Mamaka Mills custom memory quilt, for a family...

Mamaka Mills is a recycled fabric and custom memory quilter. She made this darling quilt for a family who lost their 5 year old daughter using her clothing and other fabrics sentimental to them.  You can read more about this family here.  I think this is such a sweet service for families. So special... Be sure to check out Mamaka Mills Blog.

This is a custom memory quilt that I made for a family using lots of recycled clothing and very sentimental fabrics. As you can see in this pic, a lot of the clothing was vintage, belonging to a couple generations...

There were pieces of clothing as well as bits of fabrics from old sofas, curtains and handmade items that were of sentimental value to the family...

I had to first interface the clothing that was knit or too weak to withstand quilting. There were also some old fashioned swimming bloomers (lined with a waterproof plastic) that I had to attach some non woven interfacing to.

I then started to cut the pieces into strips and proceeded to sew!

I then finished the quilt with a double heart pantograph, of their choosing.

The border was done with clothing from their young grand daughter, 

who had passed away the previous year.

On the back of the quilt I used some of their old t shirts that I wanted to keep whole instead of cutting them up into small strips.

I think this quilt came out beautifully and the family was so happy with it when I was done. :)

Daydreams, Teeny tiny quilts...

If you are at all emotional right come back and read later. This one is really hard for me to post. I have never lost a child. I don't know anything close to that pain. But I do know the love I have for each of my children and just the thought of losing one of them is too much. This is such a sweet and special quilt from Liz of teeny tiny quilts. Liz, I don't know you at all, but the fact that you would take the time to make up this quilt for a little 2 year old you never knew, I just know you are a wonderful person. Thank goodness for people like you!

DAYDREAMS

This quilt is for a little girl named Willa, a girl not much younger than my own nearly-three-year-olds. I don’t actually know her. She lives in Pennsylvania, and her mother is a friend of a friend. This friend of mine pointed me to Willa’s mom’s blog. I read it and I cried and cried and cried. Willa is dying.

In addition to being born with a rare and serious medical condition, they then discovered a tumor. Cancer. Inoperable. I’m not sure she was even two years old at the time.

My heart broke into a million tiny pieces. I wanted so badly to do something to help, but what can I do? Aside from not being a doctor or a creator of miracles, I don’t even live anywhere close to them. I can’t make a batch of cookies or bring over a few nights’ worth of dinner.

But I can sew. I could make Willa a quilt. Is it a particularly practical gift? No, I suppose not. But I have a little girl. She likes to get surprises in the mail, she likes pretty things. All I can hope to do is to send a little smile via Express Mail.

Oh, and the latest blog entry says that the tumor is growing. They’ve stopped treatment and met with hospice. Willa is at home. That’s why I rushed to finish it as fast as I could. I thought there might be more time, but I was so very sadly wrong. So I finished it and sent it Express. Tracking says it arrived last week. I haven’t heard from Willa’s mom, yet. I have no idea if it made it there in time.

As for the practical details of the quilt:

It is my second time doing the Stacked Coins tutorial, which I cannot recommend highly enough. If you have a couple of charm packs lying around and want to make something beautiful and super fast, this is the ticket. It’s the perfect size for a baby/toddler quilt, about 40×50. The charm packs in this case were Moda Daydreams, which is a few years old but I found them last fall in Colorado and was waiting for just the right use.

Backing is Amy Butler Full Moon Dots in Camel and a blue tone-on-tone butterfly print from my stash, which the selvedge said was by Anna Griffin. Binding is Full Moon Dots in Lime. I quilted it in my favorite (and fast, though my machine was acting up and breaking thread a lot) loopy stipple, and the white pretty much disappears into the quilt.

Like I said, I have no idea if it made it there in time for Willa to see it or snuggle with it. I can only hope that it gave her, and her mom, a smile.

UPDATE, JULY 8

I got a beautiful thank you card in the mail from Willa’s mom. Not only did Willa get it and like it, “she hugs it and won’t let anyone take it away.”

UPDATE, JULY 9

Unfortunately, the post-script of the story is that, the day after I got the thank you note from Heather, Willa passed away on July 9, 2010. She was not quite 2 1/2. So sad. But I'm glad the quilt arrived and gave her a smile.

On a happier note, go check out Liz's site.  This woman has some serious quilting inspiration! She is definitely one of those girls that makes you feel like you don't know how to manage time at all if she can crank out all she does. She has her own personal quilting factory with one employee! Seriously! Just looking all she completes makes me tired! Thanks Liz.

Twin boys lost, special quilts made...

Sadly often times quilts are made in sadness to bring loved ones comfort. These are my favorite stories. When you can pour all your sadness and love into creating a quilt to bring some peace to those hurting.  This story is from AJ of  AJ's Antics. She made these quilts for a loss of two little boys....thanks for sharing your story AJ. We are sorry for the loss of Samuel and Jack.

These two little quilts came about out of pure sadness.

Today is Jack and Samuel’s due date.

Although being twins they would have been delivered earlier and therefore already in loving arms, instead they are in a different pair of loving arms. Jack and Samuel were born at just 19 weeks and 1 day and sadly passed into God's kingdom shortly after. Although perfect they were just too little to survive.

