Welcome to the first installment of My Family’s Crafts. I come from a family that includes woodworkers, wine-makers, knitters, crocheters, quilters, embroiderers, cooks, farmers, gardeners, bakers and I’m sure more. None of them crafted for a living. They always used these talents as a creative outlet, a way to pass the time, or most importantly, a way to save money. Today, I wanted to share one of my paternal grandfather’s wood pieces. This is a scroll-sawed napkin holder featuring a Little Bo Peep design.
In the course of his lifetime, my grandfather built or helped build four separate log cabins. Like, no contractors involved. The oldest son in a Norwegian farming family of 10, my grandpa wasn’t able to go to high school. He was very brilliant, and growing up, I learned a lot from him about working very hard and being practical. I may have even picked up a few jokes, stories, pranks, and a drill press lesson or two.
Ten years ago last week, my grandpa passed away, but my family is very lucky. Every one of us (and much of the extend family) has a few of his pieces in our homes. Plus, we can go visit his cabins when we’re up in that neck of the woods. I have more of his woodwork to share in this My Family’s Crafts series, and next time, I’ll have to include one of his jokes.
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Final questions for you, readers:
Was this post overly sentimental? I’m still trying to decide whether or not to give you guys context about the family member from which the featured craft came. Does your family have crafts to share? If you’ve got an interesting craft, recipe, or skill you learned or received from a family member, I’d love to feature it here. Just email me at handsoccupied[at]gmail[dot]com and let me know what you’ve got to share!
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