through hosting tea parties of various sorts to celebrate feast days etc) but it goes through a little bit of everything from cooking and cleaning to an introduction to simple gardening. There is not a great deal on each topic, it is not in any way meant to be a home economics text. Just something fun.
[/QUOTE]
What a wonderful book that would be! You mention that it's for ages 10-14 but I'm sure there are many ladies who may not have grown up observing feast and holy days who would love to own this for themselves.
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Blessings,
Kelly
mom to 6 blessings
the abundant life
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marihalojen
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marihalojen wrote:
I just received a box in the mail from my Mom. She was helping sort out Grandpa's home and sent me some linens her Mom and Grandmas made.
I think it would be wonderful to take these items that may have been prepared for their future households and give them to my daughter for her future household.
I'll try to get some pictures around and post them on my blog... |
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And I did! At the top of Dawn's Homemaking Meme I posted a picture of a set of 4 tiny napkins and a tablecloth.
Here's the link.
__________________
~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
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RenB
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Ladies, I know for some of you, having children of marriage age seems a long way away. But, like a blink of an eye, it appears! Our two older sons married and I became a mother of two more daughters! 
Here's a few things we've done so far to help them out;
- I came upon a wonderful wooden craftsperson at a craft fair, who made beautiful wooden recipe boxes. I bought eight of them on the spot! I gave each of the "marrieds", the older three so far (though one marries this summer) along with a batch of prepared recipe cards handwritten (using pigma ink pen so it never fades away) by yours truly with favorite meals, baking and so forth, to place behind a few sectional dividers I also made. I then used a rubber stamp to decorate tastefully and laminated all of them when complete, even the dividers! I find mine keep falling apart, so thiers will last forever, spills can be wiped and this is an excellent starter collection. Our younger children (two girls, two boys) are encouraged to find their favorite recipes too, and this is partly their penmanship before laminating takes place for them.
- Together, we buy material to make a matching apron, pot holders, towel decor, and other kitchen items. The younger daughters made their own pot holders and embroidered on them. My mother in law makes crocheted washcloths to go along with them.
- I like to encourage special hobbies, things of use to take with them when leaving home. All our daughters are rubber stampers and scrapbookers, so it's easy to think about slowly gifting them over time, with their own items. There are simple ways to begin, just by stamping a bunch of cardstock squares to have and use for making their own card someday. Idle hands won't be a problem for them in the future.
- I taught all our older children to sew on the sewing machine. The boys were happy to sew a few things, then ran away as fast as they could from it. They do know how to use one though should the need every arise. (laugh) For the two older girl's graduation, we gave them sewing machines to have when leaving home. We have sewing bees at times, all machines hooked up to power bars around the dining room table. We sewed the entire bridal girl's and flower girls outfits together one year. Very memorable!
- My mother begins a sewing basket for each girl. She purchased a basket to begin with, then each year she adds things to go along with it. This has been so fun!
- My grandfather made all his son's wives,and grand-daughters hopechests, each one unique in its own way, no two alike. He also made each daughter in law, grand-daughter and all eight of my children as well as my siblings children, beautiful hard carved jewelery boxes to keep in the family. My boys never knew there were some set aside for their wives someday, so this was very special when the new brides were presented with one after their wedding day with hand made rosaries in them. One son uses his on their family altar with holy things inside, like their rosaries.
Making these lovely items was his hobby in later years using left over wood from a furniture store's remains they offered to him for free. He also made many other useful things, something different for all. My grandmother left me her cookbook which I treasure so much! So ladies, WRITE in your own, then give them to your children someday!
- A set of monogrammed towels with matching washcloths. This was a spin off to the ones I decided upon at home, when seven children were at home at once, and all towels were not only color coded but monogrammed! They loved it! Anything monogrammed is well recieved. I've monogrammed lingerie or cosmetic travel bags for the girls and they loved them.
- My mother in law, the fabulous knitter has made each of them a baby layette in neutral colors and an afghan as well with all her leftover colors to create quite a colorful and festive looking blanket. The big kids love them all!
- My grandmother gave me many linen pieces, so I divided them to place in loving care for each of the children.
- My grandmother had a huge plethora holy card collection, given to me by her before she died. Many were old and on very thin linen. I actually laminated every one of the several hundred I had and have divided them all up to bless my children with. Many of the cards have her writing on them about her love for each Saint. I find these to be my most prized earthly possession these days!
- I make laminated copy/paste cards from the internet to make themed booklets, though hole punched for grandchildren and future grandchildren. I've made Rosary cards, Stations of the Cross, Marian feasts, Advent, Special feast ones and some of them presented to the grandchildren were so exciting to give, especially when they looked at the last page finding a picture of them with me there. I signed my name and a dedication to each of them, and dated it too. This is giving a little piece of me to them so hopefully they will pray for me someday when licking, touching, pointing to, or adoring them down the road. Don't you LOVE laminating? They are completely "lick-able" by little ones. Avoid sharp corners by using a corner rounder punch.
- The younger ones are on their way to fabulous tea sets, for their own tea times in the future, just like their older sisters. One tea cup and saucer per birthday beginning at age 10-18 years. My mother gives the baby girls by age 2, their own tiny cup and saucer to have tea with the rest of the family in a grown up way. They also have their own snack making tools, teapots, three tiered trays and such things for an instant tea party.
