Jack's pillow - Old Clothes

One pillow, two sides ( bad photography).  The poem below explains the pillow's origin. Technically the background fabric was from an old shirt, which had two distinctly different designs in colors that were almost the same.  Each side of the pillow shows one of the designs.  Using the same star pattern, each seemed to cry out for different colors.  The pattern is one of Carol Doak's paper pieced designs.

This is a favorite that I have used several times. 

                  OLD CLOTHES

Don't we all have ancient garments we love—
the ones we change into after a busy day
when we come home to relax?
My soft moccasins with indestructible
plastic soles have barely any shape after
many many years. Wearing them I see
the dinky shoe outlet store in Batesville,
Indiana, known for its casket factory.
Batesville also has a small hospital.
I had seen my mother; it would be the last time.
I needed something else to think about.
I bought bright pink suede slip-ons.

Old clothes tell stories. When Jack
blogged he hated to give up an old shirt,
much washed, much faded, he thought
he might toss it in the trash. His photo
showed lovely pale colors. I wrote, “No. Don’t.
Let me make something for you.” Sue,
shared my feeling. We have reincarnated
his shirt. She in fiber art, I quilted a cover
for a small pillow.
Garments and their owners grow old,
worn, softened, faded, tired.
Even when still loved some are
dumped in the garbage,
given to the thrift shop,
stashed in assisted living,
bedded in the nursing home
until a casket becomes the repository,

An unpredictable winter

So far the winter has been utterly unpredictable. We had only one fairly serious snow storm and then splatterings. Rain, sun, warm-ish one day, frigid another.  So, no three or four days  housebound because of serious snow. This is not a complaint, really, but a reality for December, January and, so far, February.

 Quilting time has been less than expected or hoped for but the challenges of the Uncommon 'Threads group continue and that keep my head busy. This quilt (without it's binding but otherwise done, was to be something inspired by Japan.

Actually I have not particular feelings about Japan. Of Asian countries it holds very little fascination for me. But thinking about what to do was an excuse to delve into my stash and see what forgotten fabrics I had. I found several with cranes and crystanthimums, and flowers and then I found the upper left fabric which  is not specifically Japanese but has cranes. I don't know when it entered my stash, but at least 15 years ago The other pieces, red, white and black, each have writing that may be Japanese or may be Chinese.  I had just about the right amount of each, a square 8th or a little more. There was a small piece closely printed with a variety of kimonos. I was able to cut out a dozen which I fused onto rectangles of white, black or red and then sewed in a semi-random way to the top. Adding the border was a reasonable balance of the  colors. A little 35x35" quilt that pleases me.  Simply.  I feel about it somewhat like I feel about Japan -- it's okay.  Simply that.