Memories to Heirlooms

Community. It is important to me that shopping locally helps the environment and the local economy, but I also care about local business people and love that they care about me.  ​

Lynn at Rainbow Vison Stained Glass is a fantastic example.  

• She is sincerely interested in my current project and remembers my past projects better than I do! 
• She knows her stock AND my taste, so she is always a fantastic help.
• She is a great teacher, and enthusiastically supports people learning the craft because it is her passion.
• She goes out of her way to help, and I consider her a friend.

Other local business I highly recommend:
Amy Holland Pottery in Litiz PA- Fabulous pottery teacher and beautiful pottery
B&G Lumber in Elizabethtown PA - Custom cut lumber and project support
Hostetter's Hardware, Mount Joy PA - Knowledgeable, friendly people in every department
The Flower Wagon in Lititz PA - Healthy, affordable plants, and family owned

​Meg and four siblings spent three years in Germany because of her father's US Air Force assignment.  In those years, her mother, MomMom, established traditions that lasted through the years and are honored by three generations.  Meg brought me two of the children's capes that the girls wore and asked me to make pillows for each of sisters and brother.  She also wanted to include a cardinal to represent her mother.

​Along with the capes were two hoods, three metal buttons, and two of the fabric pieces that formed the neck closure.  I removed the trim from the edges of the garments to make it easier to incorporate in the design.

There were two moth holes that I fixed by felting them with extra fabric, adding to the longevity of the finished heirloom.
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​Three of the pillows incorporated a pocket from the cape which aligned perfectly for the use of a metal button and held the Story Starter booklet, which I create for each piece.  The neck tabs were attached to two of these pillows.  The trim at the bottom of the piece mimicked the cape.  The back of each heirloom came from the original lining.

​The front and back of the collar came together to form a lovely oval that framed the cardinal well.  The earpiece of the hood created the pocket on the back.

Meg's kids grew up knowing me as "jeangerdes" and are dear to me.  I have met their cousins and most of their nieces and nephews, so of course, with Meg's permission, I made ornaments for each.  I knew MomMom would look down and be pleased.  I put the child's name on the back of the ornament for the third generation. Each one has a pocket to hold the story of this special ornament.

​Do you have cherished items that are holding stories that need to be shared?  Contact me so we can start stitching them together.

Recently I was asked to make a rainbow welcome quilt for the Akron Zion Luthern Church.  Of course, I was thrilled to help support a mission of making everyone feel safe and incluced.

​My clients provided a quilting design for each column of the rainbow.

​The background of the welcome was quilted all over (stippled) to provide interest and dimension.

The quilt is now a warm welcome to all who enter this Church and their Facebook page!  I hope that soon there will be a day when people wonder why this was necessary.

I love that my talents serve others.  Usually, I collaborate with clients on very personal projects which are meaningful to them and their loved ones.  This project was unique because the quilt sends a message of love to the community.  

Feel free to contact me to get started on a project that is meaningful to you! 

What a coach wants most is to know if they made a difference.  This patch was made up of words or phrases from former players and the coaching staff to honor 40 years of coaching.  They were pieced together to form a design and then embroidered to create a meaningful keepsake that would make a great pillow, bag, or quilt.  Have an outstanding teacher, coach, or scout leader you would like to honor?  Contact me so we can get started.