What to do with Dad’s plaids
My father passed away (very expected) and since my folks live near the Pendelton Woolen Mills outlet store he had quite the collection of woolen plaid shirts in many different colors, and many different weights. He was also much smaller frame than most of his descendents, so I don’t think the grandsons will be able to fit into many of these shirts. However, I was thinking of perhaps sewing some kind of memory quilt or something out of them – and I figure this is the board for suggestions of what to do!
The plaids are all different, but since I am currently at my folks house near the store, getting more plain wool to eek them out and quiet them down is possible. There are eight grandkids, so I don’t want to make too big of a production item, as I would need to make eight of them to keep peace in the family – and I would like t o perhaps have it done by early June when the ashes will be interred. Several of the grankids are still in college, so it needs to be quite portable as well.
Suggestions?
Replies
I would do just what you suggest ,the other option would be to make them all a cushion cover and get some nice down cushion fillers to stuff them with. You could still make the patch work something like a simple 4 patch design and then make the backs in a plain fabric and half the patches in the same plain .Maybe even embroider there names and his name and birthday and deathday on the plain ones.Maybe instead of having them all ready on the one day you could make it their birthday present for the next year or two.
How about teddy bears?
Um, grandkids is a term that does imply a certain youthfulness, doesn't it? The youngest of these kids is a softmore in college... Not teddy bear types... and only one is married yet, so great-grandkids don't seem to be in the offing!
I do lots of work with pattern on pattern..in my experience if you pair loud fabrics with quiet ones the loud ones will shout even louder. to quiet things down match loud with loud.. you may want to sort the fabrics by rough color families...the red/oranges the blue/greens.. the bright colors will get toned down if you match them with neighbors.
whatever you make..i'm sure the recipients will be grateful
Deepest condolences to you! Using the fabric to keep your father's memory alive is a very lovely idea.
You could use the fabric to cover photo frames or memory books into which you've placed copies of a favorite photo of your father. Fabric can also cover a standard mat inside a larger frame.
For the more practical (and Pendleton wools are beloved by practical folks) perhaps a stadium cushion/outdoor pillow or small tote bag would be nice. If your father loved traveling, pouches to hold road maps might be nice; my father loved drawstring bags to hold seeds and miscellaneous fishing tackle.
A less industrious plan would be to make commemorative bookmarks; it takes only a gliimpse of some plaids to remind me of someone!
No matter what you choose, if you can't finish by June, consider using it for gifts at Christmas, when everyone will be needing a reminder.
The photo mat sounds like just the right kind of thing! I can reproduce the photo we used for his obituary, mat it with the wool and frame it and send it out to all the descendants - it might even be a good project to get everyone involved in over the weekend of the internment, and they can pick their own plaid to use.
I love the idea of those beautiful plaid wools. I think a lap robe or throw would be perfect, though more time-consuming, and maybe could be put off for Christmas or some other occasion, even if you do make the photo mats. I think it would be great to use squares which include the pockets, or the buttons and buttonhole plackets. A solid color square with half of a collar appliqued on top, or part of a sleeve with cuff attached. All parts of each shirt could be used, and the shirts would go further that it at first appears. I wonder if you could also incorporate any of your father's silk ties, maybe pieces sewn across a square of the plaid.Your idea to use the plaids is wonderful, and I'm sure all the grandkids will love whatever you do.
Hey, and some of his ties are plaid too!
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