Weddingbee boards

I've been seeing a lot of posts lately about women wearing their mother's or grandmother's wedding gown, and it's been making me think a lot about the dress that is currently hanging in my guest bedroom closet.  My mom was the only of my grandmother's six daughters to ask if she could wear her dress, so when I got engaged, I immediately thought of how special it would be to wear that same dress.

It turns out that it's nowhere near fitting me, and it's in really bad shape, as well.  It wasn't professionally cleaned after my mom wore it, so it has been just yellowing away in her closet for the last 30+ years.  Now that I'm not wearing it, my mom has given me the ok to use it for whatever I'd like.  It's in such poor condition that I can't imagine any future member of our family wanting to wear it, so I'm considering cutting it apart and making something out of it.  I thought that it would be especially nice if I could make something for my mom and for myself, but then sometimes I wimp out at the thought of cutting apart an 80-year old dress and decide to just tuck a piece of lace from it into a locket for myself.

Obviously, I'm conflicted.  I think that I'd be happy to make something out of it if I knew that it would be something special, but I'm at a loss for what to make!

Any ideas?

Do you or your mom quilt?  It might be fun to take material from the dress and incorporate it into a quilt.  You could even sacrifice your FH's tie (if it isn't rented!) and maybe find other materials related to your wedding.

I like the clutch & the wedding album ideas! 

@mhirni:  I wish we quilted!  That would be really amazing.  I'll keep that in mind, though - in case I ever learn!

@JoonBee:  Good question - I guess that I really want something from it to be with me on my wedding day, but something that won't just get put in a drawer or a closet afterward.  My grandma just passed away earlier this year, and I'd love to have something of hers that I see/use every day to remind me of her.

@smyley:  Great idea!  It's heavy satin with lace accents.  I think the satin would definitely make a semi-durable album cover.

Oooh artbee!  That's a great idea!

i've seen that you can send fabric away and have teddy bears made out of it. i think that most people do it with loved ones clothes when they pass away. if you had a bear made maybe you could tie the rings between the paws and the ringbearer could carry it as well? i googled "memory bears" and a few things popped up.

You could sew a little square of it underneath your dress for your "something old" and then maybe your dress will get passed down along with the bit from the heirloom.  I like the idea of the locket for your Mom!