"I like the name Robson , it makes me think of honey" - Seth

Hello! It's Mrs M here!
Today we went to see Seth & Opeies Great-Great Grandmother, who is obviously my Great Nanny.
Nanny Robson as we call her is a beautiful lady, who we all love dearly. It was a bit of a bitter sweet visit as it was the first time we have visited Nanny since she moved into a care home.

Bittersweet because we are happy that she is in a home where she gets all the attention and help she needs being a lovely 91 years old, and lovely that she is nearer than she was... but I will miss her old house terribly.

When I was a little girl, we'd go and stay with Nanny every Summer while Mom and Dad went on holiday, or for a weekend away - my sister and I loved every moment! I remember fondly Nanny Robson teaching me to sew when I was about 11 years old, we were making peg dolls, and stitching them skirts to wear.  She also bought me my first sewing machine, which I used to death, sewing anything and everything from the age of 12-23. ( I'm actually suprised it survived so long!)

Nanny would make lots of things when we were younger, I vividly remember embroidered handkerchiefs being in a cabinet behind the sofa, fabric peg bags hanging from the washing line, and lots of pinnies, patched things, curtains, lace on blouses and re-upholstery around the house.

Today when we visited Nanny in her room in the 'old peoples hotel' - as Seth calls it, Opeie was a bit over whelmed by so many people being in a small room, so Nanny Roo ( my Mom ) got down a toy I'd never seen before. It was a hand made doll, apparently called Rose, when I asked Nanny where it had come from, she said " I made that for your Mom when she was about Seth's age, about 5"

Mom was brought up by Nanny, her grandmother, and Nanny dotes on Mom, which is lovely to see and watch, and Mom dotes on Nanny. Mom told me of how she remembers playing with the doll, and how Nanny would make lots of different outfits for her. Mom took off her bonnet, and said turn her over, and right there was a different face on the back, which portrayed the doll sleeping. It was so lovely, so vintage and so Nanny..... every stitch had been lovingly sewn for her granddaughter almost
 45 years ago.

I think it is lovely to make your children and loved ones things that tell a story, I once made Pauly a toy for him to cuddle when we were far appart and not living together, a pair of giraffes sewn together which represented us. Thanks to Nanny I can make anything and everything with a cotton reel and needle and I will always be thankful to her for giving me these skills. 

As I love to sew and it's always what I've enjoyed, I always find myself wishing I had a daughter so that i could make her dollies, dresses, blankets for her dolls, hairbands, and lots of other things, but also to be able to teach her to sew anything she wanted, and hopefully for her own children.

Sadly since we can't have any more of our own children, I will have to make do making super hero costumes, Christmas goodies and things for our house..... not that I'm complaining.... I do love all of those things!