Cotton Anniversary ideas

February 10, 2013 3:09 AM

Last year my wife and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary (paper anniversary) by writing a joint academic paper and delivering it at a (enormously fortuitous) conference which spanned our two very different disciplines. In a few months (Late June) it is our cotton anniversary. What can we do that is similarly themed and awesome?

I have seen this post, but it seemed a bit more gift related. We're more looking for activity type ideas.

posted by Just this guy, y'know to human relations (14 answers total)

Cotton = canvas; make a painting together. Maybe take an art class together before / as well depending on your backgrounds.
posted by Perplexity at 3:14 AM on February 10 [4 favorites]

Learn to sew together and make a suit/ shirts/ pair of jeans/ matching pyjamas/set of bedding for yourselves/each other/that you can share
posted by runincircles at 4:19 AM on February 10 [1 favorite]

Make a quilt together. I like the idea of making something that will keep you warm together.
posted by sciencegeek at 4:27 AM on February 10 [18 favorites]

Came in to say "quilt", so I'll second that idea. Maybe you could somehow incorporate the subject of your paper into the design?
posted by trip and a half at 4:50 AM on February 10 [1 favorite]

Learn to weave.
posted by brujita at 4:57 AM on February 10 [1 favorite]

Lightweight cotton makes for good crochet or knitting for blankets if you live somewhere warm. You could crochet granny squares separately (do them in a very limited palette - jewel tones or pale creams and they will end up looking minimalist good, or pick your individual favorite colors and go for a rainbow thing) and then together join them up into a blanket for your bed. Purl Bee has a really nice randomish pattern called Babette that is forgiving of mistakes. Crocheting granny squares is pretty easy and more importantly, very portable - you can carry a hook and ball of yarn around in a bag and it's only right at the end assembly stage that you have a giant blanket.
posted by viggorlijah at 5:16 AM on February 10

Hmm. I see you're in London so this might not be practical, but take a trip to New York and visit the Cotton Club? Or...take a vacation through the U.S.'s "cotton states"?: "Cotton is grown in 17 states stretching across the southern half of the United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia." This is ambitious, but a trip through the southeastern states in June could be fun.
posted by Ollie at 7:21 AM on February 10

Go sailing.
posted by infini at 7:42 AM on February 10 [1 favorite]

Consider cotton as a metaphor for silk, linen, rayon, and wool and spend some time around your anniversary volunteering for Dress For Success, which helps low income women prepare for jobs (by giving them career clothing and interview assistance).
posted by mochapickle at 7:57 AM on February 10

If you decide to do the quilt, you could design some fabric together and have it printed to use in the quilt. Spoonflower is the one I've used and know best, but I think there are others.
posted by katemonster at 8:15 AM on February 10 [3 favorites]

Mochapickle, most natural fibers traditionally have their own year.
posted by brujita at 12:13 PM on February 10

Two trips suggest themselves: New England, where you can swing by the Eli Whitney Museum in Massachussetts (he invented the cotton gin); and the American south, where there are various tours of plantations; but keep in mind Sherman's march to the sea - there aren't tons of plantations left in Georgia - you may want to hit somewhere like Charleston instead.
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:22 PM on February 10

Brujita: Oops. My own marriage never made it past cotton, so I never knew!
posted by mochapickle at 1:54 PM on February 10 [1 favorite]

Thanks everyone.

Sadly the budget probably isn't going to stretch to a trip to the US, not this time anyway. Although a 5th anniversary trip to see some giant redwoods might be on the cards.

Anyway, in theory we're in the middle of buying a boat (well, we are if we can find one which isn't being sold by a fraudster, bah!) so the sailing idea is perfect.

Neither of us know how to sail yet (The boat was/is going to have an engine), and it hadn't occured to me that sails = cotton.

I also like the quilt idea, so it might well be a plan B.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:43 AM on February 12