The Forget-Me-Not Cushion



So this is all about a project that has been 47 years in the making - a joint effort between my mother and myself.  

Sadly my mother passed away just under 2 years ago and I've slowly being going through some of her things, trying to allocate them the most appropriate home, rather than getting rid of anything without due thought.

Tucked away, in the bottom of a cupboard, was this very old copy of Woman's Realm from July 1968 (that hairstyle would look pretty good on the beach today!)



and inside was this knitting pattern


My mother had managed to complete 2 very large rectangles of black knitting


And that is as far as she had got.  I can't think of anything worse than knitting something in plain black stitches, with fine black wool on a large scale - I'm not surprised she gave up!  I'll knit occasionally but its because I like colour and texture and this does not tick any of those boxes!  It seemed a shame to leave it unfinished after all this time though, and so in honour of my mum I decided to felt it into a cushion 

The first stage was washing it "incorrectly" in the washing machine (that is, a very hot wash with lots of agitation) to felt it up.

Because of the heavy black background, I wanted to give it an Art Deco look and used this book for inspiration 


Given to me by my father, it tells the story of the pottery designer Susie Cooper who produced some beautiful Art Deco ceramics in her time - lots of bold use of colour and design.  I particularly like her floral designs which make a statement without being "over fussy".   Another link to this cushion as I share the same birthplace as Susie Cooper and she, along with myself and my father, all went to the same school of art (although obviously not at the same time!).

So, with Susie Cooper, my parents, and forget-me-nots all as inspiration, my Forget-Me-Not Cushion was made.  I even used 2 pale yellow buttons (again, which belonged to my mother) to complete the fastening at the back.















I'm sharing this post with Planet Penny's Happy Friday and popping over there now to see what everyone else has been up to ...

planet-penny-happy-friday

Comments

  1. What a pretty design and a really special way to remember your mum too, i'm sure she would have loved your joint creation :) x

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    1. Thank you - I'm pretty sure she would have loved it too!

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  2. I love your forget-me-not cushion. How lovely and appropriate that you made it with your Mum's knitting. I'm sure she would have been very proud. Have a great weekend. x

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    1. Thanks - I'm sure she would have been pleased that I managed to recycle it into something useful! Have a great week-end yourself x

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  3. This is such a beautiful piece you have created. And, I'm sure it means so much too with it being your Mom's knitting. Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. Thank you and, yes, it really does mean a lot to me as it has so much of her "energy" in it x

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  4. Love love love your cushion!! What a brilliant idea to felt it. It is lovely that you have done something with your mothers knitting. I found lots of my mums fabric when I cleared their house (my mum was a dressmaker) I have included some of it in a quilt I have on our bed and it reminds me of her. x

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    1. Thank you! It's great that you were able to include some of your mum's fabric in your quilt - makes it extra special and carries her love when you are wrapped up in it xx

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  5. The cushion is pretty and a lovely thing to make from your mums knitting. I love the colours of the forget-me-nots against the black. It's such an appropriate flower to use. I have these flowers throughout my garden and always enjoy seeing them.
    The magazine pics are great :)

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  6. Thank you :) I'd already decided on forget-me-nots (and, as you say, very appropriate) but this week in particular I've been seeing them everywhere - in the garden, in magazines, on packaging ...

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  7. That is such a lovely tale of a really long term project! I have some of my mums tablespoons and I always pick those out when I'm cooking as it feels as if she is still contributing. And on a forget me not note I dug some up from her garden after she died and they self seed and flower every year and remind me of home in my garden now.

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  8. What a fantastic work of art and a special keepsake with some wonderful memories:)

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