Sunday, November 15, 2015

If It's Not One Thing It's Another

Small transformations, not in the thing, but in a small shift of thinking about the thing.

A small wrap around skirt becomes an apron.
Once when I found a beautiful linen floral one at a thrift store the idea popped into my head as a justification to buy it, not leave it behind as unusable.
Second time, sorting through dear aunt's wardrobe for donation.  Tenderly folding petite garments, many handsewn, many triggering memories of summer days, her wardrobe of hats, while searching for one 40-year-old dress she chose for burial, finding one wrap denim wrap skirt with patchwork pockets, now an apron in my kitchen keeping her memory close.

4 comments:

Jessica@CapeofDreams said...

Lovely idea.

Shelley said...

Great idea. One of my favourite bloggers, Anna at pleasantviewschoolhouse collects linen dresses from thrifts to make into aprons - also quilts and other items. She sells on Etsy and donates to charity.

I love linen to sew on. It doesn't argue one bit, is soft to the touch (well used linen, anyhow) and the weave never resists the needle.

I've never gone through family member's clothing after they are gone without keeping at least some of it. My ex-husband took most of the contents of my mom's house to the dump one day while I was at work. She'd been gone six months by then and I admit I hadn't made much progress in disposing of things, but I still think he had no right.... I forgave as well as I could and we stayed married a few more years; he's lucky I didn't make myself a widow. Still have my Dad's wide, psychedelic ties from the 1970s!

So, what did your Aunt wear for her own funeral, if you were looking for the dress, may I ask? Perhaps I misunderstood...

tess said...

Wow, that was so wrong of your ex, I would have enraged.
My aunt wore a favorite navy dress with a white print and white lace trim.
Sorting through her photos, it appeared numerous times over 40-50 years.

Shelley said...

That's what I call a great cost-per-wear. It sounds lovely.