I'm always amazed what a little FOCUS-and a deadline-will do. I started this quilt on Monday!!! As I posted earlier, I'm making a memory quilt from my late Aunt Janet's clothing. It is a custom order from my cousin, and she will be giving the quilt to her dad for his birthday in a few weeks. I've done a marathon of cutting, fusing, trimming, and sewing this week!
I ended up editing the fabrics quite a bit since my first layout, and I'm pleased with my final selections. Aunt Janet sure loved her striped shirts! My sister and I discussed how cool it is that the quilt has a very masculine appeal. It should suit my uncle quite well.
I'm so grateful to Duluth Girl for the suggestion of using a walking foot. It made the construction of the squares so much easier. (Thanks a million, Ruthann!!!!)
I think I'm going to sew with the lightest weight cotton I can find for the rest of the day! :)
Now, it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks, as always, for joining me!
48 comments:
What a beautiful keepsake!
Wow!!! What a fantastic finish!!! This quilt is going to be so treasured :) And wow, you are fast!
What's so fun about a memory quilt like that, is that you can have great conversations about those fabrics decades later! So fun!
What a great job you did. My first thought when I saw it was, "Wow, a perfect man quilt made from his wife's clothes." You amaze me at how fast and accurately you work.
Ditto to what everyone else said :) What an awesome quilt for your uncle! Judy
Wow, that is just fabulous! I have been saving some knit baby clothes for a memory quilt and need to give the interfacing a try. I wonder if you could quilt it almost like a quilt as you go but after the fact... start on the left and sew a tall vertical seam down, then refold quilt so you can sew down next vertical seam? The bulk in your harp would only be the batting/backing and the main weight would be to the far left outside your machine? Anyway, it looks great...good luck!
It's really wonderful how all the clothing pieces fit together. It is a really beautiful quilt.
That is a wonderfull gift and it just came out great.
Bet it feels good to get so much accomplished. I wish I had time to make another quilt this summer.
Wow, what a cool project! I love the way it turned out. Love the idea of tying it for the quilting.
Great effort with all those different fabrics.
What a great finish and a lovely memory quilt. I like the idea of tying it. You could do that by machine as well by simply stitching an X in each corner by machine instead of by hand. Use a big zigzag and stitch in place a few times. Faster than by hand, and holds really well! Nice work!
Great work on that! Congrats on finishing it so quickly! It's nice that you were able to use mostly blues. I wish I would have thought to make a quilt with my dad's clothing. He was a vet and often donated to veteran causes so we gave his clothes to them because we knew that's what he would have wanted. I have often thought of buying shirts I know he would like and making a quilt with them.
That looks so good! Makes me wish I would have kept all my Father-in-laws shirts and suits and made something similar for my husband. Love it! You have such a good eye for color placement.
It turned out beautiful! I am sure it is going to be treasured!
What a wonderful quilt! It really got me to thinking what different memory quilts might look like...mine, my sisters, my moms, my dads...made me pretty sentimental to say the least!
It turned out so fantastic! I've made memory quilts like this for family members and they are among my most treasured works (and most satisfying). I bet you have buff arms now, too :)
Wow, the colors are so beautiful and rich. What a great way to remember someone.
This quilt top was certainly quite the commitment. You have done a fabulous job, Amanda Jean. I love the little pops from those few solids. Your uncle will be pleased!
Thank you for your quilting instructuions and for inspiration! If you want, you can check my first baby quilt stitching at http://aivosolunajatukset.blogspot.fi/2014/08/vapaatikkaus.html
and the second and third (yes, once I start I take things to extreme...) at http://aivosolunajatukset.blogspot.fi/2014/08/paljon-tikkausta.html
Google translate might help a little, but I'm sure you'll get most of it by looking at the pics...
Your memory quilt is beautiful and will surely be treasured. I vote (not that you are taking a vote or asking for opions...heeheehee) for some simple hand quilting. That just feels right, somehow. Whatever you decide, it will be wonderful!
What a great finish and I love the horizontal stripes, it looks nice and neutral too.
As an alternative to tying, there's "crowfooting", a tacking technique described in Rotary Riot, by Judy Hopkins and Nancy Martin (and in a couple more of their books). It places little fly-stitches on the surface. You use a long doll needle and a long thread, and skim through the batting between stitches.
Dot
I have tacked or tied a lot of quilts and would like to recommend using a doubled crochet thread instead of yarn to you.
Lots easier to thread the needle and pull thru Bating, back and quilt top.
Yes, doubled crochet thread for tying is great and looks neat when you trip the tails to 1 or 1 1/2 inches. Lovely keepsake with lots of memories!
I love how your memory quilt turned out. The stripes are such a fun element. The one I'd like mkae of my Dad's clothes would look similar as there are a lot of grays. Inspires me to break into the box of clothes and get started.
That quilttop looks really great. Filled with memories for your Uncle for sure. Really great job! Thanks for sharing.
What a special, beautiful tribute to your aunt and keepsake for your uncle. And the fact that he can snuggle under it... PRICELESS! Way to go Amanda Jean!
What a beautiful quilt & a fantastic idea- I wanted to try a memory quilt made fromy husbands old business shirts for our daughter- I dont think I could finish it as well as yours though
The quilt turned out beautifully and what a special tribute to your Aunt.
Lovely quilt! I think it's funny that your aunt had such a limited, and consistent wardrobe. I am wondering if you noticed it before making the quilt? It's such a unique way to look back on a person-- through a quilt. And makes me wonder what my own would look like! Probably many many shades of blue :)
Oh what a lovely way to remember your aunt; it's beautiful and I hope it brings your uncle joy and comfort.
Such a beautiful tribute quilt and very manly looking. A friend of mine made one from shirts, not so heavy as yours of course, but she tied at all the intersections popping a shirt button onto the thread before tying off. It looked so ..right.
It looks amazing! And such a special keepsake xx
I love the way all the strips go in the same horizontal direction and the weight of the quilt will be very comforting. It will feel like a giant hug. Happy light-weight reward sewing.
Yup-you were crazy to make this quilt, chopping up clothes of various fabrics and making this gorgeeeeooosooo quilt. It looks great!
Amazing how co-or donated this quilt has turned out. It almost seems like a deliberate choice and plan of fabrics. It has also made me look at my own wardrobe, wondering how my clothes would be made into a quilt. There would be a predominance of chambray blues and all shades of red. Your uncle will love this gorgeous gift.
I really love how this quilt turned out. Even with this quilt being heavy, I think your uncle will love this quilt. The heaviness will be like a super hug from your aunt.
Great finish! I'm sure it will be treasured :)
Wow, lots of peeps linking up! I think tying is will suit this quilt perfectly. Memory quilts always make me teary-eyed. So nice!
What a wonderful quilt and yes, how great it has a masculine appeal. Glad you are tying it - the guys in my family like that effect.
A true labour of love. Tying it - by hand or machine is the perfect finish.
what a lovely quilt to remember a loved one by. Would never have thought of a small cross in each square corner, hanks for that idea I think I will be dong that on one of mine
any thoughts about using perle cotton and doing some "big stitch" quilting ..
I tried it once but my mind wouldn't let my fingers take BIG stitches ...
A really lovely memory quilt and a lovely thing to do for the recipient.
I made my friends husband one from my friends clothes, a really emotional thing to do, but nice to do at the same time.
Well done.
Red wool yarn would really pop for tying or big cross stitches where the corners meet. I have a big comforter my mother made out of old wool suits and coats that's tied with red, and the wool yarn gets nice and 'felty'. I love the denim and plaids together.
Awesome!!
The quilt is beautiful - I am glad you persevered - it is a lovely keepsake.
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