Pillows

Pillows by Alexandra Ferguson

I've been wondering what I can say about pillows. They are one of the most intimate yet forsaken keepsakes when it comes to losing someone. I can't quite bring myself to suggest repurposing the pillows from a lost loved one, but I do think that it's a good idea to hold onto them, or at least the pillowcase. Keep it somewhere special, just in case.

In the meantime, I found this "relational pillow" from Sajid Sadi and Pattie Maes, with Fluid Interfaces Group. It's just a concept (demo model available) but apparently loved ones from a distance can communicate through it. If I drew a smiley face on my pillow, my sister hundreds of miles away would see it. 

Still, no need to wait for Pillow Talk. Alexandra Ferguson from Etsy creates pillows with prefab messages, and perhaps can be customized to communicate what you really want to say. Be nice!

Memory Silhouettes

I have always loved silhouettes. As portraits they are abstract yet surprisingly intimate. With silhouettes, I find myself noticing the neglected - a curvature of a chin, the sweep of an eyelash. The subtleties we took for granted are suddenly realized.

(According to Wikipedia, Etienne de Silhouette was a French finance minister during a severe credit crisis (sound familiar?) He created cut paper portraits as an alternative to expensive and frivolous portraitures. Silhouettes were popular from 1790 until 1840, when photography took over as a primary means of remembering.)


Etsy's Diffractionfiber creates elegant sewn silhouettes. Just send a picture of someone in profile (strange how we neglect this angle, even with the abundance of photography!) You can order a brooch made from eco-friendly felt and cloth, or a pillow.


Le Papier Studio also creates customized silhouettes as group portraits, as well as these lovely lockets.


This is the essence of memory at its best, and I hope that we all take the time to make silhouettes of those we love while we can.