Wow ... I love all the answers and "wannadoes" in this topic. For those that have some fabric from their ancestors, be it mother, grandmother or whatever .... use it! Decide on what to do to honor that person ... make a quilt, a wallhanging, a tabletopper .... but use it! It will make you feel so much closer to that person.
Now to figure out what to do with that 40 year old flannel .... :P