DianD

Maybe, Rymer, you could start small...Take a sleeve here and there from your brothers T's, quilt a block and put it into a shadow box frame... The initial cut will be hard, but you will have a reminder of him right away, and seeing it regularly might give you the desire to do a bit more...don't rush. You will know in your heart when the time is right. My heart goes out to you, sweetie...

Katie

I, too am so sorry for your loss. My dad passed in 1991, I kept a few of his shirts and a couple of pair of his overalls in hopes that one day I could make a quilt but have just been unable to even open the bag after all this time. I love the idea of the teddy bears. I'm sure this would be the perfect thing to give to all my sisters, children and nieces and nephews as remembrance. Thank you so much for the idea

Tippy

Rymer.. hang onto those sweatshirts.. turned wrong side out (or even right side out) they are wonderful fabric to make "memory" teddy bears.. so cuddly and comforting. Katie.. denim makes great bears also. There are even "tiny" bear patterns that make great ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree.. great to pass down through the generations.

Greendragon6889

This march will be a year since my older sister passed. I have alot of her clothes and i'm going to make a raggy quilt out of most of them and just use what's left in any quilt. I'm just going to be happy that part of her is in them.

crazyquilternc

When my dad died 4years ago. I took his flannel jacket he wore every day and made a Teddy Bear out of it.He sit's in my living room,I still feel close to him. Dot

hokieappmom

I love it! Especially the "Postcards to Heaven".

hokieappmom

There is a article in a magazine I recently bought telling how to make a vest for yourself from a flannel shirt. When I get home I'll see if I post it or at least tell what the magazine is. My daughter had a fit over it.

wishiwerequilting

Many years ago, Gail Binney-Winslow had a traveling exibit of the quilts featured in the book "homage to Amanda". She is an heiress to the Crayola Crayon fortune and she and her father collected over 300 quilts, which went on tour to promote her book. I was lucky enough to have a guided tour of the exhibit, hosted by Gail herself and at the time, she spoke of the "mourning quilts" she was working on. Within a year she had lost her father and I believe her husband. Very huge losses in her life. Whenever she missed them or felt overwhelmed with sadness, she would work on a quilt in their honor. She had 2 separate quilts going and they were awesome. Applique. I thought it was a great idea. It turns times of depression and sadness into something more productive, which I think is a good thing. It can turn depression over your loss into more positive thoughts, looking at the good times you shared. It doesn't sound as if you have fabrics which are really cohesive enough to use in one project, but it may be nice to try using some of the cottons from your brother's shirts and use them to frame some pictures you may have of special memories and incorporate them into a postcard quilt. Collages of some of his things in a shadow box is a nice remembrance, and you can make some for other family members. Teddy bears with cloths made from his sweatshirts or pillows made from them are comforting. Give it some thought and i am sure you will find many ways to use his things and to have comfort from them while you do so. It's a way of keeping him with you, which is much better than keeping his things in a bag, IMO.
Best of luck to you!

Rymer

thank you, you are so right, they are doing me no good sitting in a bag!! do any of you have instructions on how to make these memory bears?? I think that would be such a great idea for me to do.....thanks!

Bottle Blonde

My father passed away 10 years ago and a few of his flannel shirts are hanging in my closet. I wear one of them when I am painting a room or doing home improvement projects around the house....my dad was an excellent handyman and taught me a lot .... I wear his shirt for support and inspiration that I can do anything he could do.

After reading these posts I've decided to take his other shirts and make pillows out of them. It would be just like laying my head on his shoulder.... ok - now I'm going to cry.