(no subject)

[the_rck]

We need to do something about some of Cordelia's blankets. By 'do something about' I really mean 'get rid of.' When Cordelia was born, we received a lot of small blankets, things suitable for a baby or toddler. This was a good thing as it let us wrap her up warmly in cold weather and as it gave us something to put over her when she was old enough for that.

Unfortunately, she's now tall enough that most of those blankets no longer cover her. We can cobble something together by overlapping things, but that assumes that she doesn't move much which, well, she does. To solve that, we've picked up some additional blankets, things that actually do cover her. We use those.

That leaves us the question of what to do with the old blankets. If we had the storage space, I'd keep them. Several are handmade, and many are personalized with her name or initials. They were made with thought and care. I'd like to be able to pull them out, years from now, to tell Cordelia about the people who gave them to her or to let her use them either for her own baby or as gifts for other babies.

We've got six that are simply too small and four more that are borderline (two of those four have no sentimental attachments and can be ditched any time). Three of the six were crocheted-- one by me-- as presents specifically for Cordelia. Two of the remaining have embroidery, one initials and the other her full name.

This feels different to me from passing along outgrown clothes, so I'm wondering if there's an etiquette to it. Does anybody know?

Comments

[dhaunea.livejournal.com]

My friends have a variety of ways to deal with that sort of item (the ones you want to keep). Used it as packing in a box of similar keepsakes that I'd (in the case of me and my mother) outgrown, took them apart and used them in a larger project (like a quilt or larger crazy blanket by crocheting/sewing them together). I've seen them hung on blanket racks in the child's room - and I've seen them given back to the original gift-giver with many thanks and memories shared when they had a child (which only works situationally). I've seen them converted into doll bedding as well.

One of my grandmothers made fabric scrapbooks for us children and occasionally used pieces of our baby blankets in them.

I suppose it all depends on how you want to keep the memories!

[the_rck]

I'm not sure which of these options is within my abilities, but you've given me quite a bit to think about. Thanks!

[marith.livejournal.com]

I've often seen favorite clothes, blankets and other fabric pieces incorporated into patchwork quilts. That takes a lot of effort, though. :/

My mother tended to throw things out in her quest for neatness and organization, so a lot of the sentimental things from my childhood that I would've liked to have are gone. I'm glad you're thinking about such things for Cordelia.

[the_rck]

The three crocheted blankets can only be used whole. Even apart from that, I'm not sure about a quilt. I can't sew. I suppose I can ask my MIL (when she gets back some time in September) if she thinks it's something feasible for her to do.

It's so hard to tell what Cordelia might value when she's older. I don't want to take things away from her, but I also don't want to keep anything that doesn't matter. I wish we had more space, a lot more space.

[the_rck]

Only one of these is really nice enough for a wall hanging, and that one is still in the borderline useful size range.

The crocheted blankets, apart from being specially made for Cordelia, are easiest to give away. Other people could potentially use them. The embroidered stuff is more obviously personalized.

I don't know.

[ramenkuri.livejournal.com]

I was going to suggest making a quilt also, although it does require rather a lot of effort.

Decorating the wall would be my low-effort suggestion.

I'd throw away the ones that have no sentimental value.

[the_rck]

I'm not sure how feasible a quilt would be. Three of the blankets are crocheted (and so not likely to survive being cut up), and most aren't near enough to the same size to be sewn together whole.

I don't think we have room for them on the wall. Space is a big concern here as the house isn't very big. We have more stuff to hang on the walls already than can fit.

There's only one with no sentimental value. Well, even that one has some sentimental value. It just isn't handmade or embroidered. I could give it to someone else and not fear that I was giving away something personalized, something a friend or relative had spent time on.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Decorating walls with baby blankets (or pieces thereof) works in some households, but I think it might be problematic for a family with dust allergies and asthma. If a blanket is of no further use to you, and you have no room to store it, I suggest laying it out in good light and taking a picture of it before getting rid of it. (If you have a picture of tiny-Cordelia with the blanket, it might be entertaining to pose big-Cordelia with it similarly, and keep the pictures together.)

Do you feel a strong sentimental desire to keep the 3 blankets you crocheted for Cordelia? Or do you feel like they've already served their purpose, and you're just afraid to give them away because the people at the Goodwill store might tsk and shake their heads? (They won't.) If you're afraid your mother, or your in-laws, believe there is a need for such things to be saved in perpetuity, you can offer the blankets to them.

[the_rck]

I only crocheted one blanket, and I'm attached to it. I don't know that Cordelia is at all (except in the way that she's attached to all things that she views as hers). One of the others is from my MIL. The third is from a friend's mother.

I'm more reluctant to give away the stuff with Cordelia's full name embroidered on it. My MIL does computerized embroidery, so she did first, middle and last name on two or three blankets. Cordelia's name is fairly unique, given the combination of first name and family name (when I google it, I find a couple of old genealogical entries and nothing else). It feels wrong to give away something so clearly labeled as hers.

The other embroidered blanket has a lovely cross stitch of Cordelia's initials with dragons. I want to keep that because a lot of work went into it, but I may cut things down to just a bit more than the embroidery. I think that could be done without damaging it.

[kyrielle]

If you want to keep them for her to have in the future, perhaps a vacuum seal bag? Clean them well, dry them well, fold them up, tuck them in, vacuum the air out - they store easier and dust and other things can't get in to them.

For gifting on, I don't know the etiquette, really, although I'd think the initials/etc. would be awkward.

[the_rck]

Sadly, we don't have room to store even a vacuum sealed bag. We're very nearly out of space, and I need to move things out of the house if we can't use them now. I need to get rid of some of the stuff we're already storing and of some of the stuff that's in piles in various rooms.

baby blankets

[(Anonymous)]

Assuming one of the ones that Cordelia has outgrown is the 'Aunt Michelle' quilt. I would be thrilled if you simply donated it to your local animal shelter. You can double check but I frequently see requests for old blankets for crate padding especially for baby animals. I think that might be a good use for too small baby blankets. Also, don't worry too much. Most people understand that when the kid grows up things have to be tossed. There simply is not room to store everything. Pick one or two especially sentimental ones to keep. YOu could also try the Salvation army, or women's shelters that also take children.

Mrs. Dagoski

Re: baby blankets

[the_rck]

That's one of the ones that's borderline in size. It's also by far the prettiest of the blankets. It was Cordelia's favorite until she acquired a Disney princesses blanket last fall. Right now, we use it when the Disney blanket isn't enough or when she travels and wants to take a blanket.

I do like the idea of some sort of shelter, women's, homeless or animal. I'll have to look into it.

Re: baby blankets

[the_rck]

Oh, and if you see this-- Do e-mail me. We'd love to get together some time if your schedule allows it.