Somewhere in the middle of the season Ohioans know as dark and gloomy, I decided to challenge myself to finish one project per week, or at least make serious headway on a really, really big project. And nothing is more satisfying than finishing a project.
This week's project involved a silk-filled twin-size comforter that is one of two my grandparents brought back from China in the 1940s. Silk is a symbol of ancient oriental culture. During silk comforter production, the silk filament is stretched into a flat web and layered to form silk floss, which will fill the comforter. Here's how it looks close up.
Photo at left shows layers of silk inside. Right, the outer layer.
The cover of the comforter was falling apart when my mom gave it to me so I ripped it apart a few years ago. Since then I've mostly just stared at it and periodically thought about what to do with it. None of the fabric in my stash was right, so I kept looking for inspiration. I knew I'd found the perfect fabric when I first saw it at my favorite fabric store, Fresh Modern Fabrics. For years, I'd been hoping to find something similar to a favorite, but discontinued, line by Cloud 9 Fabrics. I finally found it in Peppy Petals in Cloud and Sky, from the Words to Live By Collection, by Gingiber, for Moda Fabrics.
In the end, I made one side with Peppy Petals, the other from a piece of white cotton I'd saved from some other project. To make sure it stays in place, I did a few random knots. When it needs to be washed, I'll remove the knots, take off the cover and wash it alone. This silk is so fragile, washing it seems really dicey.
This is absolutely the warmest, but lightest weight, blanket in our house. I like to huddle under it in the Burrow Nomad armchair on cold days -- it makes a perfect cocoon for reading. Somehow the new cover brings it to life again -- a perfect metaphor for the return of spring.