Add New Dimension to Your Sewing — Make Memory Quilts!
Memory quilts, like the one above, can be done several ways. The finished size of the wall hanging memory quilt shown is 23″ x 32″ tall, and has loops at the top in order to use a dowel for hanging.
This particular one has fabric pieces of various sizes sewn together, with colors and print ideas chosen by the mother of the little girl. The pictures were all made by scanning them and printing them on printable fabric (fabric by June Taylor) in an ink jet printer (you can’t use a laser printer for these pictures because the ink will rub off). You can see that the pictures are not in any type of sequence, but rather just as a collage. The lower left square has two little pictures in it, with a decorative butterfly applique. The middle right picture has been made to appear like it is in a picture frame, with lace edging surrounding it.
I have seen memory quilts that have been made for a particular child as a gift when the child heads off to college. The one in particular that I’m thinking about had pictures of the child all the way from Kindergarten to high school senior made on the printable fabric. As the quilt was pieced together, squares were added that had a poem that the child had written in the 6th grade, an art picture that was made in middle school, a copy of a cute Mother’s Day card that had been made at school, etc. This type of memory quilt was indeed a full size quilt, but I rather doubt that the daughter ever actually used it on her bed.
Quilting is a bit time consuming, however people are willing to pay for these timeless treasures if they can only find someone who will do the work for them. The memory quilt wall hanging took several months to complete, as the seamstress worked on it a little at a time, as she did her other sewing projects, in order that her main business of sewing and alteration work could still be completed in a reasonable time.
With a little imagination there is no limit to what can be done with memory quilts.
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