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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Temptation

Have you ever loved a piece of clothing so much you just can't get rid of it? I have a closet full of maternity clothes, lovely linen suits from my professional days, gorgeous gowns, well worn t shirts, ancient scarves and distinctly unstylish shoes.  Why am I saving them?  Once, in an effort to make room for what I still wear, I took a terrific ultrasuede suit, an elegant designer jacket and several skirts to a resale shop.  They were refused - just too dated for their clientele (a resale shop, mind you)!  I left the shop in horror and could only imagine that if I hadn't gained ten pounds with that last pregnancy, I would be the one that was just too dated.  But I still kept the clothes, hoping that one day I'd wear them again.


I never did wear those things again, but some of them have made their way into my quilts.  This quilt is made entirely of a well worn summer wardrobe that I had to cut up or I would never never wear anything else.  I like how it is color coordinated... green, blue and beige.  Even the tags were used in the label of the quilt.  Nothing went to waste, and I still use this quilt on my bed.

Today my dilemma surrounds cutting up a dress that is very special to me.   I wore this dress on my daughter's first birthday.  I felt like a flapper from the 1920's - it was so comfortable and fresh on that hot July afternoon.  Isn't that Gatsby waiting for me with a mint julep?  But now, 15 years later (eek!), it is still in its dry cleaning bag from our last home, and even has a stain on the front.  I have not worn it for ten years, and the temptation to take my silver shears to its Irish linen flesh is almost more than I can bear.  What do you think?  Should I keep it in my closet as a relic of the recent past, or honor it in a new and fresh way in one of my quilts?  Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.

10 comments:

Linda Zimmerman said...

What a great quilt! About the dress, I would use it all up and make a baby quilt.....put it aside.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Cut it up... 15 years??? It's time. I see a lovely quilted wall hanging for your daughter's or GRANDAUGHTER's room some day. Or a pillow!... Perhaps with the date of your daughter's first birthday sewn in somewhere.

Cate Rose said...

You'll get better use of it by repurposing it then storing it in the back of the closet as is. Let the dress have a new life!

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

I would like to say cut it up, but I appreciate how hard it can be to actually do it. I do love to put in pieces of recycled or special fabric scraps into my work though, especially for my loved ones. I love the idea of making something for your daughter or future generations.

Diane Wright said...

In a word CUT!! Create néw memories.

Martha Wolfe said...

seems to be a trend:) Cut...I've every confidence you will transform it into something wonderful!

Kate Themel said...

From the desk of a compulsive thrower-outer... :-)
Instead of thinking about this as "cut or save", why not ask yourself if a plastic bag in the closet is best home for your sentimental favorite?
You could give it a new home, in a much nicer environment. Plus you'd see it much more often as a quilt than you would as a dress.

Laura said...

I agree, cut it up, dye it, let it live another life in another form!

Unknown said...

Absolutely repurpose it in a quilt and let it live again!!!

Vivika said...

UIt's unanimous... look for this dress in my new patchwork post later this week!

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