On my recent trip to Spokane, my grandmother gave me a few treasures. Among them was this key catch. It was made by my great grandmother Estelle. Originally it had a zipper and lining. Inside there were small hooks for each key. She would unzip the key catch and pull out the key she needed to use and then return the key and re-zip.
The photos don’t really do it justice. The colors are more vibrant and the beads have more sparkle than you can see in the photos. I’m quite impressed with the quality of workmanship. I have done some hand sewing in my day and my back/inside never looks this neat and orderly. There are very few knots and the stitches are so uniform. She used it regularly for a long time and yet it is in great shape. Well of course with the notable removal of the zipper and lining, which was probably done by my grandmother. As an added bonus, it feels pretty awesome to run your fingers over the beads.
I was very young when my great grandma died. At the time of her death I was her only great grandchild. She was such an important part of my mom’s growing up that I feel a strong connection to her. Having this key catch that she made and used makes that connection even more tangible. I’m happy to be the current steward of this family treasure.