Memories can be permanently connected to us in the form of smells, sounds, or, seeing something familiar. When we make a memory quilt this is truly the case. With each block, a memory or experience is shown and felt. It can be an emotional journey filled with sentiment, healing, forgiveness, love, gratitude, and connection. We thought we’d share the story of this quilt and hope you enjoy it and inspires you to find those simple pieces of clothes and turn them into heirlooms.
“When I was about eight years old my grandfather told me he was going to have grandma make me a blue dress to match my eyes. She did just that. It was my favorite dress, with ribbons, and fancy buttons…I was the princess of the town! This dress has been a treasure to me ever since and I never got rid of it. Instead, after I grew out of the dress my mother made it into a pioneer bonnet that I wore many times since. I still have that bonnet today.
We each have memories attached to clothes, blankets, linen, and so on. At times we may feel a need to hold onto those…but what do you do with it? Have a box of clothing and fabric you never look at but you still have it for “memory’s” sake? What if you changed it into a memory quilt?
What is a memory quilt? Good question! It is where you take different pieces of clothing and create a quilt. It can be all your old sports shirts, it can be a loved one’s clothes that have passed, it can be any material that brings a happy memory to you that you may cherish in a beautiful and artistic way.
My Grandma’s sister made a different kind of memory quilt. She organized family members to create a square of all of her aunts and uncles with a block in the middle about her grandparents. It is a beautiful quilt that shows one’s life legacy. You can read more information about my great-grandmother’s square here!
The video below tells a family history. My friend’s siblings got together and gathered up “Grandma’s Linen Closet” and made the blanket shown in the video. Each sibling shared a memory about one of the pieces of cloth/clothing. I created this video with a narration of each memory along with the piece of the quilt it goes with. Watch and enjoy the memories that arise from Grandma’s Linen Closet!
What did you think? Have you ever made a memory quilt? After watching this do you want to make a family memory quilt? Let me know in the comments!
Patchwork Quilting Services