My Maternal Grandmother’s Sequins

While in Connecticut for the Christmas holiday, I spent time sorting through craft supplies that belonged to my maternal grandmother. Tins upon tins of her sequins, beads, pins, and glitter remain tucked away in drawers in my parent’s attic. These tiny treasures, many of which she stored in glass medicine vials, provide a glimpse into her life and highlight her creative, industrious, and undeniably sparkly personality! Although she passed away several years before I was born, I have always felt her presence in my life; her handiwork is visible throughout my parent’s home, and many of our family’s most cherished holiday decorations are ones she created.

Upon returning to Houston in January, I carefully unpacked the dozens of containers to find thousands of sequins in countless shapes, sizes, and colors. A few were sorted by color, many others were stored according to the myriad of patterns and kits she created over the course of her life, and hundreds of others were collected together in quart-sized bags with no discernible rhyme or reason.

Sorting through the sequins, one by one, took several weeks. As each item passed through my fingers, to be organized into small containers according to color, size, and shape, I couldn’t help but wonder what my grandmother would have created with them if she were to have lived longer. I am certain, though, that she never could have imagined they would make their way to Texas or that they would serve as such a vital source of inspiration for one of her grandchildren.

I feel so honored to be the keeper of these most precious items and hope she would be proud to see how her legacy lives on in me. I am excited to continue her story in the pieces I create here at Ivyona Design Co., and I am thrilled to have you joining me on this journey.