Grandma Joyce

In one phone call life was forever changed. Grandma Joyce has passed away. It doesn’t matter that she lived 100 years, 5 months, and 11 days, we weren’t ready to lose her. No amount of time ever seems adequate when it comes to the people you love.

As we’re now preparing to celebrate her life, and lay her to rest, I thought about how I could celebrate her here on my blog.

As most of you know this blog was born out of the passing of my Grandma Doris. Inheriting her sewing patterns and sewing things, and wanting to sew through our collective patterns is my goal. This blog is a way to share what I’m up to with family and friends, and onlookers. Thus the name “Sewing With Grandma”. I’m not a grandma, I’m sewing along with mine. What I’ve learned on this journey is how deeply tied sewing and my family stories are. I am connected to those who came before me more than ever since I started sewing in their footsteps.

Now the last Grandma for my generation is gone, and the loss is tremendous. While her legacy of love will live on through all who knew her, I thought I would honor her here by spotlighting some of the many fashions of Grandma Joyce, though the many decades in which she lived.

Here she is, I believe at the Clyde School in Depford England. She once said she was 7 years old in this picture. She was born in 1922 so this outfit is from approx. 1929. It looks as though she has a little cape tied around her neck, and must be dressed up for some sort of holiday. She had told me she learned to knit at school. I wonder if this was around the time she was learning to knit.

When the stock market crashed in America in 1929, causing the start of the Great Depression, it caused the economy in England to crash as well. England also suffered economically just like America, so this is what was going on or was on the cusp of happening in Little Joyce’s world when the above picture was taken.

At the beach with her family. Left to right is “Granddad”, Sydney Mitchell, her father, brother Den, sister Norma, and “Grandma Great” May Mitchell her Mother. In front sitting in the sand are Grandma Joyce and her brother Ron. Now Grandma Joyce and Ron seem to be in familiar beach going attire, but Granddad is wearing pants, jacket, shirt and tie. Bathing suits were coming into fashion, with the era of the flapper coming to an end, women had begun showing more skin at the beach. However, for a family of six, the latest fashion during economic downfall probably wasn’t in the budget. Thus the simple dress was what Grandma Great chose to wear. Judging by Norma’s age in this picture, it was probably around 1933.

Here’s another beach picture of Grandma Joyce in her youth, building a sand castle in a long white dress.

This picture was possibly taken the same day as the previous one. Grandma Joyce, third from left, seems to be wearing the same dress, and shoes. I’m again guessing the year of this picture by Norma’s age. She looks to be about 6 or 7, so it is approx. 1936-37. Norma looks to be wearing shorts, similar to those worn by brother Den (first from left). Grandma Great’s dress (fourth from left) is again a beautiful choice for a day at the beach. Granddad must have gotten in the water or played hard at the beach that day, he has taken off his shirt and thrown his jacket back on.

In all of these beach pictures Grandma Great and Grandma Joyce both have their hair cut into short bobs which were in fashion during those years.

You can see however, that as Grandma Joyce got older and styles changed to the longer hair of the 1940’s that she followed suit. Here she is in a riding outfit. She had a friend who rode horses and she would ride with her. It’s interesting that she’s wearing shoes and not boots. Was it the fashion of the day, or could she just not afford riding boots? I would imagine it’s the latter. With the Great Depression in full swing, and WWII about to go into full swing, riding boots were probably a luxury.

A windy day or did she just set her hair in curlers? Either way she’s wearing a scarf over her hair, and some simple sandals. She would wear sandals in this style for the rest of her life!

From left to right, Den, Grandma Joyce, Ron, and Unknown. What I like about this picture is that they’re wearing roller skates! Grandma Joyce is of course in a fabulous 1940’s dress. I’m sure that by this point WWII was going on, since England entered the war in 1939. Yet here she is smiling and having a good time.

