deja vu all over again, Hope Chests
 

Look at the things coming popular this year, from the Quilt Market booth.
http://blog.modafabrics.com/2016/05/...tails-details/
I had such a flash back to working on pillow cases and edgings and dish towels I made for my hope chest, that I feel 17 again :)
Do young people even do a hope chest anymore?
Mine was more the bottom drawer in my dresser, but I loved opening it up and touching my handwork.

So much of these photos reminded me of when my paternal grandmother Clara would renovate tattered dishtowels that others would throw out or use as rags. She would to embroidery, tatting and cut work. A hole would become a flower the edges of the towels would be tatted with the most beautiful designs in different colors. She would use them as doilies/scarves for dressers. She never quilted but did handi needlework. She taught my cousins and myself how to crochet a large tablecloth. She was so talented. She could use a sewing machine but handwork was her favorite because of being portable. Thanks you for sharing this.

I doubt young people know what a hope chest is anymore. My MIL, who got married in the 1940's, still had the nice things in her hope chest when she died. Saddly no one in the family really wanted most of the things. Reminder to use your nice things!

Some of my girls do but they build their own hope chest.

Yes it is like deja vu all over again. I don't think that current brides to be, make a hope chest. I grew up in LA, CA and no mention of a hope chest that I remember being discussed.

I love your pictures from the market. I had been looking somewhere at pillow cases that combined crochet with quilting and they were great-plan to make some for a benefit boutique I participate in come November. And, for a long time I spoke of my hope chest as my 'despair barrel'. I did most of the hand work as a teen and did not marry until I was 29. I really like unusual hand made linens.

Hope chests were for girls who hoped one day to meet the ONE man of their life....and marry........times have changed. I did have one, and marry him!...but now he's gone ahead of me and all my stuff will probably end up at goodwill...my dd and gds don't want any of it!

as an aside.......my neighbor, who just turned 90, showed me her cedar chest-once her hope chest- filled to the brim with linens she recd when she first married...never used! She gave me a few pillowcases...can't find that quality fabric anymore. She was going to give me some of the sheets, she said, so I could cut up and use in some quilts....oh, I couldn't do that...I told her to use them! Sadly, no children, her hubby gone too, and extended family not interested.....so moral of this is - use everything you own until tattered and chipped! I think I'll dig out my fine china and use it as everyday...why not!

My teenage granddaughters know what a hope chest is, have ( treasures) in theirs and once in a while request something they want to add. I think it depends a lot on how young people are raised. Some parents teach them to throw away, replace everything every year or so, some teach the value of holding onto items, saving and working for their futures.

I graduated in the 60s. I remember hope chests. They were one of the "sales" items, like class rings, etc when you were graduating from HS. Some of Home EC was geared towards items for the chest. Now days, I think the girls are just hoping to meet a guy that has a job and doesn't live at home!

I totally agree, Lynnie. My grandmother died when I was about 10. This was my grandmother who did hand quilting and beautiful embroidery. My Dad brought back a quilt that had never been used (it still the pencil markings on it) and several sets of hand embroidered sheets with crocheted edgings. He gave them to my mom and told her to use them. He said his mother was using the awfullest bedding on her bed but had all this beautiful stuff sitting in the closet. I've done that ever since. I have nice things and use them and enjoy them.

Yes!!! Me too! Ours were Lane Chests. You even got a miniature one. I have my Mother's cedar chest. I use the things stored in it regularly. Still love that smell.

Thanks for sharing

You should use your china. When you store it, it actually dries out and becomes bridle.

I still have my hope chest, but ruined my baby quilt by putting it in my Cedar chest. The wood ate the fabric at the folds where it touched. I still have pillow cases, hand embroidered dresser scarfs & crocheted doilies I made when I was a teen. They are now Vintage items like me.

My Grandma's crochet-edged pillow cases are some of my most prized possessions! I made one into a sewing machine cover that I see everyday. I would spend a week with my grandparents, my Dad's parents, every summer and she and I would spend the time making me a dress. Of 6 granddaughters, I'm the only one who sews. My Mom sewed, too, and between the two of them, I have my lifelong passion.

Ah yes, I had a hope chest, filled it with Tupperware, towels, many glorious things.
Still have my mini Lane Cedar chest from graduation.
I was younger than 10 when my mother taught me to hand embroider on Tea towels, I actually enjoyed that activity as a thru and thru tomboy.
Misspriss, Thanks for the tip, I have gorgeous China from 1979 that has spent it's life being stored!!!

Miniature lane chests--Do they still give those away? I have mine, too.

Hope chests are now called "gift registries". :)

that little Lane chest/box was the first thing I thought of when I saw those pillowcases :)
Lane is still in business according to google.
"Between 1912 and 1987, Lane and Virginia Maid manufactured and sold an estimated 12 million cedar chests"
but those of you that still have them (the big ones) please read this warning

The one I finally had was my mothers, purchased in the late 30's for her by her brother.

