Concrete Reminders / Memorials Out of Stuff

[HCMBirdie]

I read online that you can make quilts and teddy bears with a deceased spouse's clothes. Has anyone done this? Would you recommend it? Any other ideas for clothes or other stuff that you've done or seen?

 

I'm nowhere near cleaning things out or disposing of anything, but I'm also curious what others have decided to keep for themselves, or reworked into memorials or concrete reminders of their person.

[Leadfeather]

I have a quilt and a pillow that my mother made out of my fathers flannel shirts.

 

We set aside a number of my wife's shirts to be made into quilts for my sons in a few years when the pain is not so great.

[sojourner]

I made teddy bears for our children out of his favorite old flannel shirts. Patterns are available online. The ones I made are sitting, and a little over a foot tall. It was a little tricky- had to get help with the first one. But the hardest part was the actual cutting up of his favorite shirts; kind of brought home hard how he was really gone and not coming back.  :'(  But I'd do it again. Oh, and I also tied one of his novelty ties on each bear.

[Trying]

I have a quilt of my Dad's shirts that I love, there was a company online that did it for me.

[Julester3]

I plan to do this for my kids when they are ready. They like to wear their dad's shirts so my rush. I sew so I can do it rather than resource it out.

[sudnlysngl]

To answer your question, yes. I make memory quilts! There are some who only do the t-shirt quilts, but I will do them with the button up shirts as well.

 

Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of moving at the moment, but please keep me in mind when you are ready

[Leadfeather]

Created another reminder for myself today.

 

One of my late wife's favorite possessions was her wedding ring. She found an artisan at a street fair in Santa Barbara when we drove there for a friends wedding and ordered a white gold ring carved with a floral pattern lattice work.

 

I have been looking at that ring for the last 16 months thinking about having it and my ring made into one.

 

Today at 10 in the morning I went to a local jeweler and asked him to cut her ring open, lay it over the top of mine and join them together. He said it would take about two weeks and asked if I needed it ready before an anniversary.

 

I explained that it was my late wife's and my wedding rings.

 

This afternoon at 4 he called back and said it was ready. He and his father put this project at the front of their to do list because they were touched by the idea.

 

So tonight while I am writing this I am wearing our rings. I don't think I will wear it all the time. But it is nice to have and I know someday I will pass on this combined symbol of our union to one of my sons.

 

 

[sudnlysngl]

That's awesome Leadfeather. Sounds beautiful...

[Virgo]

My three daughters have pillows made out of his sweaters. I also saved his tshirts and am in the process of having quilts made for each of them too. The pillows have been comforting to my daughters.