Saturday, March 9, 2013

Fun With Bricks


 Fun With Bricks is a memory quilt I made for my niece.

The idea started with a collection of bandana handkerchiefs that were her father's "trademark" of sorts.  His passion in life was the outdoors.  His occupation was landscaper.  The bandanas were a necessity because all his life he suffered from a myriad of allergies.  She sent along a few other pieces she had collected (6 total elements) and asked "will you make me a quilt."

 The pattern "Fun With Bricks" from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville fit the bill in a number of ways.  It allowed me to use a large variety of fabrics so I could make this "mish mash" blend together, it presented a constant diagonal pattern to showcase the Disney print containing Tigger (my nieces nickname given to her by her father as a baby) that represents a thread common to her life.  (and Roo, a nickname she has given her partner)  And last but not least, it represents an aspect of her father's life.  He had a knack for taking discarded sidewalk bricks and turning them into works of art in patios and other garden features.  The smaller photos below are my attempt to show the elements provided and the back of the quilt. 

The kindergarden numbers I inserted with MSPaint point out the pieces in the box she sent. 
1.  fishing related fabrics
2.  Disney fabric
3. Bandanas in red, blue, and orange
4.  A heart motif
5.  A baby onsie with a phrase she liked
and 6. a frog (he didn't seem to fit on the front so I put him on the back) the backing fabric is a piece I bought just for Tigger.  This was the perfect time to give it to her.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

A celebration of life in 6 quilts

Memory Quilts are often made from a loved ones clothing.  These 6 quilts contain the work clothes, dress clothes, and play clothes of a dear friend of ours.  Each has some special memories for the recipient making each one original.  One for his wife and each of their children.  It has been a special journey for me to make these.  I trust they will be treasured by all who remember him.