I have my cedar chest and it's full of my 2 daughters things when they were babies, and alot of my stuff over the years also...I cross-stitched pillowcases and bedspreads in hopes of giving my married daughters all the things, well they all have king pillows now, so regular pillowcases don't fit and the beds are king size so the bedspreads don't fit...so what to do with all the things...I use them...I still have regular pillows on guest beds, and full size beds...so at least they are getting used...I got my chest when I got married, and yesterday was our anniversary of 54 years, and my stepfather made the chest out of cedar...so it's even more special to me...

I remember them, when I was young in high school, I thought they were the neatest things and I would dream of having one. We couldn't afford it, there were so many other things more important. Fast forward 35 yrs of marriage later, my dh and I seen one at a flea market that matched our antique sled bed. We bought it, cedar lined and all. Funny, I couldn't even tell you what I have in it. Maybe some quilts, I will have to look.

I too treasure my grandma's embroidered and crocheted pillow cases -- I used them and DH's hair stuff stained them. I have a bed spread that is crocheted but it is too heavy to put on my feet anymore. My other grandma made quilts -- some with embroidery -- and I display those. I did use the quilts for the children when they were little -- and let my almost granddaughter wrap up in my bubble gum pink quilt that was made for me when I was little. I try to use everything every now and again.

Went to visit my Grandmother when she turned 90. My mom and her sister were there too. So as we were fixing dinner I was getting out some fancy dinnerware and serving pieces. When I asked if we could use them, my Grandmother said we always save them for something good, but who is "goodder than we are"? So we used the items for my entire visit. Not one item broke and she had a chance to enjoy her items.

We use everything too.

Over here the chest is the bottom drawer. I saved China and cooking items which came in very useful when I moved into my own house ( minus husband partner etc) alone.

Hope chests went away like virginity.

Sandy

I have my mothers Hope Chest, it is a really ornate cedar chest & it is 84 years old, purchase in 1932. She did use all the stuff she put in it. I had one but it was the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers, I used all of the things I had put in it also.

Thats true!......

My family couldn't afford one either. I bought myself a Lane cedar chest when I got my first job. My son now has it.

I think it means more now to us, looking back. Many years ago,my elderly neighbor had a cedar chest full of beautiful items, she would take out and look at and put back. I vowed to always use my items as my kids wouldn't find the value in them. different times I love crocheted pillowcases and all the dainty hankies and such.

This is exactly what I was thinking about today, and even two decades ago. You don't ask them what they want, you go to the stores they list and put your name on the register of things you will get there.

Makes me think of 2 decades ago when a niece of mine by marriage did the registry thing, but only for the set of expensive china she wanted. I didn't like it, because I wasn't brought up that way. Nevertheless, my ex husband wanted us to go along with it since that was what they requested. Soon after the marriage when she was cooking something burnt and caused smoke all over their place, and her mom said her china was all ruined. In the garbage it went. That marriage has long gone away onto the next.

I miss the values that once was predominate around the country.

My brother kept the huge cedar chest my mom had. He stores tools in it. I kept the smaller one my fav aunt had. It sits between the edge of the dresser and the short wall of the bedroom closet. There is a window behind it. I made a window seat cushion and small pillows that match the bed quilt and shams. I store seasonal clothing in it. I don't sit on it tho. I dont want to take the chance of the lid not holding weight. I think that my Dad bought the cedar chest for. My mom after they were married. I am not sure about my aunts' history. Both ladies are gone. :(

sandy

"I miss the values that once was predominate around the country. "
I couldn't agree more! Saw a Dr. Phil episode last week where a girl decided she was in a serious relationship with a boy (close enough to have a child, at least) because the swiped each other's profiles on Tinder and she posted pictures of him on her Snapchat page, but, he wasn't as committed to her because he hadn't posted pictures of her on his Snapchat. SIGH!
Loving this hope chest thread, though. So many memories.

I forgot to add the safety concern from Lane yesterday
https://www.lanefurniture.com/lock-r...-press-release

LOL! So true!

My cousin still has her Lane chest. She and her sister each got one when they turned 16. Their mother put a protective muslin bed liner in them. Actually, they both have their chests. When my cousin married for the second time her husband got her one for a wedding present. Not to be one-upped her brother-in-law got her sister one for their following anniversary. They both treasure their past and have done all kinds of needle work.

When I was growing up, Mama had a cedar chest with ornate metal hammered corners and latch on it. She kept her treasured photos and other possessions in it, and we kids were forbidden to get into it. Dad used to brag that he made that chest for Mom, and we were in awe. Later, when I got married, I told my fiance that he needed to make me a hope chest for our stuff, like Daddy had made for Mom. He so diligently designed and made that chest the summer before we were married, and I love and have it to this day. (The punch line about the story is that my dad had made the hope chest in High School shop class for "his bride to be"- who indeed turned out to be mom. So maybe I based my request of my fiance on a slightly skewed story). As the current generation would say----WHATEVER. I do love my chest just like Mom loved hers. And yes- I still have my little Lane chest from H.S. Graduation. Am I a hoarder???

Both of my DD's married last year at ages 21 & 24. I told them about hope chests when they became engaged, but they wanted something more practical and got large Rubbermaid boxes. They had them full by the time a year/wedding dates came around. And after enormous bridal showers, they didn't need anything to set up house.