Quote of The Day

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Memory T - Shirt Blanket

T-shirt blanket in process! Click picture to enlarge
One of the many T-Shirts Pepper wore as a child!
Pepper spent sunday cutting and putting together the faces of her old tee-shirts, to sew into a blanket. She plans to add batting and a large piece of material to the back it!
The story behind the Shirts!
The neon hand print material was a pattern from the pants her dad wore in the 90’s. She later wore the pants for a Halloween clown costume; we still have the pants in our costume box. More of that material was found a few years ago at a thrift store.

1993 I traipsed around the Dinosaur exhibit with her classmates as a regular who drove on field trips! Those were the days when she pretty much got everything she wanted. Guess what, she still does, only I don’t provide it!

1994’ Number 10 hockey star Pavel Bure; the Russian Rocket was Peppers favorite player. Still an avid fan in 96 she wore that play off t-shirt so much it’s almost worn out. I think she has three of those in her schematic.
1995 - Every year we went to the luminaries’ festival put on by the Public Dreams society. Originally there were mostly bohemian types dressed up as their arty selves. A procession around the lake starting when the sun went down guided by home made rice lanterns. A few activists use the festival to bare their boobies, and I am talking ginormous ones!! Like mine!!!Not a pretty sight, but hey they'd put sparkles on them so I guess it was okay. The comedy of watching people react was the best! They'd flay their hoopers droopers in the faces of little old ladies while making fairy wishes with their wands. I can still see the faces of those consevative ladies shooing the big busted fairies away! I just kept thinking better them than me as I almost peed my pants laughing! A few years ago I had my picture taken with them, the men accompany them, also needed bras! They gave me a blessing, so it was all good. I'm still waiting for my wish though...hell I have a bone to pick with those boobie fairies! The silliest part was this Asian man who pretended not to look, then walked a hundred paces, then slowly turn around and stared! Far away enough not to get caught, except by me! I digress!
Now it seems to be more than a local event, drawing crowds from far and wide. Check out the photos on the Dreams Society website, I promise there will be no big bazoombas! However I will try to root down my photo of the blessing! It's a artist dream festival! The kids have a Rufus Wainwright concert that night so they won’t go!

1997 Weird Al Yankovic was the first concert I escorted Pepper to , she’s been hooked on concerts every since. Both Al and I had the same hair for a bit, wonder if that was the allure! Pepper would rather spend money on a show than anything else. She’s attended concerts I have never had the pleasure of seeing, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Proclaimers! However I have seen Dr.hook, Willy Nelson but so has she! Damien Rice, Bif Naked, Green Day…..too many more to mention! Like her mother she likes an eclectic array of music. I often wonder if the constant ambience of music had any influence. My dad always had music playing, yet my brother wasn't as attentive as I!
The “Skid Mark Free” represents “Injury prevention,” she may have received that one at a drinking and driving lecture. Adamantly against speeding, and drinking and driving, that piece also represents who she is!

1999 the Moffats were Peppers very favorite boy band. She was obsessed with them. Little squeals of glee could be heard at the mere mention of their name! I can not tell you how many lineups I stood in waiting for autographs for both the Canucks and the Moffats. I felt like groupie stalker mom attending all those Moffats concerts with her. Many parents hung out in the lobby, I sat right next to her and her pink flashing heart hairband! The girls screamed so loud I’m sure my inferior hearing was affected a few more decimals than need be.

In 1999 she wore the t-shirt with the peace sign on it. It took three years and we finally found some peace. She wore it with ardor, matching her little army style overall shorts. She had a No fear Key chain she was armed for womanhood!

When Pepper met Bryan five years ago he wore that rock and roll shirt, it’s the thinnest material of all and probably the most loved. I was surprised to see him relinquish it for the blanket. When I questioned it, he asked me when is the last time I saw him wear it. He’s right, he doesn’t fit it anymore, he was a teen when they met and now he’s a man! However that shirt is engrained in my memory!

Her favorite childhood character Elmo ( you can see his eyes peeking on the left of the picture) is yet to be incorporated into the blanket. Along with trolls which I am sure she will some how integrate too! She also added a piece with her own fabric paint art on it!
Finally she has done something constructive with all the clothes she has savored since childhood! All her memories will be carefully sewn into this t-shirt blanket. What a fun conversation piece, she shall cherish forever!

The seed doesn’t fall far from the tree, four generations of creative women. Of course my mother would beg to differ when her mom wanted to paint a red ceiling in her kitchen. I remember my mom and her sister shrieked in horror. I on the other hand, as a kid thought it was cool that grandma wanted a red ceiling! Didn’t like her foil pie plate crafts on the wall….but it was probably all she had. I think she had a pretty nice garden if I remember correctly!
Let’s just leave it at that!


For the T-shirt blanket pattern go here! Pepper used the basic idea but mostly did her own thing, she wanted to customize the size to suit her!

3 comments:

gma said...

Wow that is the coolest...a quilt out of old favorite t-shirts. LOVE it!....and t-shirt fabric is so soft for a compfy cozy feel.That Thrifty web site is cool too.
xoxo

KaiBlue said...

arnt these the coolest? I loved all the stories you shared Sherrie. I have one of these in SunnyBus that I'd made with all the camps we've been too..
They sure bring back memories.. Thankie mucho for sharing sis.
PEace n hugs, KAi xx

Lisa Oceandreamer Swifka said...

This is absolutely fantastic what a great idea! I love the way you described the sentiment behind the t-shirts. I only wish I'd thought of saving things over the years to make in to a memory quilt like this. Clever, clever Pepper - the apple didn't fall far from the artistic tree for sure!
XOXO
Love,
Lisa

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