- I have numerous copies of special out of print books, stacked up with the children's names on them, purchasing many copies at one time of those special books I want them to have themselves. I gave the older four copies of "Home Comforts" and they were well recieved, however one daughter in law wanted to be assured it wasn't a sign. I also have numerous Catholic family books ready for the right time, beginning with "Three to get married" by Archbishop Fulton Sheen. A classic no engaged couple shoud be without!
- I love to use my sewing machine to work on Heritage sewing and Victorian items. I use Swiss Batisse and have made one ring bearer pillow cases a small pillow inside each, hoping it will become a gorgeous family heirloom they can delight in someday. I have real silk colored ribbon threaded threw the eyelet French laces, and as each wedding has had a different "color" theme, I simply pull them out and rethread a new color in there. So far I have navy blue, burgundy and dark green. (wink) On the inside lining, I embroider all the names of the "marrieds" and their wedding dates.
- I also made a baptismal dress and slip, also embroidering names inside with name days noted. If my children preferred me making them their very own for their own family, I will do so and have them keep them in their hopechests.
- I made each child a baby bonnet and matching bib also in Swiss batiste with silk ribbons.
- Oh, and for the upcoming "marrieds".... We find beautiful wooden crucifixes for over their front doors, make them a DVD with pictures from their babyhoods to thier wedding days to "unite" them with lovely music special to them.
- We also purchase a special bible they can use to sign inside during the signing of the wedding papers, which Father also signs at the same time, blessing it and they take this into their married journey. We've used a white Douey Rheims Bible for this, two personalized bookmarks inside ready to read together.
Also, a wooden bible stand completes this gift later on.
Last but not least, every other year we choose a theme for gift giving. We try to choose themes which will be chosen to suit every age group, though the younger ones have things set aside of course for later. For insteance, every child has their own color coded set of sheets (two sets), blankets, cuddle up blankets made with a roll up tie to bring to outdoor sport games (soccer, baseball and hockey are big here), beach towels, monogrammed towels, everyday dishes, picnic sets, cloth napkins and matching place mats, whatever, the sky is the limit! We get input of course, and just declare whatever the theme chosen will be, and everyone knows that's what they'll get! One year it was CDs with assorted family favorite children's music and the grandchildren's loved those as some of their own parents were also reading stories on them to their siblings.
Overall, my goal has been to see them all leave home with the basics in hand (skills too), and whatever their vocation, have what they need to begin with, no huge stash, just special things for them to use in their future vocations. If some won't be used, they can easily bless someone else with them someday.
Sorry for being so wordy here, just hoping to share thoughts that have been helpful over here.
Blessings;
Renee
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RenB
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Jennifer, those are beautiful linens. How precious you have them! Enjoy! They are so special.
Blessings;
Renee
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juststartn
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Well, I want to do the hope chest thing, too, with my dds...regardless of whatever vocation they end up being called to...
One thing we have done since they were infants, is to each year, get them at least one ornament. My mother also does this, so most years, each dc gets two. I keep them separated, so that they don't get mixed up. Each dc gets a different "style" of ornament. One dd gets snowbabies, another gets miniature Hummel ornaments, and the third gets snowflakes (currently expecting #4, who will end up with stars, I believe). Mom also gives each of her dds (ther are three of us) an ornament each year. Mine are blown glass (I fell in love with this style when I was in Europe right after I was married).
One thought I had when reading this thread was that for ladies who ARE talented in handwork, perhaps a project that they could do with their dds--or beforehand, by themselves, if they'd like--is to embroider or cross-stitch a design onto a quilt square. Most squares are not huge, and can be carried conveniently around inside a diaper bag, or a slightly larger purse (put into the ziploc bag for safety)....there wouldn't be a HUGE commitment of time at any one moment, and it could be pulled out, a few stitches put in, and put back, without it having to be a huge ordeal. If one is starting "late" with the idea, one could easily have one in the purse, one in the diaper bag, one in the car, one at home in an end table drawer (or safer place)...so that no matter where one is, whenever the moment is available, a few stitches can be placed quickly and easily, without having to search for a particular square. I don't know about you, but having something to do in those lovely waits in the dr's offices, etc, would be a handy thing to have. At the soccer field during practice (assuming you aren't in the car driving 15 different directions, lol), etc. Prayers can be made specifically for each child as stitches are placed. A real legacy of love, one stitch at a time. And if you bought a counted plan, or something like that, it wouldn't even be too difficult to do, or take a lot of skill.
My dds are the only gdds on my side of the family (two sisters, one with a single ds, and the other isn't even married yet), but we have a ton of hand-made things handed down to my mom (the only surviving child, who inherited 3 generations of "stuff" from her parents)....quilts, linens, etc. I am hoping to pass those down to my dds when the time comes...
Oh...a good set of kitchen knives. ALWAYS a nice thing to have. Put it in the bottom of the chest. Cast iron is also a good investment. Good stuff is kind of expensive, but it lasts forever if properly maintained.
If anyone is interested in starting a hope chest, but doesn't know how to do some of the really nifty drawn work, embroidery, etc, Victorian Trading Company sells some LOVELY embroidered hand towels, for $9.99/ea. LOVELY.
Here's a link:
http://www.victoriantradingco.com/store/catalogimages/8h/i52 0.html
They have other lovely things, not all as affordable, but still lovely. But for a gift for a special occasion, something like this would be a very nice idea. Their entire Linens and Lace section of the catalog is wonderful (also check out the clearance section).
I've bought from them before and received lovely things.
HTH someone.
Rachel
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Hope Chests for our daughters
