if i could wrap all of those i love in a quilt :: my mom

I have been working on a quilt the past couple of months and I recently realized that I forgot to do a blog post after I gave my mom a quilt this past Christmas. Oops! This is a little late.

I had planned on making my mom a quilt for quite some time. She is after all, the person I credit with any sewing ability I possess. As a child, she taught me how to sew. I will always remember is that she took the time to be patient with me in learning this skill, which is not an easy thing to do with a child. This has impacted my life in major ways as it has been a necessary creative outlet for me. She also is the person that I credit with giving me my first quilt, and even if it was one that she picked out for herself and purchased at Walmart, somehow it made it into the pile of bedding that I took to college, and the more I washed and dried it, the more it became my favorite blanket.

Last fall I realized that I didn't have any quilts already in process and the timing was right for making her one to give as a Christmas gift. The pattern I used is Red & Cream Stars #107 by Fig Tree Quilts, and is a lap sized quilt measuring 58"x70". I really like the traditional look of this pattern; my favorite part being how the star points extend into the corners of the quilt border. I picked the mint green fabric because I know it has always been a favorite color of hers (no coincidence that her Prius matches). I liked the contrast of the mint green with the salmony-orange and as always I love to use Kona white to lighten. The back of the quilt is a plain gray flat sheet, and is quilted with simple and straight grid lines. I love how the binding appears invisible as it coordinates with the border on the front, however provides a sharp contrast with the gray backing on the reverse side.

Here she is using her quilt and she asked me to add a comment:
"This quilt is one of my life blessings.
So blessed by Amy's talent and creativity.
I pray for her and her family each time I lay under this
beautiful quilt Amy created especially for me."

On to the next quilt! You may not believe this but after 20 years (oh God can that be right?!) mine is pretty torn and worn. So, it's for...me!

::
amy

if i could wrap all of those i love in a quilt :: a birthday quilt for james!

I knew after I gave Jenny her quilt last Christmas that I was in trouble. Jenny knew this as well the second she picked up her gift from me. I had done a good job keeping it a secret but there wasn't much surprise left when she picked up the large gift bag and realized the quilt-like weight of it. I even recall hearing her mutter "uh-oh" and looking nervously at me and James as she began to take the tissue out of the bag. You see, James has been asking me for a quilt for quite some time now!

With every quilt I make, I have some time to clear my head and think. I can't help but consider who it is for and why I am making it. Each time it teaches me something. This time around I couldn't help but think about the fact that James is actually the first person to ask me for a quilt. There is something special about giving something [artistic and time consuming] to someone when you know that they will appreciate it. As it is with any gift giving, I'm probably not alone here, I do a little questioning about whether a person will like or use the gift I want to give them. Part of me that wonders: Will it be used? Is a homemade quilt the right thing or would the recipient rather have a quilt from Target or Potterybarn (that would have cost probably at least half as much and taken no time at all)?  I am sure all of the quilts I have made for others are well loved, I don't doubt that. In the end it is always worth it for me, but this time it was nice to know ahead of time that he really wanted it, and not just to look pretty on the couch but so he could use it!

And so the lesson here is - don't be afraid to ask for what you want...thanks to James for reminding me of this throughout the process of making your quilt! I also would like use this opportunity to document that I outsmarted James. Lets just say he is the worst person to give a gift because he guesses so easily (sparing no one or no gift) what is inside the package. I wasn't sure if he thought I was making him a quilt for his birthday, but if he did, and I handed him a quilt sized box he would have for sure guessed what it was, totally ruining it. So it took me some time to figure out the appropriate way to give it to him without spoiling the surprise. Upon arrival to the cabin on his birthday, as we were unpacking the car I simply threw it at him unwrapped and ask him to take it inside. I totally got him. Yeeessss.

And as with any quilt gift I like to include some personal shots.

i'm asleep

no really i'm sleeping

Pattern: I winged it using half square triangles in a herringbone pattern. Inspiration credit given to this post at newlywoodwards.com. Inspiration also taken from his Moomba wakeboard boat colors.

moby one

Fabric used: All solids, Kona brand. Backing is a plain black Queen sized flat sheet from Walmart.
*Also* This tutorial for making half square triangles was a huge timesaver!!
Quilting was done on my very basic sewing machine. I used basting spray instead of quilting pins because I read that it not only saves time but works better when quilting straight lines. I debated a lot over what color of thread to use but decided on black because I thought it might not contrast as much since there is already so much pattern going on. The quilted lines are 1/4"away from the edges of each square, giving a simple pinstripe pattern on the reverse side.

