FoxyBrown’s Clothes
Listening to the stories that draw a portrait of the pet is one of the joys of my profession. Often the family tells of little behaviors of the pet but today’s story is about a playful wardrobe worn by this beloved little yorkie, FoxyBrown and the memorial her Mom hopes to create. Her Mom and Dad are in a personal service business and the little dog was a daily fixture in the comings and goings of their business, dressed for the weather or the holiday.
When she passed, her Mom was going through all the little coats, shirts, jackets, sweaters and hats that made up her wardrobe and was surprised to find that this precious little dog had almost fifty different outfits. The picture shown above evokes memories of a snowy Valentine’s Day past.
As her Mom was thinking about creating a memorial for Foxy, she decided that she wanted to take all those clothes and make a pillow or a blanket. She knew that no other pet would be permitted to wear Foxy’s clothes and she couldn’t bear to never see them again. Initially, she thought about making a quilt-covered memorial pillow, but she reconsidered. In order to make a quilt, the fabric should be the same type and weight. Foxy’s clothes ranged from heavy winter fleece to slick raincoat material to sparkly sequins to cozy knits.
As we talked more about her idea, she was convinced that she needed some expert advice from someone who regularly works with fabrics and crafts. I suggested that she go into a JoAnne Fabric store and see if one of the ladies who work there might be interested in helping her with this project. Another possible place to find someone to tackle this task might be found on Etsy, www.etsy.com the web-based craft marketplace.
Working on a memorial is often suggested by grief counselors as a way manage and work through the loss of a pet. It will be interesting to see the memorial that finally results from the wardrobe worn by FoxyBrown. If you have any ideas on how to incorporate all the different fabrics into a memorial, I invite you to share them with us.