Memory Quilts
I am working on another memory quilt for a special someone at my church. Her daughter approached me and asked if I could do this project AND keep it a secret. She handed over a grocery bag full of clothes and to be honest I was a little nervous to peek inside. You never know what you are gonna get!
I was pleasantly surprised! Lots of cotton shirts and after inspecting a little closer I realized they were all handmade. Lots of really unique prints and well made at that(umm, look at these cute hot air balloons!). Wonder how she decided what pattern she would sew? or did she just make up her own?
The details like these handmade button holes give you a look back at the history of sewing and clothes making and a glance into this persons life.
This one has been mended a few times and buttons replaced. It made me think back to a different time when we made due what we had and actually fixed things when they were broken. Things were handmade and appreciated more because of that. This is one reason I love quilts so much! We take pieces of ourselves and put them into our quilts and give them to others….so personal, our way of showing others that they matter! We might not admit it out loud, but we secretly want our quilts to be loved and appreciated so we too can feel like we matter. I hope to put all of the memories of the woman who made these shirts into this quilt and show how much she mattered. You can buy a quilt for just $20-$30, but you only are given one if someone loves you!
Quilts matter:)
Keep it Sassy♥
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Great post! So well said. I follow many blogs and you are one of my favs!!
Lovely fabrics to work with and love the thoughts.
You said it so well!!! Can’t wait to see what you make with those shirts!
love those hot air balloons. can’t wait to see how this turns out!
What a challenge! Good luck!
You are s-o-o-o right. You are only GIVEN a quilt if someone loves you!
Good luck fashioning the memory quilt.
Thank you for sharing. You can tell some one came from a time when we used what we had and used it well. I hope there is a way you can somehow incorporate the buttonhole with the buttonhole stitch. Wouldn’t it be fun to somehow be fun to make an applique block and use it withing the applique? Oh you have some wonderful fabrics to use. Someone is going to be thrilled. You are very creative. Thanks for blogging and sharing what you felt you could share at this point. (I don’t know a thing! – lol)
I have some of that scissor fabric – it’s great fun! I love making things from old shirts, I’m making my son an ocean waves quilt that includes the shirt I was wearing when he was born! This is going to be fab Paula, that hot air balloon fabric looks very 70s to me…looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
What a wonderful idea and wonderful gift to the person receiving this quilt! I so agree with you that receiving a quilt as a gift shows how much you are loved. That’s exactly how I feel when I give one!!! Thanks for sharing this lovely project. I can’t wait to see your finished design!! :)
Well said! Brought a smile to my face. Enjoy the process on creating this quilt.
What a fun project! This quilt will be so special.
This quilt will be a treasure! Can’t wait to see it finished.
Amazing treasure trove! ps, I am loving the look of your blog, love the header!
some really cute fabric, with the love of the hand made items will make a great memorey for this person. I’m anxious to see the finished quilt.
Great words:) impressive sewing skills in these shirts!
I’m sure you will turn this into something beautiful. That handmade button hole needs to be used. I have an idea. How about incorporating it into the back corner of the quilt, like a buttoned flap, and put the quilt label behind it, so you have to unbutton the flap to see the label.
You are speaking right to my heart :) And I know you will speak to the hearts of those who receive and see the quilt you make from these much loved fabrics. Imagine all of the love and respect that went into gathering the items to give to you, and how that feeling embeds into the fabrics and travels right along and into this new project and on out into the world!! XX!
So right! People ask why I don’t sell quilts….because I’d rather give them away to people I care about…
what an amazing quilt this will be the hot air balloon fabric is great, look forward to seeing the completed quilt, the speed you work at we will not have long to wait
This is a personal question. How do you decide what to charge to make a quilt like this?
I am doing what you are doing for my mother in law. Her father just pasted. I have a trash bag full of his cotton shirts. I am going to make a jelly roll throw blanket for her for Christmas.