Sunday 6 January 2013

Storytelling Sunday Three: Pick Your Precious

.It's the first Sunday of 2013 and that means it's time for January's edition of Storytelling Sunday. This year we are celebrating our small stuff. Pick Your Precious asks you to choose something you love from around your house and tell us the story. Anything at all! At the end of the year you'll have a permanent record of some of your favourite things.

and so to my first precious of the year:

The Sewing Box

This one sits safely tucked away on a shelf in my wardrobe. It has travelled with me from house to house since I was five years old; and I last used it about two weeks ago.

Round about the time I started school, my Mum gave me a sewing kit. She made it herself from an old box covered in one of her dresses and filled with everything I might need. I remember pulling out the knitting needles first of all, and my Grandma volunteering to teach me. There was fabric, too: a piece of 1960's pastel paisley I thought was too nice to touch; and, over the years, bits and pieces came and went as I made use of my box. I sewed a piece of bright red cotton into a top to go dancing in when I was seventeen, and then my box was almost empty, so I filled it with my teenage collection of plastic: you know, a 1980's thing? By then my sewing kit was too big for my childhood box: it became - I guess you could call it- a time capsule of tat: my teenage treasures.

So, just before Christmas, The (Not So) Small One arrived home from town:- eyes sparkling, arms full of parcels - after a shopping trip with a friend. She had got everything she needed, she said, but she had run out of money right at the end, with the scarf shop in sight. You know the one? With the Indian scarves? and the jewellery? and the funny smell?

Oh. Yes. I knew the one. Because when I was fourteen I had come up to the city with a map, drawn by an adventurous friend who knew how to find this particular notorious emporium: down a dark alleyway, past the oldest pub in town, underneath a tattoo parlour..

It has moved now, I'm pleased to report, easier and safer to find,though  still with the same array of teenage delights.  So you didn't buy anything? I asked. No, she said sadly and turned to go and put her shopping away. Wait! I said, and I ran for my box. Inside, I knew, was a silver snake bangle I had bought from that shop when I was exactly the age she is now. I gave it to her, of course, and she liked it. Some things don't really change. 

I went looking for it again in her room yesterday, to take a photo; but know what? It wasn't there. She'd gone out wearing it. I'm thinking maybe I'd better see what else that box has to offer. If only I'd kept that red dancing top..


And that's my first Pick. Now, let's hear about yours! Some of you are already talking about a mini-album for the year and I think that would be perfect.Show us some pictures, tell us the story behind whatever you choose: it's all good. Write your post, with an introduction linking back to Storytelling Sunday (so your readers get the idea, the more the merrier!) and come link us up. I'm looking forward to reading about your treasures..

..More information can be found on the Storytelling Sunday page. And, don't forget, any story will be welcomed. Whatever you have in your head will be just fine: small or tall, we'll read them all.

40 comments:

Melissa said...

What a wonderful box to store your treasures once your sewing supplies outgrew it. And now it's all together where you can find items to share with the (not so) Small One.

Great start to the Storytelling year!

Unknown said...

Your box is gorgeous! I can't believe we both told a story about a box! LOL I am looking forward to this year of stories :-)

Maria Ontiveros said...

The stories I've read so far have all been smashing! I'm thinking of a box album like I did for my Houston cards you inspired. I have a sewing box as well, though mine was made by a boy who I fancied! LOL!
And I believe I visited that same shop in Berkeley!
Thanks for the story and for the meme,
Rinda

Unknown said...

What a beautiful box, that cord looks so soft. Great story to start us off.

Becky said...

A beautiful box for storing wonderful treasures! I just love the theme for this year - can't wait to read a few more stories later today :)

Mary B said...

What a wonderful box a treasure trove of memories and how lovely that your DD is able to dip into it as well.

Jo said...

What a fantastic box of treasures and it must feel so great to be passing the treasures on to the next generation to enjoy :)

Jen said...

A lovely box of memories - do we all keep pretty boxes - I know I do? A great start to a year of stories. Thank you for keeping it going. Jen x

Sheena said...

What a fabulous story Sian x
Love the thought of time capsule treasures.
Thanks for the encouragement in story writing :)

debs14 said...

We had a shop just like that in town up until a few years ago. Called Creations and full of exotic things, that smell of incense as you walked in, floaty scarves, and silver jewellery ... how lovely that you have been able to pass something down to your daughter that she obviously loves. Shame about that red top though ;-)

Karen said...

It's a beautiful box, and a wonderful story to kick off a series about precious objects. I'm so looking forward to playing along this year!

Cheri said...

Oh the stories that sewing box could tell! I still have the yellow plastic sewing box I had as a kid. I gave it to Sarah, but she relinquished it years ago. It almost left during the last de-clutter frenzy, but somehow managed to hang around.

