A VIGALLON TRADITION
In this day and age, young girls look forward to a career, marriage, and maybe a family. In days gone by, they actually planned, and prepared, for a marriage and family.
In Mama Concha's family, her 8 daughters learned to embroidery, crochet, and sew. When each of the three older sisters (Roseline, Rose, and Connie) got engaged, Mama Concha bought them a cedar chest. In those days, it was also called a " hope chest" The girls made, and embroidered, dish towels, doilies, and the traditional set of of sheets, embroidered, and crocheted. This set was to be used on the bed when the new mother and baby came home from the hospital. Sounds quaint, but that's how it was. In essence, every handmade item that went into the cedar chest, was stitched with hopes and dreams for the future, and that's why it was called a "hope chest."
Antoinette and Emily bought their own cedar chests. Marie's was a gift from Frank Rodriguez, after their engagement. Laura and Josie bought their own, after they were married.
Mama Concha's treasured sewing machine, has a special place in the home of Emily's daughter, Bonnie, who now lives in Montana.
When I was a little girl, I loved looking into my mother's cedar chest. There was her wedding dress, veil with headpiece, and long white gloves. Love letters from my dad, a baby bonnet, valentines, and Mother's day cards that my brother and I had made for her at school.
Cousin, Bob Castro, was never allowed to look into his mother's cedar chest, and never saw the contents of it, until she passed away. In it, he found a couple of knitted and crocheted afghans. Framed pictures of uniformed family members who had served in World War II. Birthday and Mother's Day cards, and valentines given to her by his dad. Her cedar chest is now with Bob's daughter, Susan.
I received my own cedar chest as a graduation gift, in 1947. The first articles that I put into it were all the embroidered dish towels and table cloths that I had made, in my early teens, along with the things that my mother had made for me, including the 'traditional set of bed sheets,' plus, a delicately crocheted hostess apron.
That cedar chest is now in the home of my son, Steve, and daughter-in-law, Denise. In it's place, I have my mother's cedar chest. All her mementos are still in there, plus a few of my own.
In our family, the old cedar chests are still treasured.
In Mama Concha's family, her 8 daughters learned to embroidery, crochet, and sew. When each of the three older sisters (Roseline, Rose, and Connie) got engaged, Mama Concha bought them a cedar chest. In those days, it was also called a " hope chest" The girls made, and embroidered, dish towels, doilies, and the traditional set of of sheets, embroidered, and crocheted. This set was to be used on the bed when the new mother and baby came home from the hospital. Sounds quaint, but that's how it was. In essence, every handmade item that went into the cedar chest, was stitched with hopes and dreams for the future, and that's why it was called a "hope chest."
Antoinette and Emily bought their own cedar chests. Marie's was a gift from Frank Rodriguez, after their engagement. Laura and Josie bought their own, after they were married.
Mama Concha's treasured sewing machine, has a special place in the home of Emily's daughter, Bonnie, who now lives in Montana.
When I was a little girl, I loved looking into my mother's cedar chest. There was her wedding dress, veil with headpiece, and long white gloves. Love letters from my dad, a baby bonnet, valentines, and Mother's day cards that my brother and I had made for her at school.
Cousin, Bob Castro, was never allowed to look into his mother's cedar chest, and never saw the contents of it, until she passed away. In it, he found a couple of knitted and crocheted afghans. Framed pictures of uniformed family members who had served in World War II. Birthday and Mother's Day cards, and valentines given to her by his dad. Her cedar chest is now with Bob's daughter, Susan.
I received my own cedar chest as a graduation gift, in 1947. The first articles that I put into it were all the embroidered dish towels and table cloths that I had made, in my early teens, along with the things that my mother had made for me, including the 'traditional set of bed sheets,' plus, a delicately crocheted hostess apron.
That cedar chest is now in the home of my son, Steve, and daughter-in-law, Denise. In it's place, I have my mother's cedar chest. All her mementos are still in there, plus a few of my own.
In our family, the old cedar chests are still treasured.
