We were fortunate enough to live next door to my Mother's parents. I loved them both and often found myself wandering over to their home to listen to some stories and sip on a 'coke a cola' (what I called it and still do). Grandpa could tell stories about the wild west and gun slingers and murders and all kinds of fascinating tales. Of course, Grandma would raise her eyebrow and say "Gordon! Tell a nice story" and he would. :)
When he passed, I claimed one of his flannel shirts. I wore it and hugged it and cried into the sleeves. When Grandma passed years later, I claimed one of her shirts/jackets. I often think of them and pull my memories close to my heart. They were magic.
I've worn Grandpa's shirt for so long that it has become frail. I stopped wearing it a decade or so ago, but i still pull it out every so often. Grandma's shirt is made of a heavy synthetic material and so I still wear her jacket in the fall and winter months. However, now that I've begun quilting, I'm trying to bring myself to cut up the shirts so that I can make a quilt. I know that it will prolong the life of the material, but it will be hard to separate the fibers. So, here they lie until I can find the perfect pattern that will blend the two shirts into one beautiful quilt.
Dresden Charity
I've also been working on my Dresden Charity quilt. I only need to add sashing and then quilt it and it will be ready to send to a Charity. I still don't know which Charity yet? Do you have any favorites? I have to admit, I think the Dresden pattern is my favorite. Dresdens take me a long time to make, but I LOVE each step and they always turn out so pretty.
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| My daughter picked purple for the sashing! I love it. :) |
Also sharing over at Patchwork Times
I love being inspired! :) happy sewing -Little Mama Hen.
I love that you held on to your grandparents clothing for so long! I hope you find a pattern you really love for both of them. So sweet! I love your dresdens! I'm sure there are charities you can find online or close to home. I'm sure they will be a comfort to anyone who receives them!
ReplyDeleteI agree Dresden are fun to make. Your quilt is so pretty - just perfect with all the nice colors. The two shirts will go nicely together in whatever quilt you decide on. So nice to here about your Grandpa.
ReplyDeleteI love your dresdens! They look beautiful. May I suggest Phoenix Quilts? They are giving a quilt to every family in the Western US that has lost their home to a wildfire. Check out phoenixquilts.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteYour shirts look nice folded together. Wonderful quilt, love the colors, it will make someone happy.
ReplyDeleteYour dresdens look great. I hope to conquer them one day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous quilt! There are many charities and hope you'll find one that suits this quilt!
ReplyDeleteI love how you framed the dresdens in the different prints. Very cool effect! And that's a really neat shot of your grandparents' shirts.
ReplyDeleteYour dresdens are beautiful, I love the pictures of them all stacked together! I hope you find the perfect pattern for those special shirts! Thank you for linking up to WIP Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteFirst...I Loooove the way you took the photo of the bigger shirt hugging the smaller one...I can almost "see" them. So sweet!! And I loved that you kept it!
ReplyDeleteSecond...Those dresdens are DROOOL worthy! As for Charities....I think their is quilt for Kids that alot of women do! And I know that do.Good Stitches (http://www.flickr.com/groups/dogoodstitches/) sends theirs to different charities.
Touching story brought tears in my eyes. My grandparents are still alive and getting old, can't bear the thought of losing them. I still love your 2-sided Dresdens, you inspired me to make a Dresden baby quilt :) I only have to piece the back together and baste and quilt it.
ReplyDeleteOh, April, I love the story of your grandpa and your grandma! How utterly touching! Tears flooded my eyes as I read your sweet memories. Sounds to me as if they found the secret of loving another person. I also love your idea of making a quilt from their clothes. Wow!
ReplyDeleteWhat a touching story about your grandparents.
ReplyDeleteLove those Dresden's -- you do great work on those!!!