Kirsty.A said...

Lovely box. I must look inside my 'treasure box' So glad TNSSO loved the bangle

ComfyMom~Stacey said...

Lovely fabric on the box & a great story! I too wrote about my teenage memento box this month.

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

What a lovely sewing box your Mum made, no wonder you have treasured it all these years. I had a very similar collection of 'plastic' from the 80s, but mine is long gone.

Lythan said...

that is such a wonderful story. And how lovely to be able to pass your treasures on!

Scrappi Sandi said...

Oooh! We had a shop just like that where I grew up in Hereford, down a back street, past the oldest pub in town...a dark shop full of indian inspired embroidery & beads & the smell of patchouli that clung to your clothes!! I had my second lot of ear piercing done there in 1977...so unhygenic, but who cares when you're a teeneger?!! I love the story of your sewing box & how we all have memories that are linked, wherever we are in the world! :D

Lou said...

A lovely box of memories to start off the new year.

scrappyjacky said...

A beautiful treasure box of memories,Sian....with a lovely story to start the year.
I remember a shop just like that....ours is no longer here though.

dogmatix said...

Great story ...I am strangely drawn to your pink watch though lol.

Miriam said...

What a lovely story Sian, a box filled with love and treasures. Thank you so much for continuing with Story Telling Sunday, The Precious Edition. I love it! x

Mel said...

The trinkets of our youth - i love the sound of that bazaar and see why it would hold such allure to a teenage girl!

Abi said...

It is such a pretty box and such a capsule of memories. How lovely that the story is slightly circular and your daughter is enjoying the delights of the sewing box too!

Missus Wookie said...

Ah the joys of a treasure box - very apt to start the year with. I've been looking forward to sitting down and reading through all day - it got me through lots of other 'to dos' so thank you for that. I like the idea of the mini album of precious things - going to mull that for a while.

Alison said...

Love the box, and the story....a lovely place to keep your memories!
Alison xx

Barbara Eads said...

What a wonderful box to still have! It's an added bonus that you found something so appropriate for your daughter. I love it when something old becomes new again.

Irene said...

Such a colourful box for a delightful story. I love that the fabric once was a dress of your mother's; so pretty.
Thank you for another year of SS. It is going to be such an interesting one. There are already some wonderful stories. x

Elizabeth said...

Your sewing box is indeed like a time capsule back to your childhood. It held never ending delights then and now. I am loving reading about all the precious items in the stories today.

Ginger said...

I love that box! It is so colorful and I'm sure has way more treasures inside :)

Thanks for hosting STS again Sian it always fun to see what others write. I wonder though - my story this month did not take on your new theme, are we okay to still tell any story?

Kim Winter said...

Wonderful story! Thank you for sharing.

alexa said...

How lovely that you were able to give The Not-So-Small one something you'd bought at just her age! Your box is a true Box of Delights :). I enjoyed the remark about teenage years and plastic too - that brought back a lot of memories ...

Amy said...

I'm struggling with computer time and access this month Sian but I wanted to drop by and say how lovely it is that StS is making an appearance again this year. I am also thrilled that there is a theme - I think it is a perfect idea and I am looking forward to collecting my stories this year and reading about all things precious from other writers.

Apologies for not linking up and being able to visit others this month - it's that time of the year for us and shared spaces and one computer don't bode well ... not to mention 45C days where the last thing on our minds is sitting in front of a 'hot box' computer!

I am about to take a photo of a precious item I want to write about this year - see you when I return!

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

Hi Sian ~ I was happy to see that you are continuing with Storytelling Sunday's again this year, and even happier with the theme you have offerred. I love it, and have many stories to tell just based on the precious value.

I love your story about your sewing box, and especially that your daughter liked the bracelet enough to actually wear it out! :o)

Susanne said...

Oh, a treasure box - how lovely. I bet many of us had one of those from our teen years. I wonder how many still do. Thanks for sharing the tale of yours.

Alana said...

Made it at last....this windows 8 makes blogging so much harder. Mine is about my mums sewing box too....so many good memories.

Sandie said...

Sewing boxes are so full of happy memories. It's lovely you kept yours so long Sian and that your Mum made it for you. That makes it even more special.

Nathalie said...

That is a beautiful box with great memories in it! You made me wish I had a girl for a moment there....

Jane said...

a lovely box and memory to share.

Ifa said...

aaah, sweet! I don't think I have anything from my childhood as I left them all behind in Malaysia.

Anonymous said...

Sian, thanks so much for hosting Storytelling Sunday again this year. I love reading everyone's stories and would have sorely missed it.

Your box is lovely and such great memories it holds for you. I love the fact that the not so small one loved your bracelet enough to wear it.
I'm looking forward to reading about more of your precious things - now off to catch up and read the rest of the stories.

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