Ideas for passing on my late mum's handmade clothes

[MetteBiddler]

I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for what I can do with some dresses, shirts, skirts, jackets and jumpsuits made by my lovely mum, who died two years ago. She'd sewn all her life, she made my wedding dress and so many gorgeous pieces for me and for herself.
I recognise it's an emotional response, but am really struggling to find what feels like the right way to 'let go' of them.
They don't fit me (I'm taller than mum was so they can't be adapted for me), I've enquired at charity shops but they won't take them as they don't meet safety standards (labelling etc), and I don't want to put them in a recycling bin, it just feels like such a waste of her time and talent.
I know she'd be really happy for them to go to someone to either adapt and wear, or to deconstruct and turn into something else fabulous, or to be used to help people learning to sew - does anyone know anywhere like this that I can contact?
Thanks for any ideas 🙂

Make a memory quilt for each bed in your house.

Local college that offers fabric arts? eg. my local college offers a T-level in Fashion and Textiles.

You can sell handmade things on vinted.
I buy a lot of vintage handmade dresses, jumpsuits, skirts and trousers. I especially like that they have a history of someone choosing fabrics and a pattern and taking time to sew them. Much nicer than something knocked up in a factory.

What a lovely idea to help her talent translate into new things for other people. Is there a dressmaker's guild near you who could point you in the right direction? We have one! https://www.thedressmakersguild.com/pages/sewing-classes-in-swansea-valley

Community groups near you who offer sewing classes? Local colleges? Or even private entrepreneurs who would take them off your hands in a compassionate and creative way? Someone like this who encourages people to reuse duvet covers but would doubtless be thrilled to receive a collection like this to repurpose: https://www.institchesswansea.co.uk/home

Goodness me there's a lot of sewing going on where I live! I should get involved!

I love that idea ❤️. Its a great way to keep the clothes mum put all her love into making.

Aaah you're all amazing, thank you! I'll take time to look through your suggestions. did find one community clothing initiative in Manchester who teach people to sew and repair, but they only take fabric, not constructed garments.
I've been putting it off because of the emotional attachment, sewing was such a huge part of her life, and whilst I didn't learn to sew, we used to love going fabric and pattern shopping together. The final items she made me are my treasured possessions: a pair of dark grey wide leg pleated trousers and a gorgeous blouse in cobalt blue crepe with amazing gathered sleeves.

The clothes sound wonderful OP.
I recently gave some curtains to a women refugee charity and they made them into clothes and bags and held a fashion show. A similar group might love to alter these lovely items to fit.

So sorry for the loss of your lovely mum by the way. I can completely understand how emotional this is for you and I bet you do treasure those last items - how wonderful.

Was it Stitched Up you approached? There's a co-op group I've found as well: https://www.facebook.com/creativesewingmanchester/?locale=en_GB

I really love the idea of people pouring love into repurposing her outfits and going out in the world and wearing them - something feels very full circle.

Would a local theatre group take them for their wardrobe?
Could you post on your local Facebook group or free to go site, explaining your story and offer them to anyone who is genuinely interested?

@Arlanymor thank you, that's really kind of you. Mum was one in a million, always positive, always doing stuff, lots of volunteering, a brilliant mum, wife, and nanna. Then out of the blue, at 76, she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and nothing could be done. We lost her 6 weeks later. Thankful for being able to be at home throughout where we cared for her day and night. A madly confusing and distressing time, but we were together as a family all the way through.
It's nearly 2 years since we discovered she had the glioblastoma, I guess the anniversary coming up is the reason I'm thinking of this again. Yes, it was Stitched Up I found when previously searching for inspiration.

@Northbynorthbest Love this! Mum did loads of amateur dramatics when she was younger, so it feels like a great fit. My town has a really fantastic theatre, I'll drop them a line!

@SonyaLoosemore this would be a really great way to move the clothes on. Mum did so much volunteering during her life, I know she'd heartily approve of supporting a women's charity.

https://www.memorybears.co.uk/

What about a memory bear?

Sorry for your loss.

