I've discovered the Blogger's Quilt Festival at amyscreativeside.com by Amy Ellis. So much inspiration to be found there! And it's a great way to meet other bloggers, see their work, and get your creative juices flowing!
Thank you, Amy, for organizing this adventure and thank you to your sponsors for the prizes to be given away.
Yes, I said prizes to be given away. Just visit Amy's website amyscreativeside.com for all of the details on how to enter, and check out her beautiful patterns and books, too.
My first entry is a quilt I made for my husband. Every block in it tells a story about him and about our family.
I started it about 19 years ago. It was my 4th quilt. Because I was homeschooling our three children,( planning teaching, grading, and running a household), it took about 10 years to complete. I was designing it as I went along. It is completely pieced, appliqued, and hand quilted by me.
When I first met the man who would later become my husband, he wore cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. That's not unusual for here in Alabama, but, we met in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where virtually nobody wears those. So, of course I had to include that in his quilt.
Most of the hourglass blocks have family history quilted in them. I used muslin for the backing because I wanted people to be able to read the information hidden in plain sight. You can read it if you hold it up to a mirror.
I devoted one hourglass block to each of our three children. I traced their handprint, quilted it, and then quilted their name and birthdate inside the handprint. Then, around each hand, I quilted pictures of things they like. Our son, for instance, liked to catch critters. So, I quilted a snake and lizard in his block.
He also likes to fish and ride horses, so, of course, a fish and picture of our horse, Jack, were included.
Quilts can be a fun way to preserve family history. Leave me a comment and let me know how you creatively recorded family history in a quilt.
Well, be sure to stop by Amy's website and see all of the beautiful quilts!
Have fun!
Diane
Thanks for sharing this special quilt on the Blogger’s Quilt Festival. I’m sure that your husband must love it!!
Thanks! Yes, he does. Especially the lower left block. It’s him and his grandpa going to the barn to milk the cows. That sure was a fun quilt to create!
What a fun quilt with lots of memories. I hear you about taking long to make a quilt when kids come into the picture. Happened to me too. Love your quilting extras, words, handprints, pictures. Years ago, all my siblings and our kids made a square using fabric markers for my parents 50th anniversary. Lots of memories went into that quilt.
Thanks! Great idea! I’m sure your parents treasure that!
Beautiful quilt, I love the blocks and the setting.
Thanks, Cheryl!
It’s fun to see an idea come to life in fabric!
Diane
That’s really an awesome quilt! I love the way you have preserved wonderful family memories in the quilting!
Thanks Pamela!
I wanted it to be an unexpected surprise for some future generations to discover.
Diane
What a thoughtful quilt that’s going to be treasured as a family heirloom, love it!
Thanks, Esther,
It was fun to make!
Diane