Memory Quilts: Wrap Up In A Warm Blanket of Memories

A memory quilt is a lovely quilt pieced together and woven of memories.  Perhaps one such quilt radiates the sunshine of a happy time, such as the birth of a child; or maybe there is a quilt necessary to be the balm for the grief of losing a loved one.  

Memory quilts can be used to commemorate a special life event or time period. The stories they tell can be silly or sad; interesting or full of intense emotions.  Memory quilts help take your most personal emotions of a person, event, place or time and captures it forever.

Most of these quilts use fabric from clothing or articles that have special meaning and depth, and perhaps they tell a story that you want to be sure never fades or will be passed down from generation to generation.

Before making your memory quilt, think of who will be the recipient of the quilt.  

Will it be a gift or are you making it to hold memories for yourself?  This may make a major difference in your quilt’s fabrics, design, and construction. Keep in mind that no matter who will receive the quilt, a quilt label is a must!

Read on for some ideas for your memory quilt.

Happy Times

A lovely quilt holding the memories of childhood is one that incorporates clothing that a child wore throughout a period of time in their lives. 

Those precious baby clothes that you just can’t get rid of because of the special meaning the clothing has for you can be pieced into a quilt top to remind you of your child’s early years or to be given as a gift to them when they are older.

Another idea is creating a gift for the high school or college graduate. Jerseys and t-shirts from a club or from sports teams that the student played on would make a wonderful memento to take on to the next chapter of their life.

Perhaps you wish to commemorate scouting, using all of the scout clothing and kerchiefs worn throughout a person’s childhood and young adulthood.  By cutting up the clothing, you can create beautiful patterns that immortalize this special part of a person’s life.

I have seen wedding quilts made from carefully chosen pieces of fabric from the bride’s dress, her bridesmaid’s dresses, the ring bearers pillow and pieces from the dresses of mothers of the bride and groom.

These quilts memorialize sacred times of joy.

Sad Times

Many memory quilts are made in honor of someone who has passed on.  If you are considering such a quilt, think of the person, their hobbies, their clothing, etc.

There are many ideas using neckties as a major portion of the quilt. Keep in mind that most neckties are made of silk and are not washable. 

It will be important that the quilt always be dry cleaned to preserve the silk material. This having been said, these quilts are lovely, and we have links below to get you started on a variety of necktie quilts.

If the person was in the medical field, there are probably a number of scrubs they have worn that can be cut into quilt pieces.  Oftentimes, scrubs consist of a busy pattern, so be sure to include some solids to even out the quilt design.

Some memory quilts have been composed of headscarves a cancer patient may have worn during their battle with the disease. This quilt would be full of memories for the family and would be a love story of the person who will never be forgotten.

Like quilts of joy, a quilt for someone who has passed away could be made of scraps of any clothing that was worn by the loved one.

HIstoric Memories

Striking quilts can be made using old family photos.  There is a special process to transfer the photos to fabric.  Check out our link below for instructions on how to make such quilts. 

Photo quilts are very versatile as they can honor a specific person, a family, pets, and almost anything you are able to form a theme around.  

You may consider making a quilt that commemorates a person’s time in the armed forces, using fabric from uniforms and other fabric items from their time of service. For many, a quilt honoring this time period of their lives evokes feelings of intense pride.

Take a look at our memory quilt links below and prepare to wrap someone up in the warm hug of a quilt of memories.