Memories

Memory quilts.  I'm not sure there is an "official" definition, but I use the term to describe quilts made to memorialize departed loved ones.  I have been making memory quilts (in my typical s l o w fashion) in honor of my father, using fabrics re-purposed from his large wardrobe of plaid and striped shirts.  Another memory quilt was completed yesterday.

 

After making two earlier memory quilts, I realized I needed to streamline the process a little if I ever wanted to finish making 7 quilts - one each for the children and grandchildren.  This was the first quilt in the streamlined design - HSTs in the center, then a border, then a zig-zag border and finished with an appropriate novelty fabric border.  Not so obvious in the picture, but the novelty border here is fish, as my dad loved fishing. 

 

Again, I turned to my LAQ, Cindy, who quilted jumping fish over the entire quilt top.

 

I added a label (personal info obscured here) to keep track of pertinent details. 

 

I put the last stitches into the binding yesterday afternoon while enjoying a beautiful, almost-Spring day at our camp.  My goal was to finish the quilt by the intended recipient's birthday - today!

 

Memories!

 

 

Memory Quilt Progress

 

This week I managed to finish piecing and attaching the zig-zag border to my latest memory quilt.  I love how the zig-zag looks on the corners!

 

I think I have enough of this fabric (guitars and banjos) for the outer border.  My dad was a life-long guitar and banjo player, so this fabric is perfect.  I also used it for the backing on one of the previous memory quilts. 

 

I keep adding new HST units to the pile, as there are still two more quilts to complete!

Memory Quilt #3

Last weekend, I finished another memory quilt made from my father's shirts.  I've shared the first two quilts here and here.

This quilt is for one of my sons, so I tried to keep things simple:  a medallion center with plain fabric and zig-zag borders.

I'm very happy with the way the zig-zag border came out.  Sewing the half-square triangles together in correct order took a little concentration, but the result was worth it!

The outer fabric border features fish, again echoing my dad's love of fishing.

I'll be dropping the quilt top off at the long-arm quilter's next week.  It will be interesting to see what Cindy comes up with for this quilt!

Memory Quilts

Today is the second anniversary of my dad's passing.  Although he's been on my mind a great deal in the past few days, I didn't realize until just a little while ago that today was the actual anniversary.  I guess I've been honoring him in my own way though, because I've been working on memory quilts made from my dad's shirts.

When Dad died, Mom wasn't sure what to do with his closet FULL of plaid and striped shirts.  I eventually brought home two trash bags full of shirts and began cutting them up for quilts.  Inspired by Bonnie Hunter's Scraps & Shirttails (and her other books as well), I pieced two quilt tops made almost entirely of shirting fabrics.

The first top completed was inspired by Bonnie's Star Struck pattern (the pattern is called Star Gazing in the book and includes sashing, cornerstones and a pieced border).  I added some greens and neutrals I pulled from my stash.  In some cases, the light vs dark values of the shirting fabric don't provide a lot of contrast, so you may have to squint a little to see the stars!

Among other things, my dad was an avid fisherman.  

Arlan Bowen, late 1960s

I found some great novelty fish prints for the back of the Star Struck quilt.

And Cindy Braiwick, my long-arm quilting collaborator, added wonderful quilted fish and other sealife to the quilt top.

For the next quilt, I was determined to use only shirting fabrics, as the pile of fabric seemed to be growing instead of shrinking. I chose Blue Ridge Beauty from Adventures in Leaders and Enders for my inspiration.

I've tweaked the colors here to try to give a truer representation, but it's hard to get dark blues to show up properly.  The outer border is a navy blue Quilter's Linen from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

The pattern is made up from four-patches and half-square triangles set in a barn-raising formation.

Dad playing guitar at the Sopchoppy (FL) Senior Center, 2009.  His buddy, Roger Walton, is playing banjo.

My dad was also a musician; largely self-taught and not a professional, but he loved to play the guitar and sing.  After retirement, he found a group of like-minded individuals, and they played together every Friday morning at the local senior center.

I thought this Michael Miller "Jam Session" fabric would make a great back for this particular quilt.  It is now with Cindy Braiwick; I can't wait to see what magic she creates with her quilting!

After making those two memory quilts, I needed a little break from all that plaid fabric!  I focused on some other projects and finished up several other UFOs.  But about a week ago, the plaid started talking to me again and yesterday I started playing with design arrangements.  I need to make at least five (!) more quilts so all the children and grandchildren can have their own.  That's a lot of memories to share!