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First year clothing quilt

5/11/2018

 
Several years ago I made a quilt with this design for a little girl.  Now, I was lucky enough to make one for her younger sister.  This memory quilt is filled with onesies, pjs, and even a unicorn costume!  Her mom picked out hospital textiles and a few other recognizable items for the back.  Such a sweet family.  Repeat customers make this labor of love even more extra meaningful to me.  

Memory Quilt Using Nursery Room Colors

3/28/2018

 
I have really dropped the ball on remembering to post my recent work but this quilt jogged my memory.  I finished it just as the first day of spring was arriving and the colors of this quilt really did make it feel like winter was coming to an end.  I love how this design incorporates both whole blocks of fabric and bordered blocks to help highlight some of the smaller images, while also repeating some fabrics. Can't wait for it to arrive at it's new home.   

Memory quilt from mom & dad's clothing                   for their newborn baby

6/27/2017

 
This is a truly unique newborn baby gift because it's made for baby from mom and dad's meaningful clothing!  In this case, the birds are made from wedding and bar mitzvah yarmulkes and the wings are textiles with shared importance to the couple like fabric from their first apartment together.  The clothing bordering the birds is a combination of baby clothes, events, college and travel memories.  The baby's gender is a surprise so I worked hard to keep it as gender neutral as possible.

Onesie decorating - A side project

5/17/2017

 
I'm not the most organized type A person so usually when tasked with hosting a baby shower I grin and bear it.  But everything changed when asked to help with my friend Samantha's shower.  The mom to be was hoping to have a onesie decorating station where guests could craft and create tiny clothes for the newborn.  I've seen this before with stencils and puffy paint and have always thought the results were less than desirable. There might be a few really cute ones but they'd be mixed in with a bunch of mess.  I decided to do a few things differently for this gender neutral shower activity.

Samantha is a pretty holistic, all natural person.  I thought it would look cute to have the clothes be different colors but I didn't want to use any harsh chemical dyes.  I decided to try dyeing with natural ingredients like vegetables, fruits, and flowers.  This site was a great resource.  I basically turned our kitchen into a science lab and created dye after dye 24/7.  I couldn't think of anything else and we ate really healthily that week so that I had a ton of onion skins and avocado pits to boil.  The bright yellow - turmeric!  How cool is that?

After the dyeing, I created a bunch of fabric applique shapes that people could adhere to the clothes.  I also lined  a bunch of fabric with adhesive paper so guests could create their own designs, which they did!  This activity, both the prep, and the day of, was so much fun. Samantha is thrilled that her babe will be outfitted for his/her first year and now I don't have to cringe when asked to host a shower.  

Finishing a memory quilt for Mayim Bialik

10/10/2016

 
​I’m so excited to finally write about my latest project that I’ve been keeping under wraps for a long time…..a memory quilt for Mayim Bialik!
 
Mayim, of The Big Bang Theory, and I have a friend in common who put the two of us in touch.  Five years ago Mayim actually began hand sewing a memory quilt for her sons using some of their baby clothes and other meaningful textiles.  Unfortunately, she was forced to stop after a significant car accident and hand surgery left her unable to finish it.  That’s where I come in.  

Photos of the unfinished quilt
​Mayim shipped to me
(plus other textiles to include)

Finishing a memory quilt that someone else has started is no joke.  It's seriously a sensitive business.  Mayim had already put so much time, energy, and love into her small patchwork quilt.  I think we were both a bit nervous for her to hand it over to me.  That said, we talked through every step of the process, including pattern design and color choices, making sure we were on the same page.  I know it was difficult for Mayim when I disassembled the quilt top but, ultimately, it was important to strengthen the fabrics so that the quilt would hold its shape and be structurally sound for many years to come. 

Mayim's original quilt blocks being lined with interfacing for strength and stability

Mayim mailed me the original unfinished quilt top plus an eclectic mix of other textiles that had sentimental value including a bright blue sari, orange tulle, and purple cashmere sweater material.  It was challenging but totally fun to piece these new materials together with the tiny 3” x 3” original quilt blocks. I’m so thrilled that I had the opportunity to collaborate with Mayim to reimagine and make this keepsake for her family.  I’m so pleased with the result and I hope they enjoy it forever.  

The finished product
(Mayim's original quilt fabric plus the new material)

Mayim has also blogged about this memory quilt.  You can read about her experience here on Kveller. 

Monster "Memory Mini" Quilt

5/10/2016

 
This little piece quickly climbed the ranks to become one of my favorites!  What started out as a newborn onesie (picked out by an excited soon-to-be dad) has been transformed into a keepsake wall hanging.  

When their baby outgrew his monster onesie, mom shipped it to me.  Now this mini-quilt, which can be framed or hung on a dowel, is headed back to their home.  It's embroidered on the back with "first father's day" and will be a special surprise gift for d
ad.  

Henry's Quilt - 10 years of clothes

4/14/2016

 
Henry's mom always knew she wanted to make a memory quilt and she saved up his clothes from day one,  After handing over a huge collection of clothing, his mom was cracking me up; continuing to add "just a few more" items as he outgrew them during the design process!  This project includes Henry's hospital blanket, security blanket, pajamas, a necktie and TONS of t-shirts.  I love that you can see his growth over time in the entirety of this quilt.  Its a huge one and I hope that Henry enjoys using it on his bed for many years and takes it to college!  

First year memories in a quilt

12/17/2015

 

A Christmas gift for Grandma

This stylish quilt is made from a huge collection of onesies and other baby clothes. My client was looking for a clean, modern look, and this pattern perfectly highlights each of the small images.  With the rush to mail before Christmas, I wasn't able to properly photograph so the pictures really don't do this one justice.  
It always amazes me how without even knowing the child/families personally, I feel such a connection by the time the quilt is finished after hours of pouring over each detail of the garments.  
Merry Christmas to you all and I hope that grandma loves her gift!  

Memory Birds on a Wire

8/31/2015

 
It doesn't take a zillion t-shirts to create a meaningful memory quilt.  This sweet gift for a grandma was made using just 3 tiny shirts and an infant hat.  Five years ago these clothes were gifts from grandma to baby.  Now that he is entering kindergarten, the family asked me to use them to create a special keepsake for her.  This quilted wall hanging is the result.  On the back is a personalized quilt label made by transferring the boy's handwriting with embroidery.      

Dyllan's Quilt & Pillows

1/20/2015

 
Dyllan's mom, Dina, sent me the most beautiful collection of baby and mama textiles including his "coming home outfit" and receiving blanket, and her "good luck dress" that she wore to doctor appointments, and the dress she wore to the hospital.    

Dina asked me to make a quilted wall hanging and pillows that would add both meaning and style to Dyllan's nursery.  She hopes that one day when he is older Dyllan will be able to take the pieces with him.
  
I really enjoyed working on this project for a very sweet family, and I think that their modern keepsakes turned out so chic.  I hope Dyllan and his parents get a ton of pleasure out of seeing them everyday.  
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    I'm Jenna; the owner of Memory Threads.  I'll turn your meaningful clothing collection into a quilt full of sentiment and style.    

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