keepsake quilt for a teenage boy

it was really fun to take on the challenge of designing a teenage boys keepsake quilt!

his clothes were fun to work with and it was exciting to see it come together!
since the clothes were all very different color ways, i wanted to add bold prints to it for interest and continuity.
each print i added reference's at least one piece of clothing and adds variety and punches of color!

perfect for a TEENAGER!

the backing fabric is one of my all-time favourite prints by Anna Maria Horner! i love the pattern. and for some extra interest i added a strip of the left over fabrics from the front.

hope it inspires you!

xo sandra

baby keepsake quilt

i had the privilege of making a keepsake quilt out of a babies old clothes! it was difficult at first to decide how i was going to use such small clothes on a quilt, but this is what i came up with!

i was able to use some of the clothes as a full piece, which i think REALLY gives you a sense of how little that little man really was!
it was hard to cut up baby clothes... i guess that's why i haven't yet made my kids one. all of their clothes are in their keepsake bins waiting for a time when i can finally get myself to cut them.
i guess that's why it would be easier to get someone else to make it for you : )

i LOVE the free hand piecing in this one! my inspiration was a collage picture wall. i wanted each one to look like it was framed and important!

hope you like it!

xo me

P.S. i have a keepsake quilt pattern available in my etsy shop! it's not this exact pattern but it will give you the tips you need to get creating your own keepsake quilt!!

my little helper*

i hope you had a FABULOUS easter!

i know we did!

there's nothing like a weekend get away...

i always feel refreshed and ready to go

when we return.

this little man is growing like a weed!

literally...

i can't keep up with his clothes size : )

he's been helping me with my next project!

i'm currently working on 3 custom keepsake

t-shirt quilts.

* one for a girl

* one for a pre-teen boy

and

* one for a baby boy!

it was a little difficult cutting up those

baby boy clothes.

they were so TINY and CUTE!

i've made a similar quilt for my niece,

the only difference is that these

are all made with t-shirts.

they are all going to have a

different pattern and fabrics!

i'm excited to see them come together!

now if i can just shake this

head cold...

grandma's hands

more pictures of the quilt can be found here.

my mother-in-laws 60th birthday was coming up and as a family we all wanted to give her something special. what's more special than a handmade gift????

we decided that a quilt would be best...

luckily i know a couple quilters ; )

the handprints were a family effort. everyone traced their handprints. those that lived farther away faxed in their prints. on a saturday we all got together to make the hands (my little sewing room was packed! ). everyone picked their own fabrics. all the ladies traced, i sewed and my husband cut the prints out. all together there are 23 hands.

after the hands were finished my sister-in-law Jess and i got to work on the rest of the quilt. every family has their own branch starting from the oldest (the lower left branch) to the youngest child (the top branch). T + W (as seen on the trunk) stands for Tom and Wendy. the two red love birds are also to symbolize Tom and Wendy. there are 3 apples on the bottom of the tree symbolizing the 3 soon to be born babies in the family. there is a paw print on the bottom of the tree to symbolize Kano, the family dog. the back has a strip similar to a coin quilt to add some fun to the back. and a memory quilt just wouldn't be the same without a hand written tag to commemorate her birthday. the quilt was quilted by our cousin Sylvie. she did an amazing job and we had it back SO quick! you can see more of Sylvie's work here.

it was fun to be able to design this quilt and work on it with my sister-in-law Jess. it definitely was a labour of love. i hope that Wendy knows how much she is loved by her children, her in-laws and her grandchildren. it couldn't have gone to a more deserving person.

xo

sandra