In the course of collecting antique fabrics and trims, I sometimes buy something I love – only to discover later that it’s not as useful as I’d hoped.
The color doesn’t flatter any of my dolls . . . or the piece is too small . . . or I have nothing else that goes with it . . . The reasons are many, but the result is the same.
These fabrics and bits of trim become nostaligc treasures in their own right. And I love visiting them whenever I’m choosing materials for my next project.
Yesterday, I was imagining a spring dress into being when some of these things met each other for the first time. They hit it off like old friends, which meant they would finally get their chance to shine.
But it also meant something less happy.
First there’s the ribbon, which has long been a favorite because in addition to its fabulous color, it’s deliciously old and patinaed. It’s also very narrow – so narrow that it tends to disappear between the other – heavier – blue things in its drawer. I’ve always enjoyed the surprise of its sudden reappearance . . . which won’t happen again now that I’m using it up.
And then there’s the fabric . . .
It has never, in over one hundred years, been unwound from its original bolt.
Wrapped tightly in white tissue, it’s waited longer than a spinster bride for me to choose it. But now that I have . . . I can’t bring myself to start cutting. Not for fear of ruining it – because I won’t ruin it, and the dress is going to be stunning on Maddie.
What stops me from taking that first snip is knowing that once I do, this beautiful cloth can never be something to dream about using again. Today – and all the days since I’ve purchased it – this fabric has been hundreds of dresses in my mind. But by tomorrow, it’ll be well on its way to becoming just one.
Which gives me pause.
I’m excited, for sure, by what this beautiful cotton is about to become . . .
But a small, sad part of me will miss wondering what it might have been.
To follow along with Maddie’s Bias Cut Cotton Dress project, click HERE.
Or to read about all her projects so far, head over HERE.