I’m joined this week by author, Henriette Gyland as she tells us about an ornament she loves…
ONE ORNAMENT FROM MY HOME AND WHY I LOVE IT
Some might argue that this old swing handle sewing machine isn’t an ornament as such, but it has been my steadfast companion since I was in my late teens.
Many years ago my mother had a machine similar to this one, and I spent my adolescence and teens making clothes, bags, soft furnishings and even dolls clothes. My parents didn’t have much money to spend on teenage fashion, so I had to mend and make do, as they say. I remember revamping one of my father’s old shirts into a top and sewing a skirt from some leftover curtain fabric. A happy, creative phase although, to be honest, I did spend some of that time cursing and swearing because it was a rather temperamental machine …
When I left for university, my maternal grandmother gave me her old swing handle machine (pictured), and it’s been with me ever since. I carried on sewing throughout uni, mainly by upcycling charity shop finds. Eventually, one by one, the needles that came with the machine broke, and modern needles sadly weren’t compatible so I had to upgrade to an electric sewing machine.
Which has been a god-send for a lover of bargains and the home-made like myself!
Since then the old machine has graced the shelves wherever I’ve lived. It hasn’t always been to everyone’s taste over the years, causing a few eye-rolls in my ex-husband because he found it ugly, but I insisted that it stayed on display. I understand that it may be difficult for some to see the beauty in this slightly scratched and no longer functioning piece of machinery, but for me it’s not so much about aesthetics – instead it’s about the beauty of the memories it holds.
I’m grateful to my mother for teaching me to sew, and to my grandmother for this extraordinary gift. The skills I have passed on, but the memories are mine to treasure forever.
I love your sewing machine and I too am grateful for the craft skills passed on to me by my nan and mom. Mx
About Henriette Gyland
Henriette Gyland grew up in Northern Denmark but moved to England after she graduated from the University of Copenhagen. She wrote her first book when she was ten, a tale of two orphan sisters running away to Egypt, fortunately to be adopted by a perfect family they meet on the Orient Express.
Between that first literary exploit and now, she has worked in the Danish civil service, for a travel agent, a consultancy company, in banking, hospital administration, and for a county court before setting herself up as a freelance translator and linguist. Henriette recently began to pursue her writing in earnest winning the New Talent Award in 2011 from the Festival of Romance and a Commended from the Yeovil Literary Prize.
Henriette lives in London.
To keep in touch with Henriette, you can use the following links:-
Twitter: @henrigyland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/henriette.gyland
Website: https://henriettegyland.wordpress.com
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Henriette-Gyland/e/B00AVZQQZW?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1589030009&sr=8-1
About Up Close
When Dr. Lia Thompson’s grandmother Ivy dies unexpectedly, Lia leaves her life in America and reluctantly returns to Norfolk to handle her estate. The homecoming stirs not only memories of old childhood fears but new suspicions, as well. When Lia discovers that her grandmother was considered a town gossip—and a woman with many secrets—Lia can’t help feeling that there’s more to her death than meets the eye.
Lia finds an ally in her former teenage crush, ex-navy man Aidan Morrell, and a reignited attraction. But the emotionally scarred Aidan has secrets of his own, and his motives for helping Lia may be hidden in a very dark and personal place. In a world of increasing danger, is Aidan someone she can trust to help retrace her grandmother’s final steps? Or is Lia slowly being edged toward the same chilling fate?
To buy Up Close please use the following links:-
Thank you, Henriette.
Readers don’t forget to check out the Choc Lit online festival over the next two weeks, #ChocLitFestival, which features myself and Victoria Cornwall on Thursday 14 May!
Thank you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available now as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available now from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks. This will be available as a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
Morton S. Gray - Author 
Love that sewing machine, Henriette…in fact I’ve still got one exactly like it inherited from my Grandma and then Mum.Sadly, although I used it in the past to make my first ever curtains, I’m pretty hopeless at crafting of any sort,. But I still have it tucked away in the bottom of a wardrobe. Never thought to display it, but perhaps I will now.
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How lovely – you must post a picture 😀
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Oh yes, Lynn, you should put it on display! It can be a bit of a pain to dust, but I find that people are quite fascinated about it, and will usually asks questions. So, I get to tell the story behind it 🙂
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Yes, now you have mentioned it ,I may very well do that.
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I have my mother’s old Singer sewing machine, which used to be treadle but which was converted to electric a few years ago. I had to take it to be repaired recently and the man that runs the shop couldn’t stop idolising it: ‘This is the Rolls Royce of machines,’ he kept saying, running his hands over it as if it were a woman! (He was Italian!). I love sewing too but I’m not particularly good at it. Thanks for an interesting blog.
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