Growing up in a Finnish family in Minnesota, my Nana was taught by her mother to sew and create. Her mother became a first generation American when she migrated to the United States and instilled this love of crafting in her. Beverly Salmen, my Nana, raised nine—six boys, three girls—with her husband, Dale, in small-town Dassel, Minnesota. She raised them with the same need to create for them as her mother had for her. She valued the ability to teach them to create as well. These ideals were passed down to her children in different ways—one of her sons is a creative writer, and a couple are carpenters. My mother, although she never completed college, is one of the most creative people I know and carried the tradition with her own children. The object is a handsewn coat and hat, meant for one of her small daughters and all of which wore this set at some point. Embroidered on the back is a tag that says “Beverly Salmen Original.” She made many sets of clothes like this throughout the years, and this set in particular she made around 1990. She made winter clothes because of the large population of Finnish families in rural parts of Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which tend to be cold. My Nana has always been a big part of my life; her creativity and Finnish ancestry flow through all of my family. 

– Vivian Lundeen

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