Memorial Clothing Scrappy Quilt (2 of 2)

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I machine pieced this quilt on my Bernina 240.

I quilted this quilt on my Janome QMP-18 long arm.


Finished size: 72" x 75"

(click on photos to enlarge)
💙FINISHED QUILT:💙




Front piecing: Thirteen pieces of fabric taken from various memorial shirts (T-shirts, button-down shirts, polo shirts, sleeves, pockets). Using fabrics from my stash of green, blue and novelty fabric strips, I filled in between the shirt material with rows of picket-fence blocks as well as four-patches and nine-patches. An outside 3¼" border surrounds the quilt top.


Backing: The backing fabric is Connecting Threads' "Faux Gauze - Grass" (wide backing fabric) .

Quilt Stitching, Pattern: I quilted using edge-to-edge "Don't Leaf Me" by Wasatch Quilting.

Quilt Stitching, Thread: I used "Cashew" (So Fine 50 #405) thread on the front of the quilt.

Quilt Stitching, Thread: I used "Mushroom" (So Fine 50 #404) on the quilt back.

Label: I sewed on a purchased custom label, made from textile ink printed on cotton fabric & backed with a laminating layer.

Click the above photo to view the creation of another quilt made from this loved one's clothing.

💙Special Details included in both quilts:💙







💙PROGRESS PHOTOS:💙
Construction - Blocks:
This project began with a few T-shirts, a cotton button-down shirt, and polo shirt sleeves.

I began by cutting the front and back of each shirt apart, and ironed interfacing onto the back of every shirt piece.

Once I discovered there was going to be a limited number of shirt pieces to work with, I looked through my strips, scraps and novelty fabrics to be sure I had several choices to use for additional piecing, since I wanted the end result to be two oversized lap/couch quilts. I chose colors and prints that reflected the loved one's tastes, interests and hobbies.

On two T-shirt pieces, I embroidered a special short poem I like to use for memorial projects. 

I then framed the poem with squares of applicable novelty fabrics (gardening, sports, nature, home, etc). This was the first "block" I created for each quilt.

I placed the main building blocks on my design wall. I just loosely placed them up there, focusing on color balance, and paying much less attention to spacing or block sizes.
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Initially I was designing both quilts at the same time, but then I shifted focus and completed the layout of each quilt separately. I wanted them similar, but not identical.



I continued to make building blocks by surrounding shirt pieces with fabric. I still wasn't focusing too much on perfecting sizes yet, as I knew I could add to any block to make the pieces work together. 

One of the ways I built-up the shirt pieces was to surround them with four-patches and nine-patches (see yellow markup on photo above)

Four-patches and nine-patches can get misshapen due to their many seams, so pinning to the blocks is priority.

I ended up with 3 vertical columns that contained all of the memorial shirt pieces, but I needed to increase the quilt's overall size (both length and width). I did this by adding strips of scrappy picket-fence blocks (see yellow markup on photo).

Chain piecing fabric strips to build the picket-fence blocks.

Construction - Borders:
I decided to use the same Connecting Threads' "Faux Gauze - Grass" wide backing fabric for the outer borders. Lots of pins and measuring more than once to be sure the borders are the correct needed length.

 Sewed on side borders first, followed by top and bottom.

Quilting:
After the backing is loaded onto my longarm, I place a layer of thin batting over the backing, and then float the pieced quilt top as a final layer. (I chose a thinner batting because the interfacing adds an extra layer to the t-shirt fabrics, and I didn't want the finished quilt to be too heavy).

I used my ProStitcher software to resize, repeat, and wrap the edge-to-edge "Don't Leaf Me" from Wasatch Quilting.

Starting the first of 8 rows (each full row is a little less than 10" high).



Finishing the final row, #8 of 8.

Trimming:
When trimming, I lined up my rulers to cut exactly 3¼" from the outer edge of the quilt center. This helped the quilt remain square.

Binding:

I joined together several 2.5" strips of Free Spirit's Lighthouse Windows by Tula Pink (Sea Grass-Floral Reef), making a total of 310" of binding, which I ironed in half lengthwise.

First I attach the binding strips to the back of the quilt, using my sewing machine and a 1/4" seam.

Then I wrap the binding around and attach it to the front of the quilt. 

I always use my Bernina 240's blind hem foot to ensure precise edges when attaching the binding by machine.

Washing:
I machine washed the finished quilt (cold water, no bleach) using dye trapping sheets to absorb any fabric dyes (I use either Color Catchers or Color Grabbers). 


After washing, the quilt is soft and beautifully wrinkly ... and ready to be used and cherished!

💙QUILT SUMMARY:💙
I machine pieced this quilt on my Bernina 240.
I quilted this quilt on my Janome QMP-18 long arm.
Finished size: 72" x 75"
Front piecing: Thirteen pieces of fabric taken from various memorial shirts, using fabrics from my stash to fill in between the blocks. Surrounded by a 3¼" border.
Back: Connecting Threads' (wide backing fabric) "Faux Gauze - Grass".
Quilting: Edge-to-edge "Don't Leaf Me" from Wasatch Quilting. "Cashew" (So Fine 50 #405) thread on the front, "Mushroom" (So Fine 50 #404) on the back.

Click here to view the creation of another quilt made from this loved one's clothing.

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