SNOWFLAKES ARE LIKE PEOPLE--NO TWO ARE ALIKE!

I love and appreciate hand crafted items!  Hand made items have been a tradition in our family through the years.  Homemaking skills have been an important part of our life.  I went to Brigham on Wednesday and decorated my parent's tree.  My 84-year-old mother, Maurine Holland, and dad, D.L. Holland, who is 88, have one of the most beautiful decorated Christmas trees I've seen.  It is filled with 455 beautiful hand crocheted snowflakes, angels, bells, doves, butterflies, and silver bells with crocheted covers.  It also has hand made crystal icicles, tatted snowflakes, porcelain snow angels, and is topped with a 12" crocheted angel.  We counted and there are 271 crocheted snowflakes--and the amazing thing is that no two are alike!   The 36 tatted snowflakes were made by my mother's mother, Ruth Hirschi.  Mother has used a white Knit cro-sheen, size 10, with a silver thread through it.  She's been featured in the local paper a couple of times, as well as her mother--her tree was decorated with tatted ornaments.  Mother has been crocheting for 63 years now, and has made mountains of hand crocheted articles--tablecloths, bedspreads, hankies, pillowcases, pillows, wall hangings, doilies, collars, baby dresses, booties, edgings, ornaments, tree top angels, and miscellaneous items.   We've often  said we wish we could have a picture of all that she has made over the years.  She  is best known for her crocheted envelopes, having made and sold over 2,000 to date!  I display her handwork in several framed pieces on the wall.  Presently I have two ecru-colored Christmas wall hangings up--a large 24X36" Merry Christmas, and one simply saying "JOY" in fillet crochet.   Much has changed over the years with threads not being available any more, since thread crocheting is becoming a lost art, so she has had to turn to mercerized sewing thread to make the lace for her hankies--that's size 180!  But one thing that hasn't changed--her expertise and patience.  It WOULD be fun to see a room full of the things she has crocheted over the last 63 years!