It’s interesting to see that people in countries other than ours use quilting and fabric art to commemorate the lost in wartime.  Quilts have long been associated with war in the United States.  Either women made them to send to those on the war front, to sell for raising funds for war efforts, or to use as a commemorative piece.
At Hobobiker.com I discovered an interesting story and photo about a quilt in Guatemala, Patchwork quilt to honor the dead and disappeared of the civil war. 
It seems that quilters have a common bond no matter where they live.  In times of tragedy, …read more

What a marvelous idea!  One of my readers let me know she’s getting married soon and has a great idea for the guest book.  I’ll let her tell your herself:
“I’m getting married in 1 1/2 weeks.  We are going to have our guests sign quilt squares, instead of the traditional “guest book”!  I am so excited – I think it will make a great heirloom!”
I agree.  I think this will make a lovely heirloom wedding quilt, and I’m pleased Jenny shared her idea with us.
Perhaps you’d like to see the post,  A Wedding Quilt in Australia, that inspired Jenny to …read more

I received a flyer in the mail today telling me about cards for Creative Scrap Quilting projects.  What caught my attention was the picture of a delicate hanging with lace and patchwork heart.
Sewn to the heart were buttons, embroidery scissors, spoon, key, lacy glove, handkerchief, thimble and other embellishments.  Whether this was a memory creation, with items from one person’s life, or was simply an attractive collection, I don’t know.
However, this gave me the idea of taking items from my mother’s life, my aunt’s and my life that simply are taking up space in a drawer.  This quilt could be …read more

The quilt is well worn from love and use.  However, I found it so interesting when a friend brought it out of her closet to spread over a table we were using for a display.
“What interesting fabrics with designs for children,” I remarked.
She explained the quilt had been made from outgrown dresses and play outfits her daughter had worn more than 25 years ago.  As the child outgrew the clothes, my friend’s mother kept them and eventually created this quilt.
The pattern was simple.  Rectangular pieces were sewn together in strips.  However, the mom pointed out patches from a dress, a romper …read more

Creating a Memory Quilt of a special person or occasion in your life can be an enjoyable project.  There are so many ways you can do this to make it meaningful to you and others.  Sometimes this quilt or piece of fabric art may be designed and made by one person; it also could contain contributions by many family members.
*Use a number of blocks that relate to various occasions in the person’s life.  These may be symbolic, or they could be pictorial. 
*Make a small wall hanging that  is reminiscent of one aspect or occasion in that person’s life.  My daughter made a …read more

To develop more awareness of Alzheimer’s and spread knowledge about this disease, quilters in Blount County, Tennessee are designing a memory quilt which will hand in the Blount county Museum.  The Blount County Outreach Council, under the direction of Trula Jones, whose mother has Alzheimer’s, developed a plan to increase community awareness and help fight this disease.
The colors in this Alzheimer’s awareness quilt – black, green, gold and red – are associated with African-American tradition.
For more information about this memory quilt, visit The Daily Times ( www.thedailytimes.com ).  Click on “health times” and scroll down to the story for 8/26. Also you …read more

As I look at quilt blocks found among family memorabilia or pieces saved from a quilt made for my mother’s wedding, I realize these are quilts that span time and generations.  They were made more than 75 years ago, perhaps longer. 
What was the story behind them?  Who made them? 
I know that the quilt was made as a wedding gift for my parents.  If Mother ever mentioned who the quiltmaker was, I don’t recall.  When I found the quilt again, Mother was too much afflicted by Alzheimer’s to communicate.  Perhaps, some day, the story of the quilt will come to mind, …read more

Memory Quilts exist in an even greater variety than I imagined.  As I began doing some research on the topic, I discovered the Quilting Beez (www.quiltingbeez.com ).  Laurie Bird and Carole Bloom started out with a memory quilt kit for quilters to use as their basic building block.  Now they’ve evolved into a place where you can get ideas, purchase kits, or have memory quilts custom made.
I realized that in addition to the memory quilts I described at my previous blog, “The Quilting Spirit – Thoughs on Memory Quilts,” you can make quilts representing your pets, quilts about a specific …read more

Memory Quilts can take a variety of forms and may involve quilts made specifically to evoke memories or include those that bring back memories of special times in our lives. 
*My daughter made a quilt, when her husband was ill with cancer, that could be considered a Family Quilt or Memory Quilt to her.  She made patterns of her husband’s hand, the children’s hands, and hers.  Then she cut these from fabric and incorporated them into a quilt that she could hang on the wall.
This quilt has sepecial significance for her family of a time when they were pulling together for her husband’s recovery.  …read more