Aww 😪 god love you, such a terrible illness is cancer, i lost my mum too, she had pancreatic cancer 😪. I truly understand how you feel and I hope you find a great way for her clothes to be useful. Even if you pass them on to be worn again you can keep some by and get a memory teddy made out some of them? Someone i know done this and the teddy is lovely. ❤️

@Flannelfeet I'm sorry for your loss too, it's rubbish isn't it? I know we don't have our mums forever, but lordy it hurts like mad.
I do love the idea of a ted, a friend had one made from her 4 sons' primary school uniforms and he's gorgeous!

That must have been so brutal - life can be so arbitrary and unfair can't it? I am glad that at the very least you were all able to be with and around her, making the most of the remaining time you had together by demonstrating the depth of your love for one another. I cannot imagine how awful it must have been, but it sounds like she literally stitched a really strong family around her. I bet you're still strong too - even if you don't always feel that way - she probably overlocked her love into you all! (Right I will stop with the sewing metaphors now, but it just really feels as if it applies with everything you have said).

Anniversaries creep up you don't they? Like ninjas. I was only having this conversation over the weekend with a friend. I have a new thing now where I set a calendar reminder to put a meaningful piece of jewellery on the week beforehand and then I wear it up until the week after. Don't ask me why, but it really works. I guess it's a meaningful proactive thing that takes away a bit of the feeling of helplessness you have when you think of who you have lost. Maybe you should book a nice dinner or drinks to wear that fab outfit she made you?

I feel a bit useless not to be able to suggest anything practical as all of my knowledge is the Welsh side of the bridge. But I will keep my thinking cap on and let you know if anything else occurs to me. Take lots of care, sending love. 💜

If you get no luck with the theatre group, what about freegle? In my group, there is a big overlap between freezers and crafty/knitting people it seems. You might strike gold with one in the right size?!

(As well as the few whom will take literally anything for a car boot)

^ I wrote who not whom. Autocorrect did me wrong.

It absolutely is, been 8 years for me now but I still have wobbles now and then, shes never far from my mind especially when im feeling down. Whatever you choose to do with your mums things im sure it will make you smile and think of her.❤️

@Arlanymor am laughing, we used to go down terrible pun rabbitholes as a family so your sewing metaphors are absolutely spot on!
Not long after mum died, my diamond fell out of my 26 year old engagement ring, I was so upset! Mum had left me her ring from my Dad, and I asked a local jeweller if she could create a new setting with mum's diamond, in my original ring. She did, and it's perfect, and now I have a little part of her with me all the time. Like you, these things just help soften the edges a bit don't they? Dad and I have a new tradition, on the anniversary of her death, we find somewhere to volunteer. Makes us feel closer to her and it's a positive way to mark the day.
I think if I do end up putting the clothes on Vinted like someone suggested, I'd donate proceeds to Marie Curie, as the night nurses who saved us by staying up so we could sleep during the hideously dark, long nights were actual angels.

Great idea! I did pass on a load of old Burda pattern books via a local free site a while ago, I kept a few funky vintage ones from the 70s but there was a huge pile which went to a good home.

Oh your family is like mine - honestly I don't know why we didn't jointly go into the Christmas cracker joke business! I won't tell you about our Captain Beaky rabbit hole and the 'number one song titles' we came up with for each and every animal involved last month when dad had an operation... I seem to remember my sides aching a lot!

I love that you have her diamond with all the time, it totally softens the edges and if you have that moment where your eyes well up you can just look down at your hand, that's beautiful. I also love that you have that tradition too - my job in real life is working with volunteers and it's so uplifting, positive and important.

That's a great idea - some people are genuinely angels on earth (and I am not remotely religious!) but they truly are. I'm sure you will find a great solution that positive benefits others and also makes you feel you have done her proud. I am sure you do her proud every day in fact.

@Arlanymor this is spooky. I was only talking to a childhood friend last week about Captain Beaky and his Band, we used to listen to it as kids!

If you do pop them on vinted I’d love to take a look :-)

@deadend I'll let you know! Thanks to you lovely lot and your encouragement and ideas, I'm off to Mum and Dad's house today to sort out the wardrobe and start the process of letting go. I know Dad will be pleased, it's so hard for him to know mum's stuff is still there, even though it's tucked away out of sight.