A Way to Remember

Our family gathered earlier this month to have the final good-bye for Wes's mom, Muriel.  It was a beautiful grave site service on a perfect summer day.  My way of remembering this beloved Mom, Mother-in-law, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother on this day was taking one of her summer shirts

and sewing it into little dresses for Ellie and Maja.

This print was a little out-of-character for Muirel with its tropical print and bold colors!

 

I knew I needed to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the fabric to make dresses for both girls, so I simply added bottom skirts to pre-purchased t shirts.  I had other plans on how to use the remaining scraps.

Here's Miss E's dress with the skirt having shirt "tails" from the bottom of Muriel's shirt.  (I stitched the button placket sides together, but left the buttons sewn on.)

This is a bit of a funny angle on the picture...the dress isn't quite as long as it appears.

Here is Maja in her dress.  Her sunhat is made from shirt pieces as well.

Miss M likes to suck her fingers like this. Perhaps she will be a bowler one day.

I admit these are dresses one would never select from the racks, but I like to think this was a way their beloved "GGMa" could be present in tangible form.

Once the dresses were made, I knew how to use some of the odder-shaped scraps for my little crafter along with the addition of other fabric remnants.

Yes, I made a Craft Tote!

Tote front: The shirt pocket was removed from the shirt and became a pocket for Lilly and her purple plastic purse.

 

 

 

Tote back:  a double pocket for tucking markers inside or whatever.

 

Here's a look inside:

Crayons, markers, glue stick, scissors, tape...all in there!

 

   I had one last trick up my sleeve - a Search 'n Find game to tuck in the biggest pocket.

I collected fun buttons, took a photo of them, tucked the buttons inside a vinyl-windowed bag stuffed loosely with little plastic pellets and sewed the bag shut.

To play:  shuffle the bag contents around and try to find all 16 objects.  Place a coin or button on the photo card until all objects have been located.  (That is a baby picture of Miss E, by the way.)

Miss E seems to like having her very own Craft Tote...yay!

Now, what to do with the rest of the scraps?  Flowers, pins, rings, hair doodads and bookmarks for the rest of the crew to be given as we gather this Christmas. (Acting surprised is optional.)

Peace - and piece - to the memory of Muriel.