Downsizing is not for the faint of heart. You have to deep dive into boxes, trunks, suitcases, cupboards. It’s exhausting. But sometimes you unearth forgotten treasures.
Today I found my Serbo-Croation/Austrian grandmother’s Moldavian gardening coat.
It’s worn through in places, but the embroidery is so gorgeous I can’t bear to throw it away.
It was passed on to me by an American cousin. The coat had been an important part of her hippie wardrobe back in the day.
The problem is, one may not want to throw it away, but what on earth do I do with it?
Susi Lovell 
Talk to a quilter and ask that it be disassembled and made into a wall hanging or lap quilt. It is gorgeous handwork. I had some pieces my mother had done, and I interspersed those squares with other squares that she would have liked and in colors she would have chosen. It turned out well and can be passed down to my daughter and granddaughter.
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That’s a very neat idea. I thought about that for old t-shirts that a good friend had painted that I didn’t want to throw out, but forgot about it with the coat. I actually have an unfinished quilt from another family member made at about the same time (’20s, ’30s) that I think will go very nicely. Thanks very much!
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Sure beats my gardening outfit: ragged jeans and soiled T-shirts!
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Haha! Mine too! I wonder how much actual gardening my grandmother did. That’s the gardener standing next to her, so I’m not sure if she actually got her hands dirty!
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Lee loves the coat but said she would never wear it. She thinks I should have it for my spoken word diva moments – I feel no thanks. Do you have a folk art museum or collection in Montreal – or try the V&A in London UK. I remember the coat and Meri wearing it with glee. Good luck – nice short story blog.
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The embroidery is strong, but the black cloth is very fragile and worn through in places. It’s surprisingly heavy – because of the embroidery.
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Hi Susi! What a beautiful treasure. I’m so glad you decided to keep it. I’d say, just love it, hang it somewhere you’ll see it often and treasure the happy memories it brings.
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Thank you! Yes, I should hang it up, but one of the problems of downsizing is that there’s less wall space! Thank you for visiting. I must go and see what you’ve been up to with your lovely website. I’m trying to find my way around WordPress which has changed a lot since I last checked in.
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