Hi and HELP !

shunas friend wrote

on 15 Oct 2011 4:29 AM

I am brand new to quilting so need lots of help. Sadly my mum recently passed away and i would like to make a memory quilt from some of her clothes. Where do i start ? Also, the clothes that i have are different weights? Is it possible to use different weights of fabric in a quilt? Many thanks.

ckquilter wrote

on 17 Oct 2011 5:01 PM

hi shunas

i am sorry for your loss. this is a long distance hug.

you might try asking around and finding a quilt buddy willing to help. find a local guild and ask for help; or try service groups at local churches, or ask at the local fabric shops.    that would be a start.

and yes you can make a quilt from any fabric or combinations of fabric. they may need to be stabilized - depending on the fabric. stretchy fabrics will be easier to use if they are first adhered to a lightweight fusible interfacing. then they can be treated like the stable cottons and other non stretchy fabrics.     a very traditional way of using specialty fabrics is to make a crazy pieced quilt. you can then use any size and shape of the fabric you want. you can use the pieces with trim or pockets  them. you can use lapels or even leave the edges with buttons.

the any shaped pieces can be made into large squares, which are then set together to make the quilt. either with or without sashing.

the tradition of crazy quilting, is that each seam would the be covered with a decorative stitch - you can use machine stitches, or the traditional hand sewn stitches. they can be done with thread, embroidery floss, perle cotton, silk ribbon, yarn........................

there are books with stitch ideas for crazy quilts available; or you can also find a book with hand embroidery stitches.  you can embellish the blocks with buttons, zippers, lace, trims, any special ribbons or pins she wore, or jewelry.    if doing lots of the dimensional stuff - you might even want to make 2. a large lap size to use, without a lot of fussy stuff. and a second, smaller one, with all the embellishing, to hang on a wall.

if you do stitching on the blocks, you might want to embroider her children's names and grandchildren and great? grandchildren.  or have them write their name on a block with a fabric pen. you could also add special friends names.   or maybe the places she lived.  and the things she loved.        you can also print pictures onto fabric, and add them to the quilt. how about a picture of her wearing the dress that is used to make the block that the picture is sewn into?

alternatively, there are t shirt quilts. and you could cut large squares from each fabric and set those together. there are also books with directions for

t shirt quilts available.                 when i need info, but don't want to spend a lot of money, i use the library and find the book i need. or join the local quilt guild - they usually have lending libraries, and you can find lots of info there  - as well as new friends willing to walk you through the steps.

you can make wallhanging quilts, lap size for the living room, bedsize for her grandchildren, make table runner or christmas tree skirt or stockings, make pillows (one for each grandchild?) or aprons (popular right now - cut up and crazy piece each pattern piece) or stuffed animals or bags or crazy piece and make fabric covered picture frames or photo albums.

making something useable, and for each grandchild could be very memorable. just depends on how much fabric you end up with.

hope that gives you some ideas.              ckquilter