My cousin and her husband and their small daughter have been burdened with a terrible heartache that will stay with them forever.

I made their big sister a quilt for her birth and after hearing the news of their passing I decided that they still deserved to have some little quilts to honour their births too.

I had been saving this Amy Butler fabric for something special and I couldn't think of anything better to use it for. I decided on two different quilts because although there were twins they were also individuals. The heart blocks I though appropriate as they will always remain in our hearts forever. I was planning on making them a bit smaller but my head wasn't in the right place to be working out measurements and re-sizing the blocks.

I used my machine to stitch their names, birth date and times onto the corner of the front. Although I know it is not something that their mother will ever forget.

These two little boys were and still are so loved. I think of them often and wish that they were here with us right now.

Rest in Peace Jack and Samuel We love you!

Thanks AJ for sharing your sweet story. Bless your family. Everyone be sure to check out her blog. Some fun inspiring stuff happening over there...and she just did her (edited 700th) post!!! Can you imagine???

"Hope Grows quilt" by lovely bud...

Don't just scan through and admire the photos here, this is a beautiful post and quilt by lovely bud. She lost her little baby boy and needed a way to transfer her grief. Thank you for letting us share your sweet story about your precious baby boy....

i think we most truly know and are connected to something when we lose it

i think we are forever captured in that moment, tied to what we lost. the pain holds us tight and teaches us our destiny

the movie "master and commander" tells the story of an english naval captain and his crew aboard their ship during the napoleonic wars. the crew is comprised of both hardened old seamen and fresh young boys that don't even seem old enough to leave home. one of those youths loses both his arm and his best friend at sea. as i re-watched it recently i realized those losses didn't drive him from the sea, rather they tied him inseparably to it.

my deepest loss, my greatest pain came while creating, while mothering - i lost my third son during birth on his due date six months ago

and now i can't stop creating - if a day goes by without creating art, teaching my children, sewing, cooking or gardening i feel like i am dyeing

and i am now united to motherhood in a way i was not before,

i am forever bound to the act that caused me the greatest pain, defined by my life's deepest loss and i am so grateful

he never spoke a word but he taught me more than anyone

i am grateful but i wish it had never happened. i only want to hold him alive but i trust God's plan. what craziness, but if you have experienced it you understand

so this is for the women with aching empty arms and holes in their hearts this mother's day. for the women who long to bear children, who have lost grown children, who have to grieve their baby's death instead of celebrating their birth

you are a mother in such a special, intense way, committed to mothering even when it costs you all you have. your treasure is in heaven. your broken heart is beautiful, strong

and for those that hold perfect healthy children, the challenge is to not drift away unawares. to deeply know and love and cherish what we hold without the sting of losing these gifts

my baby's body rests in the sea - alone, but my son is in heaven with Jesus. i thought i admired both places before, but they are indescribably beautiful to me now

for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also - matthew 6:21

Six months ago I lost my son. I found out two months after losing him that I was pregnant again. In order not to give in to fear I have committed myself to creating like never before. God has calmed my heart as I have busied my hands making things and it has been very healing to see beautiful things made in the aftermath of such loss and brokenness. I sketched ideas for my very first quilt and a drawing of a single flower, rising out of a vase to reach out a window came naturally. Realizing that this was an image of the hope I was longing for I began to make this quilt. Pictured above is the front and below is the back.

I ordered several fabrics for the quilt that ended up not being quite right so I was so excited when I found this Moda fabric that V and Co. was selling in her shop. My process was pretty simple. I sketched my design on big paper the size of the quilt. Then I traced over the flower and vase to make patterns for the appliques before I cut out the large shapes that I would make the quilt out of. I laid the paper and tracing paper patterns directly on the fabric and cut around them leaving a seam allowance. Then I pieced together the front and back of the quilt using basic sewing technique.

I ordered several fabrics for the quilt that ended up not being quite right so I was so excited when I found this Moda fabric that V and Co. was selling in her shop. My process was pretty simple. I sketched my design on big paper the size of the quilt. Then I traced over the flower and vase to make patterns for the appliques before I cut out the large shapes that I would make the quilt out of. I laid the paper and tracing paper patterns directly on the fabric and cut around them leaving a seam allowance. Then I pieced together the front and back of the quilt using basic sewing technique.

Here are some detail shots of the quilt. And for all you who may be good at drawing and designing but feel that your sewing skills are sketchy - YOU CAN make a quilt! You can draw out a design, make your own pattern and use basic sewing techniques that are explained in a myriad of fabulous blogs... and then you can send your quilt out to be quilted and bound (I am thankful that I have a wonderful teammate in my mom) I know, I know, learning to quilt it probably isn't that scary either.... But for those of us with a phobia of math, measuring and matching corners, this may just be our niche - freehand quilt pictures?!

Since all quilters are artists, their work must be signed! Here's to you lovely bud blog and all the creations you have inspired in your young life.  

and while I hope for healthy babies and many years to watch them grow, my hope and my faith is in God because there is more to life than this world... and I am thankful for His love and the gift He has given us to follow in His creative nature

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."