Memories to Heirlooms

My clients are kind, sentimental, and generally looking for a way to share and preserve the story of a loved one or memory. I tend to feel an instant bond with them and am grateful to "meet" their loved ones through their eyes. Ryan's story is the most recent I worked on, and after hearing about how joyful, generous, and full of life he was, I genuinely wish I had met him and heard his laugh.

In the bag delivered to me were nine plaid shirts and one Crippled Bear Inn t-shirt. The t-shirt was significant because it represented his hometown and many great hunting trips. For the centerpiece--a buck head stencil. We decided on a brown background and, to honor Ryan's love of hunting, the camo from fabric option 2.

I cut four squares from each shirt and applied interfacing to each to keep it from stretching. After working hard to be random with the layout, my sister helped me reorganize it with a pattern in mind. As usual, the end product is always better when we work together.

Although correct for the turned head, the right antler seemed unbalanced to me. However, when I duplicated the left antler, we liked it and decided to go with that. We also discussed camo vs. black for the head and decided on black.

The finished product is a lap quilt or wall hanging. I am pleased with how the plaids blended and brought your eye to the center. I made sure the brown border on the back was as wide as the pocket to hold the Story Starter. I chose a pocket from a shirt that buttoned closed. The Crippled Bear Inn shirt looks perfect featured on the back.

I was excited to find an embroidery design that mimicked the stencil on the quilt. It added to the messaging. A Story Starter tag fits snugly in the monogrammed pocket on the back. Of course, there had to be a touch of camo. They are a great keepsake of the life of a remarkable man.

I feel truly blessed to work with such wonderful clients who collaborate with me. The result is always better when we work together.

Have a person or memory you would like to honor with an heirloom? Contact me; I would love to discuss it with you.

Especially when so many are struggling, I was thrilled to be asked to make this welcome quilt so it could hang at the entrance of a local church. It was displayed there for two years before I got a call that there was a problem. Can you see it? Yes, the bottom columns of color are out of order--once you see it, you can't unsee it!

Thankfully, my clients, Steve and Nancy, contacted me and allowed me to correct it. I hand-sewed new fabric over the orange and yellow pieces on this quilt and had it back to them before the next church service. I also made a second one for them because it was the right thing to do. So now they have the original hanging to make everyone feel welcome and a spare to share however they wish!