Sentimental Dilemma

I've mentioned this before...but one of the things that's true about a move is you have to touch ALL your stuff....multiple times.  You have to peek into stored boxes and pull things from dark corners of closets that have been out of sight and out of mind....for years.  I'm having to make decisions about lots of  things....and this is a story about one particular sentimental dilemma.    

This is a photo of me when I was in 1st grade.  My mom made this blouse for me and I loved it and when I was wearing it I felt beautiful....and fancy.

I also remember the pin.  I'm not sure it was mine...and I don't have it....but I have clear memories of it.  

Do you see the matching square of fabric in the other photo?

I made this quilt when I was older....either jr. high or early high school. Each square has a bit of stuffing in it so they puff up....they are sometimes called bubble or popcorn quilts. There's only one square from that blouse in the quilt and I recognize a few others that I had clothes made from.  My mom used to make a lot of clothes for me then she and 4-H leaders taught me how to sew so I took over. I made tons of things including lots of smocks....I thought they were cool. 

In the last several months I've been looking for photos of my sister Angie for a slideshow...and I love this one of Angie, Marilyn, and me. And just in the last couple of days I realized that fabric from the dress I was wearing is also in this quilt several times.  I have fond memories of this homemade dress too.

The quilt is in terrible shape.....I used it for years including all through college and well beyond.  The border and binding are literally falling off and several of the "puffs" are no longer stuffed.  

You can see that it was hand tied....and the backing is cheap faded blue flannel. It was a labor of love at the time....and I loved using it.  But for years it's just been sitting deep in a closet.....sad and tired.

I think it's time to let it go. When I can get up my nerve I'm going to snip out the fabrics that have some meaning....and do something small and sweet.  I will turn this sentimental dilemma into an opportunity to celebrate a time in my life when my clothes were handmade....and popcorn quilts and smocks were cool.