Memory Quilt

Layout graph

     My daughter teaches at a Catholic school.  Near the end of the last school year, one of the mom's was killed in a random shooting while coming home from a weekend away with the family.  It was devastating to say the least.

Batting and backing

      They asked me to make a quilt for each child.  The kids in each of their grades drew a loving note or picture for the child.  They also included photos of them with their mom and some of their classmates.

Top pinned in place

     I graphed out where I would put the photos and children's squares.  Then I added squares from my scraps to fill out the other places.  The original thought was to include pieces from the mom's clothing but it was much too soon for the family to part wth anything.

Sewn, ready to be trimmed

     After piecing the top, I layered the batting, flannel backing with the right side up and then the quilt top, right side down.  I stitched around, leaving an opening.  I then turned it all right sides out, edge stitched around the outside edges and then quilted around each of the photos.

    I still tear up when I think about these quilts.  I just hope they have brought some comfort to the children.

Taxi Cab Quilt

Finished quilt

     I made this quilt at retreat in March.  I had bought the fat quarters the previous quilt retreat and then added the background, binding, backing and flange fabric from Quilt Play near my house.

Black and quilting detail

     I chose a tiny print black for the background and then found a great stripe that I wanted to use for the binding.

Close up of binding and flange

     To make it more fun I cut the binding on the bias and also added a narrow flat flange.

Back

     The backing is the yellow, black and white in a floral print, hence the name of the quilt, Flower Power Taxi Cab.

Label 1

     I added my two labels, one with the name of the quilt and the year.  The other has the info about who pieced it and who quilted it.

Label 2

     This is a fairly easy quilt and I would do it again.  This is the second time I have used this pattern, Quilt in a Day, Hole in the Wall.

Passport to Style Blouse

Fabric

     I sewed another blouse from Cutting Line Designs.  This one is the Passport to Style blouse.  I bought the fabric and pattern at the 2016 ASG Conference in Indianapolis.  I liked this print because of the softer colors and that it would go nicely with the taupe core four wardrobe I was putting together.

Pattern

     As usual Louise Cutting's directions are excellent.  I only wish I had made it one size smaller.  I was debating between two sizes and probably could have gone smaller.  It fits okay but is a little big in the underarm area.

Finished blouse

     The fabric was easy to work with but as it is a linen it will always be wrinkled unless freshly ironed.  I will just deal with it.

Blouse styled with taupe skirt

     I have worn the blouse a couple of times already and have gotten some nice compliments.  I am looking forward to making it again.

Medal Embroidery

All done stitching

     My husband and I are participating in a series of races in Wisconsin.  You get a medal for finishing the race.  This year all the medals in the series are the same except for the color of ribbon.

Basting box for placing the ribbon

     There was a sticker on the back of some of them indicating the race but no other identifying info.  I decided to embroider the name of the race on the ribbon.

     I measured the width of the ribbon and chose a heavier font to lay on top of the grosgrain ribbon.  I adjusted the height of the lettering to fit on the ribbon and then adjusted the width of the name if necessary so I could do them in my 5 x 7 hoop.  I then added a basting stitch.

Holding the medals while stitching

     I hooped sticky paper and stitched the first color which was the basting box.  I then laid the ribbon on the sticky and repeated the basting box to hold the ribbon down.  I did have to support the medal as it stitched the lettering since it was heavy and may have pulled the ribbon off the sticky paper.

     Then all I had to do was remove the bating stitch, tear the ribbon off the paper and pick out all the little pieces on the back.  We will now be able to always know which medal came from which race.