Honoring the Past While Living in the Present

May 2, 2025

How meaningful would it be to transform decades worth of memories into a compact and beautiful work of art? Unfinished projects and cherished keepsakes can make decluttering feel nearly impossible. Many people have big dreams of turning bags of sentimental old clothing, or boxes of photos into an heirloom for their family, but with busy lives, it can be hard to get those projects completed. In this post, I’ll share a heartwarming project that was started in the 1930s and finished over 80 years later! And I’ll also show some inspiration about what to do with inherited China that’s too beautiful to part with but no longer practical to use in our modern society.

At the end of April, I was up in Durango, Colorado, visiting Charlie’s family. While chatting with his step-mother, Terry, an avid fiber artist, she showed me a special quilt she had made. I’ve admired it before, but this time I asked to do a blog post about it. Terry’s grandmother, Mary Gilbank, started making a quilt back in the 1930s when her daughters, Ellie and Betty, were young. She used pieces from the kid’s dresses to be the focus of the quilt. As life got busier, the project was set aside and eventually passed down to Terry. In 2013, she lovingly completed two small quilts- one for each sister, and added a printed fabric label on the back with this note:

Mary Gilbank started this quilt when her daughters, Ellie and Betty were young. She cut out and started hand piecing the materials from their precious childhood dresses. Busy years when by, so these quilt pieces were eventually handed down to Ellie’s daughter, Terry, who completed two small quilts in 2013- one for Ellie, and one for Betty.

Eleanor Louise Gilbank Miller, Born 1930 (Ellie)

Elizabeth Marie Gilbanks Jaffee, Born 1933 (Betty)

Terry Lynn Miller Muir, Born 1951

Looking at it up close, it was really neat to see the patterning and styles of dresses back in the day. Vintage fabric is so sweet! I work with so many crafty clients who ambitions of making an heirloom project like this, so I was thrilled when Terry agreed to let me share her project as inspiration.

She also showed me another thoughtful piece: a framed China platter that had been in her family for generations. Today, not many people collect China, and while older generations spent a fortune on it, younger ones often struggle with what to do when they inherit it. It’s difficult to sell and even harder to part with due to its sentimental value. Rather than letting it gather dust, Terry chose to elevate this one meaningful piece by framing it as art. I think it’s absolutely stunning, and looks like it could be in a museum. It’s a wonderful way to pay homage to the family, and instead of using it as a functional piece, re-purpose it as artwork. I would love to have something like this hanging in my home! I loved how she used discernment to honor just one item, rather than overcrowding her space with all the China.

Sometimes, we hold on to so many heirlooms that we lose space—physically and emotionally—to live in the present. Honoring the past requires thoughtful decision-making, discipline to complete meaningful projects, and the emotional readiness to let go of what no longer serves us. It takes courage to release unfinished projects you’ll never complete. It also takes stamina and intention to follow through on the ones that matter most. Don’t burden yourself with projects that no longer inspire you—but if something truly holds meaning, make time to bring it to life.