This week I have been busy completing some memory quilts that I have been commissioned to do. When I was initially asked to do this task, I was a bit dubious I must admit. The task being, to make two memory quilts from baby grows. Now, baby grows are made from stretch fabric, so to cut the out into squares and sew the together, I knew I couldn't get a tidy finish. The person that commissioned me, convinced me I could do it, and that they would pay me accordingly, as they knew they were expensive to produce. I didn't really know that memory blankets were a current 'thing', I know that American quilts were all about making a beautiful pattern with your old clothing or blankets to create something new that would last a life time, but didn't realise it was a modern day trend.
When Mia went from a Moses basket to a cot I made her cot bumpers, curtains and a thin quilt that I used making fabrics that I had already made her things from, so I have actually made a memory quilt for my own daughter (2 in fact) about 5 years ago, without realising what it was called.
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| Mias Memory Quilt 2012 |
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| Mias Memory Quilt Cover |
The first one is my favourite, I put a lot of time into designing it, wondering what lovely appliques to put on it, I chose Butterflies, Hearts and flowers. Everything used (apart from the backing and wadding) was resources I already had. Soon, I will make this bigger for her. The other one also has fabrics on that have some memories, like scraps from dresses I made her, but I had to compromise with the design as I didn't have enough fabrics, If you look up close you will see that I used the smallest of pieces to make a pattern, as I didn't want to waste a scrap. I don't have the same love for it as I do the first one.
So my dear friend turns up to my boat in August 2017 with a giant Sainsbury's bag packed with baby grows,
Hmmmm!, how am I going to do this and make them look great? The other quilts I have made are from cotton, which is probably the best fabric to work with when patch working. In the back of my mind I know that I probably need to back the material with interfacing so it doesn't lose its shape, but I check on line to to see if there is an easier way... there isn't. Obviously this will add to the cost, the price of the interfacing, and the extra time it will take, and the electricity to fire up an iron.
It takes 3 hours alone just to cut them up. I hack off the feet (ouch) the tiny hand mittens (ouch), then the arms (ouch) and finally the popper strips. I tell my partner it feels a bit barbaric hacking away at tiny baby clothes. I end up with a bag full of these body parts (in fabric) and pass them on to my friend and colleague Gillian, who may make something crazy out of them, as I do not have the time.
The next job (after figuring out the size of the quilts and how many squares I need to make the patchwork - 140 per quilt - ouch again) is to cut out the squares and half squares in interfacing. The baby grows aren't all big enough to provide the size squares I need, and so as not to waste fabric, I have to put to halves together to make a complete square. This I do in opposing fabrics to make it more interesting. Sometimes , Its a hard to be random, you actually need to plan randomness.
Once I have cut out the interfacing, I iron it to the grows...
Once I get all 280 complete squares, I then shuffle them around and design my pattern, as I don't want to similar squares next to each other. So as to individualize them, I also decide that the middle section will have their names on, I use graph paper to design the pattern, then plan out which squares are going to go where. I sew them up into a patchwork, do loads of seam pressing, then I add a top and a bottom of white Egyptian cotton to make them long enough, The aim is to make them similar size to a single quilt so that they (the girls) can use them as adults. I then attach the wadding by sinc stitching (stitching between the seams of the patchwork to create a pattern and the 'quilted' look. It really isn't easy working with wadding on a big scale. After this I add the backing, which adds Egyptian cotton sheeting (we may as well use something decent as these are made as a luxury item), and finish off with some blanket ribbon at the top and the bottom. Voila, done. As I was waiting for the blanket ribbon to arrive, I started on my next project, which I am really excited about. Its a buzz finishing something, but I get my real creative buzz at the start of a project, when I have the concept, but need to figure out what my colour scheme and resources and end product is going to be. I love working organically, and I love going through all of my fabrics and trimmings to see what I am going to use.
To have a single bed size 'memory blanket' made I would have to charge £200 plus postage and packaging, and if you check out the costings from competitors this is a very reasonable price.
The next job (after figuring out the size of the quilts and how many squares I need to make the patchwork - 140 per quilt - ouch again) is to cut out the squares and half squares in interfacing. The baby grows aren't all big enough to provide the size squares I need, and so as not to waste fabric, I have to put to halves together to make a complete square. This I do in opposing fabrics to make it more interesting. Sometimes , Its a hard to be random, you actually need to plan randomness.
Once I have cut out the interfacing, I iron it to the grows...
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| 2 squares and 2 half squares of interfacing ironed on ready to cut |
Once I get all 280 complete squares, I then shuffle them around and design my pattern, as I don't want to similar squares next to each other. So as to individualize them, I also decide that the middle section will have their names on, I use graph paper to design the pattern, then plan out which squares are going to go where. I sew them up into a patchwork, do loads of seam pressing, then I add a top and a bottom of white Egyptian cotton to make them long enough, The aim is to make them similar size to a single quilt so that they (the girls) can use them as adults. I then attach the wadding by sinc stitching (stitching between the seams of the patchwork to create a pattern and the 'quilted' look. It really isn't easy working with wadding on a big scale. After this I add the backing, which adds Egyptian cotton sheeting (we may as well use something decent as these are made as a luxury item), and finish off with some blanket ribbon at the top and the bottom. Voila, done. As I was waiting for the blanket ribbon to arrive, I started on my next project, which I am really excited about. Its a buzz finishing something, but I get my real creative buzz at the start of a project, when I have the concept, but need to figure out what my colour scheme and resources and end product is going to be. I love working organically, and I love going through all of my fabrics and trimmings to see what I am going to use.
To have a single bed size 'memory blanket' made I would have to charge £200 plus postage and packaging, and if you check out the costings from competitors this is a very reasonable price.
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| Loris Memory Quilt |
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| Edens Memory Quilt |
Very good. Baby grow hedgehog is done !!!
ReplyDeleteAce, I wonder if you can put a photo on here? Thanks G X
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