Aiken resident Grace Schiavone just turned 90 years old in August! That is an incredible milestone, but 90 is just a number as Grace has the drive and energy of a much younger woman.
She has a very active lifestyle, but creativity and arts have touched her life. She enjoys several hobbies which keep her stimulated, focused and give her a purpose. She makes many handmade items, and she spends hours each day in her home workshop. She feels good about what she is doing and it is a great joy for her to create and share her talents with others.
Recently Grace has created “Gracelets” by Grace. Gracelets are hand strung, beaded bracelets and Grace has been turning them out by the dozens. Her friend Gloria showed her how to make them and that was the beginning of a new hobby and business for Grace! She loves selecting just the right colored beads to make the bracelets look pretty.
This new hobby is in addition to the one she started at 89 — TuTu Cute Totes — hand-sewn tote bags for girls that look like small ballerina tutus. When Grace was a young girl, she was a ballerina with the LaScala Opera Company in Philadelphia. She danced for several years as their youngest ballerina and she has always loved ballet! As a young woman she worked at a Tailor shop and she has always loved to sew. So it was no surprise when she started making the tutu tote bags. She uses colorful fabrics, tulle and ribbons to make one-of-a-kind creations. Each adorable tote is decorated with a matching bow that the little girl can wear in her hair. When Grace first started making them, family and friends encouraged her to show them to others. By word-of-mouth, her TuTu Cute Totes hobby became a business!
Grace also loves to crochet, and she makes beautiful blankets, shawls and baby clothes, which she loves to give as gifts to friends and family. She also makes tiny caps for newborns which are donated to a local hospital.
Grace became a resident of Aiken in the spring of 2017 and she loves living here. She was born in Philadelphia and moved here from New Jersey with one of her daughters. They share a home in Cedar Creek. They had other family members living in Aiken and were happy to join them. Grace enjoys living close to three daughters, a son and their families. She also has a daughter and grandson in New Jersey and another son in Nevada. Grace loves having a large family, and they feel blessed to have their Mother and Grandmother so energetic, healthy and vital at 90. It amazes them all she does!
Grace is really enjoying all her hobbies, and she is very grateful to have such wonderful pastimes at this golden age in her life! She has a very generous heart, and it is very rewarding for her to share her many talents with others. She loves giving gifts, and she always carries a large bag with her handmade items so others can enjoy them. Recently she donated 20 of her Gracelets to a senior facility to serve as prizes during games.
Grace encourages other seniors to find their passion and to do activities that make them happy and feel young at heart. Others have told her she has inspired them to do new things. That makes her thrilled. She keeps herself busy in fun ways and she has no plans to slow down anytime soon!
“Creative activities such as writing, painting, or knitting, encourage a sense of competence, purpose, and growth – all of which contribute to aging well. When seniors are able to share their handmade gifts with friends and family, they develop a sense of pride in what they have created.”
by Marie McFadden
