One of the things I love is when a creative person makes something out of nothing. In a world where we throw unwanted items in the trash without asking ourselves if there might be a use for them, repurposing is important. I believe it will be the future hip trend as people start to see the beauty in old things. Also, it will reduce the amount of stuff piling up in our nation’s landfills.
Crazy quilts as a way to make something out of nothing
I started quilt making when my children were young. I loved the tradition forged by women from the past in the patchwork quilt’s art form. My mother taught me embroidery stitches and how to layer the fabric to construct a crazy quilt. I lost interest in this form of quilting until arthritis made it impossible to do the tiny stitches required in hand quilting. Thus, I have discovered the recycling potential in this form of quilt making.
I started my New York Quilt during the first lockdown due to COVID. Back when I could still travel up and down the stairs in my house to get the supplies I needed from my sewing room. I have moved along with the project but won’t have it completed until I can use my sewing machine again. So far, I have included a spider for luck and a map of the New York City Subway; The map was Chris’ idea. I have finished most of the stitching around the seams, but I have a lot to do yet. A lot of the material used to make these quilts are from clothing no one wears anymore.
Rooster makes something out of nothing
A month ago, Rooster and I went on a Stained Glass adventure. One of the pieces he found fit in the center of another item he came across in our trips to antique and junk shops. My husband has become a collector and repurposes junkie. This hobby is becoming one of his favorite retirement activities. The stained glass piece he mounted actually lights up now. This piece of repurposed art lights up a corner of our bedroom. We are having fun with these excursions, which will be put on hold while I’m recovering from knee surgery.
Bernie Sanders and something from nothing
I love the Bernie Sanders inaugural meme. It is the best thing to happen to American politics in twenty years. We the people have found a practical use for an American politician. The man appears to be everywhere. Rooster and I even have him sitting next to us on the New York City subway. Our son-in-law did it for us. Chris is good at artistic stuff like that. We visited him and Richard on Thanksgiving of 2019, back when the world was spinning around in the normal. I love this piece of creativity because it is making everyone laugh no matter on what end of the political spectrum they fall. Let’s face it, Bernie is funny. We all need a good laugh right now. He seems to be everywhere. I want to travel like Bernie. Plus, I want a pair of those mittens.
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.
Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!
The crazy quilt looks lovely. I bet one can have wonderful thoughts when lying under it.
My mother taught me the embroidery stitches and how to do the layering when I was a child. I moved on to more traditional quilting as an adult. Arthritis led me back to the crazy quilt. The process is almost like a circle.
I have a crazy quilt made by my great-grandmother. It’s beautiful and has all sorts of little details .