Skip to main content

What did you wear?

Is sewing yours or your own children's clothing a lost art or interest? 
Do many people do that anymore?
This "PRESERVE" may only appeal to those who may be older, unless there are more "sewers" out there than I think...
I learned to sew in my "tween" years - a skill that was horribly frustrating at first, but then (as "they" so often tell you) became of great value and enjoyment as I grew older.
I sewed A LOT of my children's clothes and therefore had a lot of fabric remnants.
The remnants from the dresses I sewed for my daughter were the prettiest by far and held the most nostalgia.
We would even name her dresses depending on what style they reminded us of.  
She had a Pollyanna dress, an Alice in Wonderland dress.  She had a Sleeping Beauty dress, an American Girl dress etc.  You get the picture...
It's amazing how certain things in your life can recall vivid memories - material scraps can do that for me.
I personally have a shoe-box full of fabric squares my mother cut out and gave to me of all the clothes I sewed for myself when I was young (I was not as foresightful as she was - thanks Mom).
  I can remember how old I was when I sewed the article, what function I wore it to for the first time, what boy I liked at the time etc.
Why is that?
Anyway, I'm sure my idea is not individual, but I've never actually seen a finished "preserve" such as I am presenting, made by someone else.
So, I got a "wild hair" (again) and decided to make strips of the remnants and machine sew them into Log Cabin quilt squares and make a Memory Quilt out of them as a present for my daughter to help preserve some memories of hers.
I won't go into the "how to's" on how to sew the squares here, but I will point you to the best, fastest, easiest method that I used -
The book is called Make a Quilt in a Day by Eleanor Burns.
She also has a website @ www.quiltinaday.com.

Super cinchy, fun, and memorable.
However, if you haven't saved any remnants then....sniff
Maybe you can "warn" those in your life who are younger, or still sewing to do so, so they won't have huge regrets.
It doesn't matter if the fabrics go together - as you can see, the conglomeration works regardless.
It's all good.

Comments

  1. CarrieMay 14, 2011 at 8:10 PM

    What a fun idea. I have a quilt my great grandma pieced with pieces cut of from dresses she and her sisters wore when they were young. I love looking at the different fabrics. It's a double wedding ring pattern. It's also a great reminder of her since she passed away before I was born.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PICTURE BOOKS PRESERVE I have had a lot of fun creating family picture books using the website ARTSCOW.COM (thanks to my daughterinlaw Season!) I know there are a lot of sites & stores that you can get your pictures put into a bound book format, however, I have found artscow.com very reasonable (when you take advantage of their often offered discounts &/or free shipping).  The quality is also the best. It has become, for me another method of preserving the tons of pictures that I acquire - I love capturing shots while Skyping with family, especially the g-kids! I always order 2 of the finished book, one for me and one for them. I feel strongly about preserving one's life in many forms, and as I feel like my children grew up with a strong sense of self and who they were, and where they fit in our family and in this life, I am convinced that this is a vehicle that provides that. Here is a sampling of a few books I've made at this website. Enjoy. http://www
1 comment
Read more

One of the Best Ideas (Someone Else Gave Me)

YOUR CREATIONS PRESERVE This history is one of my VERY FAVES! It is a preservation of everything you've ever made. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? You query... Do you craft, sew, sculpt, paint, draw, build, photograph, needlework,decorate... DO YOU CREATE in any way, shape of form? I'll bet you do! Have you ever thought of documenting the items that you've created by photographing them? Do you have something to show for all the time, effort and talent that you've put into all those projects...all those many gifts you've made and given away all these years? What you've created is in part a history of you.  You are in each one of those creations and taking a quick picture of each item you create (even photography) and preserving it in a collection (either physically, or digitally) is a REALLY IMPORTANT THING TO DO! Here are samples of things I've created that I've recorded by photo. Seriously, looking through this history brings back so many memories about t
3 comments
Read more

IT'S A TREASURE BOX! (arrgh)

I have today a PRESERVE idea that I have used since the early days of my preserving. Once again, I received this idea from someone other than myself - thank you whoever you were. I pose this question to you - Where do you keep all the STUFF that is too important or sentimental to get rid of? The answer is a TREASURE BOX, of course. Now, you may say to me, "I already have a lot of this stuff in a box", or "A lot of it is too big to go in a box - What are YOU talking about?" I say to you, keep reading and you'll understand. (*note* When I say "box", I mean something waterproof - Rubbermaid-like) Step one - GATHER - go around your house, or into your boxes, closets, and drawers and gather together, all in one place all the items you've been saving from your childhood, from your parents and grandparents, etc. lives. All items that are too big to have fit into one of your history preserve books.  Items that have personal meaning and sentimentali
2 comments
Read more