On to the next one!

::
amy

if i could wrap all of those i love in a quilt :: bev and jenny

It all started years ago when we realized Dan had a button down shirt problem, or rather an elbow problem which after time wore a hole in each sleeve. They were no longer suitable for donation but seemed crazy to just throw away those comfy worn beautifully plaided shirts....wait a minute...quilts! Naturally, I decided to make the process for making a quilt take longer. Simple patchwork has typically been a favorite style for me but for this round of quilts I decided to change it up a bit.

If you have ever said goodbye to someone you love, you know how difficult it is to see their belongings after they have passed. Belongings are one thing. Clothing is another. If you haven't had to sort through a loved one's clothing after they have passed don't pretend to understand how difficult it is. In the case of my dad and his sudden passing this was especially difficult. To see his boots worn to the shape of his foot. To smell his strong cologne burned into the fibers. To see what he was wearing the last time I saw him. And oh the piles of whitey-tighties (gotta smile at that). When it came to the button down shirts, I knew I needed to save those. I offered to make my step mom Bev and my sisters a quilt of dad's shirts if they wanted one. I didn't want to do the work if it was going to be something that would only cause sadness or uncomfortable feelings. Would you think it was weird to cover up with a quilt made of a (cringe) dead man's shirts?  Bev and Jenny were an immediate "yes" and Holly decided that she did want a quilt, but his t-shirts meant more to her so she decided to have someone make her a t-shirt quilt instead (I'm not skilled in the t-shirt quilt department).

It may have taken me four years to fulfill my promise but here they are. I gave them both as Christmas gifts this year. They are used entirely of dad's shirts - except - the back of both of them are a solid sheet & on Jenny's quilt the white and the edge are both purchased fabrics.

Bev's Quilt

Pattern :: Oh my Stars! by Make it Do I picked this pattern for Bev because I really wanted to include stars on her quilt. She loves blue and white and then I added the other colors to accent.

Types of shirts used :: flannel (plaid), corduroy (light brown), chambray (purple, white, gray), heavy weight (navy)

I love to try to include pictures of someone either with their quilt or showing pics of them in their home - here it is in Bev's house!

Jenny's Quilt

Pattern ::  Diverging Diamonds in Fabulously Fast Quilts by Amy Smart
This quilt is strip pieced which is quilt a bit faster (like if you say, start on it the week before Christmas). I chose the oranges and browns for her because it reminds me of the colors in the cabin and would also coordinate nicely in her home.
Types of shirts used :: chambray, white is Kona brand

snow picnic anyone?

quilt back...ah those lovely crinkles

i think she likes it!

Working on these I often thought about the transformation of these shirts. Taking something that once hurt to look at and turning it into something beautiful that now comforts us and makes us smile; how we must choose to do that over and over again as we grieve. What a privilege it has been to make these quilts. I think Dad would think they turned out really great too.

::

amy


2 Corinthians 5:17
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life has gone, a new life has begun.

it's that time again

daddy's old shirts

Yes it's that time again.  The time where in the midst of busyness (finishing a basement, training for a 20k to name a couple) I add fashioning a quilt to the mix.  Why not?!  This time it becomes a major priority because it's for my little man for his first birthday coming up at the end of the month!


I promised myself even before having children that there were 2 things I wanted to promise to make for them:  #1 toddler size quilt (ideally given on first birthday) & #2 baby book (ideally given on second birthday).  Anything beyond this promise is fluff. You see, being the middle child that I am, they must have equal items made from mama and in my mind a quilt and a baby book are quite special, not too much for me to commit to, and not too much of an annoyance to for them to hang on to for...well, forever.  My plan gives me one year after having a baby to figure out a theme for their room and make a coordinating quilt, during which time I also write out entries month by month for the baby book.  Then I have the second year to print out photos and assemble the baby book.  It worked pretty good for Hannah, so hoping it does this time around as well.


This little quilt for AJ will be made from daddy's old shirts.  Daddy must have quite an aggressive elbow, as he eventually wears a hole right through the sleeve of his dress shirts.  I have been saving them up for many years now, hoping that someday I would need them for a little boy quilt!  They are worn and soft already.  Perfect for my little man.