Exotic fabric finally finds its function: a TV cosy
Friends know that I’m a fabricaholic. A few years back they gave me this luscious blue, gold and purple fabric from Bangladesh.
It’s stiff when ironed, and crumples shortly afterwards. It’s semi-transparent and yet firm. Elegant, yet camp. Symmetrical, yet erratic.
Now, what to do with this cloth? For us fabricaholics, that’s never an issue. You keep it, doh! You store it in a cupboard and every now and then you take it out and experience it. Finger it. Touch it to your face. Lap up the colours, stroke the textures. Place it in the sitting room as an artefact on view. Meditate on it. Tuck it away again.
A beautiful fabric does not need to DO anything. It simply has to BE.
Nevertheless, this fabric has now been put to work. It has lost its privileged existence and does two jobs.
How are the mighty fallen!
One half of this glamorous cloth is now thrown over food on the dining table, to keep flies (and Ursula the cat) at bay.
The other half, with two seams, now tucks over my TV screen to soften its intrusive glare. I hate the way my TV used to dominate the room, a large black announcement that TV was the very purpose of this space, even the purpose of my day, of my very existence. Now the TV is disguised and robbed of its power by a strange garment. This showy, exotic fabric, once a magnet of attention, is now an invisibility cloak.
Friends have named my invention a TV-nightie (more accurately, it’s a dayie), or a TV cosy. What would you call it?
how fun is that – a cozy by any name you wish 🙂
if you put some gorgeous gold thread embroidery on the front of the cozy – it would be even more exotic. I’m sure you’ve got such a piece of fabric in your “fruit bowl” (fruit means your display bowl for such items).
Reminds me of the years when all my hand spun and hand dyed yarns were in such a basket so I could look at the ‘fruits of my labour” – nicely wound in skeins so they showed off every part of their making/doing…
Glad you like it! But I am not the embroidering type any more. Those yarns must have been so satisfying.
From one fabricaholic to another…”One yard of fabric, like one cookie, is never enough!” Your fabric is beautiful. Glad you found a great use for it! ~ Lynn
Ah, Lynn, a kindred spirit. I wave some green embroidered cotton at you across the miles!
Lovely post – and I know exactly what you mean when you a say a beautiful piece of fabric can ‘just be’ – I have a big box of these too!
Sisters under the skin!
I like the name TV cosy, and I think it’s a great idea and believe there’s a market out there for your invention if you’re interested in giving up your free time and becoming a millionaire.
Pass. But feel free to do it yourself!