Help needed on designing a memory quilt!!
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: kansas
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Help needed on designing a memory quilt!!
When my FIL died this past Spring, I suggested to my stepMIL that I make a memory quilt. She had already donated all his clothing (this was even before the funeral) but when she was at the lake house this summer she found a few items and now wants that memory quilt. So I have 1 t-shirt that I'm thinking could be a center medallion, 1 cotton Hawaii shirt (browns,black, beige); 1 cadet blue loose weave "silk" sports coat; a red/black tie; a red striped knit shirt; a black knit shirt; a fushia/blue/white knit shirt--and his swim trunks(which actually feel more cottony and are also Hawaii print browns/blue/beige--and a well worn fleece jacket. Since he was extremely large, there is lots of fabric--but what to do??!! I think with stabilizer I can use the knit shirts, obviously the t-shirt, tie, and even the swim trunks are useable (ditto the cotton shirt). I might be able to use the fleece jacket on the back, but since she wants any unused clothing back, I am not sure even with stabilizer, that the sports coat would work without lots of fraying, etc. But a design help would be GREATLY appreciated. OH--and despite the colors on all these, his favorite color was always purple.
#2
I've made a few memorial quilts. One was made with the pattern "Glad All Over", and I used a sweatshirt my dad had for the flowers. I made another two more with simple 5" squares from the clothes. Sorry, but I won't post pictures. Since you have so much fabric, I would also consider making memorial quilts for any of his children, his siblings (and yourself!) with the leftover fabric. I've made 4 so far for my family with my mom and dad's clothes - one each for mom's 2 sisters, one each for a brother and sister, and one each left for me to make for another sister and myself. Take your time making this quilt - it's hard to do, so much emotion while making it - but well worth the effort. It will be loved and cuddled under forever.....
Last edited by QuiltnNan; 10-15-2014 at 04:08 AM. Reason: PM
#3
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Location: Michigan
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With the exception of the logo on the Tshirt (which you could incorporate into the backing) You could do a floating blocks quilt. If you really wanted to get into the theme, you could use a light & dark purple for the background. It's a very quick quilt to make and the consistent sashing ties all the different fabrics together.
http://www.dickwightman.com/bulletin...adowquilt.html
I would stabilize all the questionable fabrics & toss them in the wash to see how they do. If something doesn't make it thru a gentle cycle, you can show your MIL and explain why that garment was not used.
http://www.dickwightman.com/bulletin...adowquilt.html
I would stabilize all the questionable fabrics & toss them in the wash to see how they do. If something doesn't make it thru a gentle cycle, you can show your MIL and explain why that garment was not used.
#4
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sonoma County, CA
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I am very slowly working on a memory quilt out of my dad's clothes. I have a wide variety of fabrics like you - I'm doing mine as a foundation-pieced crazy quilt. I'm stitching all the fabric down to squares of the thinnest muslin I could find.
#5
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thank you all for the ideas! I don't think this will be a particularly emotional quilt for me as these were all clothes he kept at the "lake house" and don't really remind me of him at all--with the exception of the fleece jacket I don't think I ever saw my FIL in any of them and they aren't even his "colors"--just what she hadn't donated yet.
I will do the stablizing and then toss into a gentle cycle on washer--hadn't thought about that at all. And the crazy quilt idea--with the exception of the T-shirt it could be workable too. One thing I'm thinking I will have to do at this point is to supplement the fabrics I have with some actual cotton--in his favorite color of purple. while the shirts are a size 3x or 4x so lots of fabric--there is just not enough contrast to actually make blocks. Do think this will be a project to work on next month while I'm recovering from knee replacement and then do the sewing after the first of the year. Thanks again--you guys are great!
I will do the stablizing and then toss into a gentle cycle on washer--hadn't thought about that at all. And the crazy quilt idea--with the exception of the T-shirt it could be workable too. One thing I'm thinking I will have to do at this point is to supplement the fabrics I have with some actual cotton--in his favorite color of purple. while the shirts are a size 3x or 4x so lots of fabric--there is just not enough contrast to actually make blocks. Do think this will be a project to work on next month while I'm recovering from knee replacement and then do the sewing after the first of the year. Thanks again--you guys are great!
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10-24-2011 10:22 AM