Colours for a rainy day

I barely went out today: it's been wet, gloomy and distinctly chilly. Instead, I had a bit of quiet time in my little upstairs gallery room, catching up and sorting out, while M was helping J finish her painted shoes. This is my box of sewing threads, inherited from my mum. My dad made the simple box decades ago, to fit the old style wooden reels; it doesn't work quite so well with the variety of newer plastic shapes and sizes. It is full of memories: I think some of the threads date from dresses I or my mum made when I was in my teens, others correspond to things she made for J when she was young.  All her adult life she sewed, smocked and knitted for others: her niece, her husband and children, everyone's new babies, bobbin lace bookmarks as gifts for friends, and then many beautiful things for her grandchildren. She bought some little labels to sew in J's smocked dresses - "Made by Grandma, with love". Using her things for sewing or baking always brings her close.