A FAMILY MYSTERY........

This week I was in a rare clean-out-the-drawers mood. I pulled out the drawer with some of my older scarves and here was this treasure.

Apparently it was in my mother's stuff and when I packed all it  away to move to Baton Rouge.  I really didn't play close attention. That was probably sometime in 1996-97. Since then I have a greater appreciation of old, hand made things, so when I saw it, it really got my attention.

This, I think, belonged to my grandmother. It is hand crocheted (?), I believe, with wool thread. Then it was apparently washed -deliberately or not- in hot water and, voila, a felted scarf. In the second photo, you can see some blue threads. Those must be courtesy of my camera because they aren't really in the scarf. Click on the photos to see how pretty it really is.

It's not very large. Just almost a shoulder cover. I can't wait until winter to wear it. I have a very old pin and earrings set that belong to my great aunt that will set it off well.

Here's the deal: the tag. It says "Mrs. George Wilson".  My grandfather was George Wilburn Wilson, but everyone called him Wilburn. I even remember my grandmother calling him Wilburn. So here is this label. It doesn't look very old- I guess- and I can't believe that my sweet, poor country grandmother would have bought these labels. My only other thought is that when she went into a nursing home, an aunt or other relative had these made and stitched them into her clothes. Then again, she was a widow by then, so why not just Etta Wilson?????

Whatever the story, I was so beside myself when I found this. It's very delicate and beautiful. I just wish I had found it sooner. There are so many family occasions I would love to have worn it to. It is now a treasured gift and I hope my granddaughters will treasure it as much as I.