Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Quilted Keepsakes
In my massive cleaning frenzy, I came across some photos I thought were long gone. These small quilts are wallhangings that I made for 3 of my friends when they graduated from Law School and Physical Therapy School. I asked each of them for a pic of them when they were kids, then printed those photos onto rayon (the most excellent material for printing from your computer because it's so tightly woven and bright white.) They're all roughly 12 inches by 14 inches.
To print on fabric, if it's not going to go through the wash ever, I skip the Bubble Jet Set. I just iron the natural fiber (cotton, rayon, linen) onto freezer paper, then trim very carefully to 8.5 by 11 inches and tape the stringy edges nicely. Think of how you would feel if you were a printer. Make it as smooth as possible to go through your printer! Then just heat set it with your iron and lots of steam. Easy!
I tried to make each piece a little like my friend.
Mary is very girly and likes lace, so I took an antique hankerchief and some vintage lace and quilted around each bunch of flowers.
Julia's is there at the top. Riding her bike with her dad. She's a lawyer now, and still riding her bike! I wish I could zoom in on that quote a little better, but who knows. I think it says "Love the moment and the energy (?) of that moment will spread beyond all time." She's a lawyer now, and very witty, so I hope it's a very intelliWhen I saw this pic I actually thought--holy crap, did I hand quilt that? Yep, I guess in days gone by I actually had time on my hands.
And Arianne's quilt is very bold and colorful, even though she's one of the absolutely kindest, sweetest people I know. And probably the person whom I've had the goofiest times with, outside my immediate family and Jason. We have inside jokes and quotes like you wouldn't believe (or think are funny). That's a pic with her 2 brothers.
I wish I was independently wealthy and could exclusively make stuff for people I love. Alas, I need to make some craft-supply money to purchase more fabric, and more fabric, and more fabric.
But these do make lovely keepsakes. At least, my nearest and dearest seemed to really like these. You could use any pic you wanted, just tack on some personal effects and make a couple of loops with embroidery thread on the upper corners in the back.
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I especially love the brightly colored one at the bottom! Great idea. You could make them really funky if you wanted!
These are great! You could make them pretty quickly, too, I would imagine.
Sweet gift idea!
You are such a good friend. Your custom work is always so thoughtful.
Thanks for sharing your beloved memory quilts. I started crafting "fabric postcards" this year and have gotten wonderful warm thanks from the friends and family who received them. Here is a link to my blog post featuring my first fabric postcard lovingly made for my good friend who, at the 42 years, celebrated her 5-year breast cancer survivor anniversary! Woo hoo!!
Here is the link:
http://capital-sew-and-sew.blogspot.com/2007/04/five-years-and-many-more-to-go.html
OoooOOOooo these are nice...I know this girl who is moving into her first apartment in August. I bet she would like some more artwork and stuff. I heard she's really funny and likes bright colors. Also she was an adorable child, waaay cuter than her sisters. Her birthday is July 18th, too. Let me know if you'd like her number...
Do you use the freezer paper like iron-on transfer paper? That stuff is a fortune and if I could do it this way, I would have a lot more options. Can you elaborate on this technique?
Love your work. I, too, take such pleasaure making fabric "postcards". Here are a couple of examples of my gifts:
http://capital-sew-and-sew.blogspot.com/2007/07/for-warren-for-phyllis-for-me.html
and
http://capital-sew-and-sew.blogspot.com/2007/04/five-years-and-many-more-to-go.html
Thanks again!
I wish I had quilting skills...but I suck. Nice stuff.
Oddly also from Missouri and moving to Tennessee. Weird.