Dressed up! Granddad far left, Grandma Joyce center, and Grandma Great front left. I have no idea who the other people in the picture are. Whatever the occasion, I’ve heard possibly someone’s wedding, they have brought out hats and flowers to wear.

The war was definitely in full swing at this point in Grandma Joyce’s life. Mia, David, and I watched a show with her one time called 1940’s house. It had a family in England live for three months as if they were living in the 1940’s during the war. It was so interesting to get Grandma Joyce’s first hand account of what it was like for her. She said Granddad built a bomb shelter in their backyard. Being a very clever man he modified what the British Government had given them so that his family would be more comfortable. She said the air raid sirens wold go off in the middle of the night, and they would have to get out of bed, and go into the shelter. She said she was so tired of it, she would tell them, “no, just leave me here to sleep.” They didn’t though, and off the the shelter she would go. Their house was never bombed, but they would leave the bomb shelter in the mornings to find homes in their neighborhood in rubble.

In this picture we see everyone dressed up. Granddad in a suit, Grandma Joyce in a pin stripped skirt and jacket. Grandma Great is in a fur coat, and Norma in a sweet little dress.

Here we see the pin stripped skirt and jacket again. This time with a different shirt. Grandma Joyce decided to accessorize the outfit with an American Soldier! This is Vito Bianculli, whom she would marry and have three children with. Looks like you’ll be going to America soon!

Fast forward and Grandma Joyce has moved to America, and started a family! Vito is far left, Grandpa Bianculli, Grandma Bianculli, baby Cyndy (my mother in law), and Grandma Joyce. Cyndy was born in 1949, so dating this picture was easy.

In this picture Grandma Joyce is showing a little skin by tying up her shirt in the front. Her sandals are the same style as those previously seen, just a different color!

Another skirt and blouse combo, this time she’s traded her sandals for some more comfortable shoes.

Same blouse, different day and different skirt.

In this picture we see Grandma Joyce holding new arrival Veronica. That would date this picture 1952. Vito is wearing the same shirt here as in the above picture.

Fast forward again to the 1960’s. As the fashion changed Grandma Joyce kept up! Here she is in a blurry, but still visibly fashionable no sleeve blouse and pants. She looks ready for a day at the market, or a dinner party!

This one is again easy for me to date. The year is 1969, and she’s holding a very sleepy Michael, her grandson, and my husband. While still choosing pants, this time she is wearing a high necked, frilly shirt. She’s kicked off her shoes to rock baby Michael.

An early 1970’s event that called for a skirt and flower in her hair. She is perfectly matched and stunning!

Another one that is easy to date, here she is in a pant suit and contrasting belt, celebrating Michael’s graduation from high school. Class of ’87 rocks! HA!

Circa 1998, Grandma Joyce holding Great Granddaughter Mia. Norma is holding her Great Granddaughter Hailey. Both are in casual outfits, both wearing 1940’s styled sandals.

Out to dinner for her birthday. She chose this white shirt paired with a sweater, surrounded by love from David and Mia.

One of the most important things I can say about Grandma Joyce is that every night she rolled her hair in curlers. Everyday she would get up and do her hair. No matter what she was doing for the day, she got up, got dressed, did her hair, and put on her lipstick.

Although this is about her fashion, of course her life was so much more! She gracefully rolled with the punches that life threw at her. She was always ready to have a good time and smile. She loved her family fiercely. She was a giver, of love and attention. She was kind and caring. Everyone called her Grandma Joyce, she was universally a Grandma to all of those she met. She could see no wrongdoing in those she loved. She never judged but loved with her whole heart. She lived her life to the fullest, each and every day. She was the most elegant and lovely person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Today I’ll get up, get dressed, and put on my lipstick, to go and lay her to rest. I’ll cry my make up off, but I’ll go live each day to the fullest, because that’s what she would do. I’ll try my best to live up to the example she set, although she set the bar almost unattainably high. I’ll try to put my lipstick on everyday, and as I do I’ll think of her.

As for me, onto the next.