A New Tradition with Family Heirlooms

One is pink and white with fringed edges and a delicate triangle design. The other is white satin with embroidered swirls. There are little pulls, tiny stains and some wear and tear. But that’s to be expected from baby blankets that have been around since the 1940s.

After our grandmother Lois passed away, our mom and her siblings meticulously cleaned out our grandparents’ farmhouse in southwestern Minnesota. Folded neatly in the back of a closet were these two baby blankets. How perfect, thought our aunts, to start a new family tradition. The blankets would go to all of the great granddaughters. Each baby girl would get to be wrapped up in these heirlooms our grandmother had saved. When the next girl was born, the blankets would be mailed on to her.

Thank you to our aunts who saw how special these blankets were, and how much it would mean to us to have our little babes lay down on these soft, worn treasures. Our grandparents Kenneth and Lois never got to meet our daughters. But when we have wrapped our little girls in these blankets, it’s just like they were getting hugs from their great grandparents.

Sara and I took these photos of Poppy (four months old) with the blankets this past week in San Francisco. As you can see, she felt the love… as big smiles were on her face the whole time she was wrapped up in these family blankets. 

All photos by Melissa Fenlon and Sara Albers for alice & lois design studios. All rights reserved.

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