This week’s Valentine’s Day celebrations bring to my mind special Valentine’s Day memories from my teen years. First, my mom always got a big box of Russel Stover chocolates from my dad. Hers was always the big, bright shiny red box with a great ribbon or flower on top. Dad got us kids the small version of the red box. It was chocolate heaven! Mom still gets that box every year, and I expect this year will be no different. Some things will never change—nor should they.
When I was a teenager, my mom embroidered a heart-shaped pillow for my sister and one for me. I am sure Keith got something wonderful, but the embroidered pillows were for the girls. She saw a photograph of an embroidered pillow in a magazine and sketched her own version on fabric. With her wool embroidery threads, she stitched countless hours on these and finished them with a cream lace border. Her embroidery skills are wonderful, and her creativity is limitless. The entwined garlands of flowers and petite cherub stitched ever so carefully made this pillow stunning. Janice and I have treasured these for years.
Please share with me your special memories of Valentine’s Day or special traditions that you love during this time.
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OUR CHURCH HAS A LOVELY TRADITION–THE YOUNG PEOPLE BAKE COOKIES, DECORATE THEM ON SATURADAY AND THEN SELL THEM FOR A DOZEN COOKIES, IN A BOX TIE WITH A FESTIVE RIBBON F. THIS IS A FUNDRAISER FOR THEIR MISSION TRIP. SO MUCH FUN TO SEE THESE YOUUNGSTERS HAVING FUN.
Your pillows are beautiful and sentimental treasures as well. I haven’t embroidered in years, but I used to enjoy it as a young girl. I am sure I will do that again, perhaps when I retire and have more time. Threading a needle is more challenging now, but there are needle threaders to help. My sister and my friends and I used to embroider pillow cases. I remember you could buy the patterns that came in a envelope similar to a dress pattern envelope, but thinner. I think we bought them at the TG&Y 5&10 Store. You could iron a pattern onto the pillow cases or tea towels, etc. I hope it does not become a lost art because embroidered pieces are so beautiful and can be passed on to future generations. I hope you had a Very Happy Valentine’s Day.
Oh my goodness I remember the T G & Y embroidery section. Thats how we all got started i guess. Embroidery is so much fun. Thank you for sharing.
I worked at TG&Y as a teenager and loved to be assigned to the fabric and notions section on my shifts. At one time I made a pillow very similar to yours, and I think it actually was from a pattern that I purchased at work. Holly Hobbie embroidery patterns were also very popular at that time…don’t know what happened to all my creations as they were left at Mom’s when I moved out. Thanks for the memory, Phyllis!
Hi Phyllis, Wishing you and your family a Very Happy and Blessed St Valentine’s+
My Dad always got my Mom a huge box of Russel Stover Heart Candy. And the embroidery , my Mom did and taught me. Wonderful memories! Just a quick note: Valentine’s Day was named after a priest in Rome, who died for the faith. Because he married couples when it was against the law. And before he died, left a message to his jail keepers daughter. To stay close to God and signed it “from your Valentine”. In 496 Pope Gelasius ,declared February 14th as St Valentine’s Day. And because back in medival times people sent love notes in February because it was seen as a the mating season of birds and Valentine’s feast falling in the middle of this month became the principal day for this. So we have this wonderful holiday of Love…thanks to St Valentine+
Wonderful history! Thank you for sharing that with us!
I was remembering my dad giving my mom , the big heart box of chocolates, too. For some reason, she kept it in the refrigerator, and we kids were not to eat them unless we were offered them, by her. She would make the cut out paint brush sugar cookies, for us. One special school valentine party, she painted the names of all the classmates in my room, on those yummy sugar cookies!
Goodmorning Phyllis
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Your heart shape pillow is so beautiful and what a precious memory,made with lots of love for you.
We have to cherish these precious things and always remember and think with love about the people that made them for us.
These kind of little things makes life so worth living for,don’t you think?
Hope you have a day filled with so much love!
Here in our country there are not so much celabrations on Valentine’s Day.
Some people do while others don’t.
I think thats sad,because we could use lots of love around us.
Friendly regards,Anja from The Netherlands
Oh my goodness thank you for writing from the Netherlands! It is the love of beautiful moments in our lives that bonds us all worldwide.
You are a very loved and lucky daughter.
You are right! I am blessed beyond words.
My husband and I used a big heart candy box year after not only at Valentine’s Day but ourAnniversary too, filled with only special pieces made from pur local candy store. What treasured memories. Sadly I lost my hero in 09 thanks to agent orange contacted in Viet Nam War.
Bless your sweet heart. I am so sorry for your loss. What beautiful memories you have of your hero. Love from me to you.
As a child our Valentines Day always centered around our dear Nana as it was her birthday. She lived with us. Her needlework embellished many of my dresses when I was small. I am blessed with wonderful memories of her love.
Happy Valentine’s Day Phyllis, I remember in grade school the teacher gave us a list of everyone’s name
and we exchanged cute little Valentine cards with classmates. I gave everyone a valentine as some got just a few.
I treasured each card I got and kept them in a shoebox I decorated. The teacher would talk about Valentines
Day and we would all get a heart shaped cookie. We also all made a valentine for our parents. My Mom
pinned my to the kitchen wall and I was always proud of that. I fell fortunate to now share my Valentine’s
Day with my hubby. Life is good….Carmel ps: My Mom used to make a smaller version of your pillow and the
center of the heart was burgundy colored satin with pink crocheted edging. She hung it is the bathroom and had
stick pins and safety pins in it. Stick pins for getting our slivers out!
When we were little, my brother and I always received the heart shaped box filled with chocolates from our parents. But it was also my brother’s birthday so this day was always a special day in our household. Even when I got married, my father and then after he passed away, my mother would continue the heart shaped box tradition. Your pillows are lovely, Phyllis. What a treasure. I love tradition!
How I wish this lovely pillow design was a pattern that those of us who are artistically challenged could re-create!
Oh but you can, many were stamped to follow the design!
how can we get a stamped pattern?
Try a fabric store and ask if they still carry such an item. These were from the 70`s when my mother did them. I might still have one of hers unfinished, I must look!
These are beautiful, my mother embroidered pillowcases as gifts for us girls. I always remember the wooden or metal hoop on her lap! Thanks for reminding me! Happy Valentines Day!
Lovely Phyllis. What a precious memory.
thank you April.
The pillows are lovely. I know how much time goes into embroidering. When I was a child growing up in Italy, I used to draw a design on a white cotton cloth and I used to embroider it. I kept embroidering as an adult, but as years went by and I got busy I got away from it, but I am hoping to go back to it someday. I really enjoyed it, It’s always rewarding to make something with your own hands and I found embroidering very relaxing and it’s a good way to release stress.
Love the embroidered pillows! I am going to do for my two daughters. A wonderful Valentine memory!