Cherished and reused

Cherished and reused

by Orsola de Castro

This little piece is an exact replica of a dress I made in order to wear two embroidered tablecloths which belonged to my Venetian grandmother. I am far too messy and informal for tablecloths, plus these were old and delicate. I figured that if I used them and soiled them (that is soil them further because they came naturally pretty stained from use and age) they might not survive the wash. So instead I sewed them up to make this zero waste kaftan-ish looking strange thing, which is a dress but also some kind of sculpture on my body.

The mini version is made by sewing the napkins which matched the tablecloths. I hope it shows everyone how with two squares of precious material, a little bit of sewing time (no more than 20 minutes), some imagination but above all the love it takes to keep and transform, something unused can become something else with added value.