Creating Something Useful From The Sentimental
Posted on February 20, 2008 by Melissa
Filed Under Household
Sorting through all these old clothes, especially the high school stuff, has put me in a strange position.
Although I’m donating the majority of the items, there are still those pieces that I feel I can’t part with.
I know it’s a little irrational; after all, I haven’t even seen these clothes in years. If they were so special why did I leave them in boxes in my garage all this time? I know, I know. It doesn’t make sense but emotional reactions often don’t, right?
I immediately felt a rush of nostalgia when I spotted the little black dress I loved so much among the other clothing in the box. During a time when I sometimes struggled with the way I looked, I always felt so pretty in that dress. It reminded me of all those fun high school times and brought a smile to my face. After reminiscing for a bit I wondered how I ever fit into it. It looks so small now. There is no way I’ll ever fit back into it. Such is life.
Turns out, I found a bunch of clothing in that box that I couldn’t bear to give away; that cute pleated skirt that I wore until it fell apart, that funky pair of jeans that made me feel rebellious, that stained chef’s coat that I wore to work. I want to keep them, but what do I do with them if I can’t wear them anymore?
My friend suggested I make a “crazy quilt” from the clothing. It could be my high school memories keepsake quilt. A lot of the fabrics are varied in texture and pattern so it could make an interesting piece. Turning that clothing into a quilt saves space and allows me to keep those sentimental items in a more useful form.
I have always wanted to learn how to quilt and a crazy quilt is a good place to start. A “crazy quilt” is a fabric panel made from irregular scraps randomly arranged together. That would be a fantastic way for me to incorporate all the different fabrics into one mismatched but meaningful piece. I bet it would be a great use for old baby clothes, too!
Because of my lack of sewing skill, I believe any quilt I attempt will end up being “crazy”, even if it wasn’t supposed to be. Might as well go with it and this style sounds very creative and fun.
I also like the idea of combining all my memorable old clothes in one (more compact) form. When it comes down to it, I think it is the fabric itself that’s evoking the emotional response. I don’t think the memories will disappear if the clothing isn’t in its original form anymore and if I keep the clothes intact they just end up hidden in a box again. I think I’d rather be able to enjoy those memories more than once a decade.
Do you have clothing from a special time in your life that you have trouble giving away? What did you do with it?
Image Source: onebyjude
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i once saw a quilt that was made with the sports tshirts/jerseys/etc of an athletic child. it was so cute and reminded the child of his school age sports programs. i thought that was a wonderful idea too.
I have saved all of the school, club, and church t-shirts that my children have accumulated. When they go off to college, they will have a quilt made from all of these to wrap up in! You basically cut squares from them, being sure to include whatever logo or picture is on the shirt.
I am very bad about hanging on to things for sentimental reasons. I have started my journey to freedom via freecycle recently. Some of it has been tough, but it is really a burden off my shoulders once it is actually gone and I’ve accepted that it’s not coming back.
I think the quilt is an awesome idea…for both your high school days and for baby clothes.
A friend’s grandmother made him a quilt out of all the jeans he wore during his childhood, combined with a bunch of his dad’s jeans. It’s all different colors of demin (with a few crazy embroidery designs from the jeans he wore in the 70s) and it’s hanging on the wall in his house. Everyone who sees it comments on it. Have fun with your quilt!!
There are places online where you can have those T-shirt quilts pieced for you. I believe one is a project for deaf people employment training.
My daughter recently had a quilt made from shawls she collected on her study travels to quite a few countries. It is an amazing keepsake of her year, way better than a lot of souvenirs.
http://moneychangesthings.blogspot.com/2008/01/world-fabrics-unite.html
I love this idea, and I am planning on doing it with my childrens’ clothes I can’t stand to get rid of. I am a compulsive purger, so not much lasts in my house; what does last will make a really nice quilt I’m sure.
Now I just need to learn how to do that quilting thing…
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