Memory quilts by Michael

If I understand correctly, Michael made these 5 memory quilts for a friend.  The photos were printed on fabric and made into a banner for her celebration of lift.  Based on the number of photos and the size of these quilts, the banner must have been HUGE!

Michael did a great job in coordinating the photos and the fabrics and then adding filler blocks as needed.  I hope that these will bring some comfort to those she left behind.

 

Memory quilt by Liz

Liz is a "new to me" customer.  She had made this quilt out of shirts from a family member who had had passed away, but was a pilot in his lifetime.  Liz chose a Propeller block to represent his flight training, and then set the blocks on point with black setting squares.  Sadly, Liz had had the quilt quilted, but was not happy with how it turned out, so she took it completely apart and we started again.

Each propeller black was SID and a background fill added that was freehand.  Due to time constraints, a similar pattern was quilted in setting squares and a similar design in the outer border.

Exquisitely pieced, and I hope that we'll get to work together again.

 

Memory quilt for Diana B

This will be a Christmas gift for Diana's sister.  A memory quilt made from shirts of their father.

Diana had cut all the shirts apart, and then left a few embellishments to add as well.  Like a couple of pockets, a front snap strip, and a cuff.  I hope that this will bring both of them some comfort in the future.

 

4 more memory quilts for Carrie

These are the remaining 4 of 6 memory quilts commissioned by Carrie.  Since the fronts are all pretty much the same (the borders are all different fabrics), I've taken photos of the backs which is how I ended up remembering and referring to them.  Above "Footballs".  Clearly, I am not a sports fan.  I tried to mentally put the team name with the city, but I think I may have had many that I didn't even now, some assigned to the wrong city, and some that were probably the entirely wrong sport.  Oh well, something to think about while playing with fabric.

"Dance and Pirates".  I didn't have enough of either fabric to use for the flannel backing, so I combined two.  I hope that the recipients of these quilts are all grown enough to not have to cry "But I don't WANT girl/boy fabric on mine!"

"Snow Bears.  Almost makes me want to go skiing.  Almost.

Noah's ark

 

2 Memory quilts for Carrie's family

Carrie, and her darling daughter Karen, had reached out to me about making 6 quilts for their family members.  Carrie is a long time seamstress who is moving to a smaller home, and just doesn't have room for all of her sewing anymore.  The two of them brought me 2 large totes of fabrics, one with just wovens and the other flannels.  All of these had been used to make various garments for family members throughout the years.  I decided to just take the woven fabrics for the tops, and then saved the flannels for the backings.  

Before we met, we had discussed a basic pattern and approximate size for the quilts.  Here are the first 2.  All made from 4" unfinished squares of fabric, then chosen at random.  My only "rule" was that I wouldn't piece 2 of the same fabrics next to one another in a row.  Sometimes the rows ended up with the same fabrics together.  You can see so many memories in these two.  Holiday fabrics, garment linings, potentially some home dec fabrics.

This one has a border of soccer fabric, and then I found the same fabric in flannel for the backing.  All will be bound with the same green Christmas print to keep them consistent.  I'm having so much fun working on these!  All are quilted with the Highfield design and thin white thread.

 

"Grandpa's shirts (and jeans) for Lindsey's grandmother"

 

Hard to believe, but it's a good thing when you make your customer cry when they pick up their quilt.  Lindsey's maternal grandmother had saved these shirts and pieces of jeans from her husband's clothes after he passed away.  She had even started to make quilt blocks, and that's where the design that I ended up with started.  She had made the rail fence blocks with shirt fabric and denim, and cut out the red and blue squares.    In order to make it large enough, I pieced the two plaid center rows.

Quilted with a design called 'I love you this much".  Finished just in time for Christmas, and I hope many many memories for their familiy.

2 more quilts from Mike from Mom's clothing

These are such special quilts.  This one will be a wall hanging for family in Guam.  The large white flowers on blue are from a set of sheets
that a relative embroidered for Mike's mom, and now the flowers in this quilt represent family members.

This quilt is for Mike, about a twin
size.  The wide borders really give the Hawaiian Flower quilting design a place to shine.  Mike's mom loved flowers so this is another way to honor her.

 

Mom's quilt by Mike

Mike's mother has passed away, so he is making quilts for his siblings and himself out of mom's clothing.  This is Mike's first quilt, and I can already tell that he will go far.   He mitered the borders on this quilt.  I'm impressed!

Clearly, mom loved dogs.  I really want a candycorn costume for my dog!

 

Masha's quilt for her grandson

I am not sure why this quilt took so long to complete, but "Nugget" as the baby was known at the time, is now about 12 years old.

I love how family members created
blocks for the baby.  This is my personal favorite, but they are all so darling!

Hand drawing

to photos.  Darling quilt!

 

Dearly beloved #3 by Chris

 Here is the last of the "Dearly beloved" memory quilts from Chris.  After 3 of them, I think she's had enough.  What a lovely thing to do though.

Two memory quilts by Chris

 Chris brought me these two memory quilts.  Both made from clothing, probably shirts, and silk tie, appliqued to cotton background. 

Both quilted with the same loopy hearts design