Appropos of nothing much

[rolanni]

. . .a long, long time ago, my grandmother asked me what I wanted for my birthday.  I said that I wanted a pair of embroidery scissors shaped like a crane that I'd seen in a magazine.  My grandmother approved of the fact that I embroidered, so we got on the bus and went downtown to a certain cutlery shop known to her, and there, in the case, were my scissors.

The proprietor got them out of the case so that I could see if they fit my hand -- they did -- and my grandmother looked them over and allowed as how they were very nice, indeed, and told the proprietor that we would take them.  He went down the counter to wrap them up, and my grandmother handed me a twenty dollar bill.

"You pay for it," she told me, "since they're your scissors.  If I gave them to you, they would cut our relationship."

So, I bought my scissors, and gave the change from the transaction back to my grandmother, and we proceeded downtown to McCrory's, where we had ice cream sundaes in celebration of my twelfth birthday.

Here's what the scissors look like now:

Embroidery scissors

This evening, I needed to sew buttons on a shirt, so I got out the sewing box and rummaged through until I found a spool of matching thread.  It was only after I had threaded the needle that I realized the spool was wooden.  Here it is:

In other news, it was hot today, for Maine values of hot, which meant windows filled with coon cats.

Here's one:

Sprite taking the sun and the breeze.

Comments

[bandicoot.livejournal.com]

Somehow, I see that scene insinuating itself into a story ;)

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

Those are *cool* scissors!

[xinef.livejournal.com]

Nice scissors and what a wonderful memory.

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

Those are wonderful scissors! I haven't seen any wooden thread spools in ages.

And of course, Sprite looks gorgeous. My cats have all been enjoying the sun and the breeze too. Unfortunately, they don't entirely agree on who should get to enjoy which window and even more horribly, I'm still shutting the windows some nights, interfering with the proper airing of cats.

[nocal-kathyf.livejournal.com]

Hi, I have the same pair of scissors! Camera not working now or I'd send a picture. I love them. Wish thread were still 29 cents. Sigh. I stopped sewing, except for costumes for the kids, when it became much less expensive to buy clothes than to sew them, even when we diligently checked for U.S. labels.
Glad Sprite didn't have to have a trim for the summer. Such lovely fur!

[stitchwhich.livejournal.com]

I, too, have the same pair of scissors - as a bittersweet gift. A dear friend lost her twin sister to cancer just after my own cancer was diagnosed and while she was clearing out her sister's effects she found a thimble and the embroidery scissors. She gave them to me because I was now her "only (self-adopted) sister" (or "SEE-ster" as we call each other.) Neither thimble nor scissors fit my fat fingers but they are in a place of honor in my sewing box.

[catherine ives (from livejournal.com)]

those scissors look incredible.
Also ...always nice to see the beautiful Princess Sprite.

family traditions

[k-10b.livejournal.com]

We have a similar tradition/superstition about gifting knives. You must pay a penny to open your gift, making it a purchase instead of a present.

[gilraen2.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful memory. Thank you for sharing. I still have a handmade sewing basket, and various pieces therein, made and used by my grandmother's sister. I cherish it.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

They still exist, in several sizes:

http://www.amazon.com/Pelican-Shaped-Craft-Embroidery-Scissors/dp/B00GW3HHAA/ref=sr_1_6?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1402444589&sr=1-6&keywords=crane+scissors

Unlike FB, LJ does not give you a thumbnail of the link.

:)

[the wol (from livejournal.com)]

I have a pair of crane embroidery scissors too, but they're not as nice and not nearly so memory coated with such lovely memories as yours. Interesting about if you give someone scissors it cuts the relationship. I hadn't heard that one.

[cailleuch.livejournal.com]

Nice scissors! I still have some thread on wooden spools. I once had a rainbow of colors but pink and pinkish are mostly the only ones wooden.

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

I too am guilty of interfering with proper airing of cats. I even, unreasonably in their view, close the windows when its raining