Create Your Own Souvenirs

With the exception of thimbles, I am not a big souvenir person when I travel. And I don’t much care for t-shirts.  But I usually want something to remember a vacation or a special event.

This year I went to the Nutcracker Ballet at the community college where I work.  They were selling wooden Nutcracker Princes in all sizes and while they were tempting, I didn’t buy one.  Instead I came home and started working on an embroidery piece of the Nutcracker and a ballet dancer.  This would have a lot more meaning to me that a wooden nutcracker.

I realized while I have been working on this that I do create my own souvenirs.  I mentioned above that I am not much for t-shirts.  So when I went to Door County Wisconsin for my 50^th birthday, I bought fabric to make blouses.  Now when I wear those blouses (one had sailboats on it which is one activity Door County is known for) I think of that trip.

In Door County there are numerous lighthouses.  I went to one which was a favorite of my father’s.  Now I will admit I did buy a travel mug from the lighthouse but I also create a wall hanging of it.  I took a picture of it and printed it on a special treated fabric that could be sent through the printer.  And with that lighthouse picture on fabric I created a wall- hanging adding more trees and beach and water in appliqué to expand the image.

Lighthouse

Lighthouse wall hanging
(the above photo is in the center)

I work with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.  I am working on a t-shirt quilt (I may not buy t-shirts but I do keep them from special events where they are given).  I didn’t want to make just a t-shirt quilt but one with meaning for me.  So for every year I do the relay, I prepare the front of the t-shirt to put in the quilt and also create a quilt block that represents either the theme of the relay or some member of it.

My first Relay year

Purple is the Relay's color.

While I was writing this blog I began to wonder how making your own memory souvenir would work for a Christmas holiday.  If a family is traveling to visit Grandma or just to spend the holiday somewhere new, the kids could draw a picture of their favorite activity or memory of their visit.  You could take pictures and make a collage to hang on your wall (it could be, but doesn’t have to be, done in fabric). 

Or how about make an ornament that represents this holiday.  Did you build a snowman in Grandma’s front yard?  Create a snowman ornament to remember it and don’t forget to make a snowman for Grandma too so she can remember it?  Did you go to the beach?  Collect some shells to decorate a framed memory of your holiday.

Store bought souvenirs are nice but making your own personal souvenir makes your special trip or holiday even more memorable.

 

©2017  Cheryl Fillion