Second Life
- Rosemary Royston
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Art for function; art for daily life
Recently my friend, artist Dick Aunspaugh, gifted me a yo-yo quilt. His mother, Dorothy (Dot) hand-stitched this beauty many years ago. She kept it in her hope chest, and from what I gathered from Dick, it stayed more or less stored, until he gave it to me. Dick told me he knew I could do something with it, and welcomed me to cut it up and get creative.
At first, I was hesitant. As a burgeoning quilter, I knew the skill and hours that went into creating this yo-yo quilt; something I've yet to attempt. I could totally understand why Dot would keep it in storage or only use on occasion. It's dainty and somewhat fragile, as each yo-yo is stitched to another. Pulling and tugging on it as a bed cover would put stress on it.
But if I stored it, too, it would remain hidden. I wanted Dot's quilt to have a second life, so I began to make totes and zipper pouches with it. I stitch by hand, and after watching a few YouTube videos, I found a way to add dimension to the totes, which was a big learning moment for me. I'd previously made totes from dishtowels and tablecloths that were more slender since they simply folded over. I'm excited to have learned a new pattern and form.
It also makes me happy that Dot's work of art is getting a second wind. No longer will her yo-yo quilt be pressed away in a chest. Instead, I and others will be carrying her work into the world. I've name this line of creations after Dot. Each one is unique. I give my first models a test run, using them in daily life to make sure there are no design flaws. While I don't carry a patterned bag on the regular, these are excellent for adding some color to an outfit. The color scheme is also versatile, as the colors are slightly muted due to the age of the fabric.
If you are interested, I have a few in my shop, and I also will custom make one in your preferred size. Just give me a shout if interested. A big thank you to Dick for gifting me this beauty!
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