I made this quilt for my in-laws' 65th wedding anniversary in 2008.
I had a lot of neutral fabrics at the time and thought a sepia toned quilt might be fun. I was going to do the photos all in sepia but decided they'd get lost in the pattern. The parent blocks in the center and children's blocks in the corners have darker sepia tones and the grandchildren's blocks are a little lighter. For each family member, I attached a silver charm to represent a hobby or interest. (Single family members got two, just to balance things out, and my in-laws got lots of charms since it was their celebration.) If you look closely, you'll see many different sports charms, but also cooking, reading, art, travel, craft, music and religious charms, as well as a motor home, cowboy boots, a coffee cup, antique tea cup and southwestern themed charms.
I think the photos in the quilt are 4 inches square, so the quilt is approximately 28 by 36 inches. I used Printed Treasures fabric for an ink jet printer to make the photo blocks, and it worked quite well. There has been a fair amount of fading since then, but that's okay. The quilt has served its purpose. I pieced it on my Singer Featherweight and quilted it by hand with cotton thread. The batting is Mountain Mist Cream Rose, I think.
Sadly, we have lost two family members since we celebrated the anniversary--my father-in-law and a brother-in-law. But there is also joy. My mother-in-law has gained a grand-daughter (my son's wife) and 8 great-grand children since the quilt was made.
The most enjoyable part of this project (aside from making the quilt, obviously) was matching the charms to each family member, but that also took the longest. I would recommend a project like this, but be sure you allow sufficient time to keep it fun. (It might include some harassment of others to get some of the photos and feedback on hobbies. Just sayin')
As noted above, I'm linking up with Val's Quilting Studio. Have a good weekend, everyone!
6 comments:
What a great gift - I love the thought that went into this, in all the little details. I have never tried a photo quilt, though have wondered about it, so it is interesting to know that it has worn ok.
Janine...your inlaws must have been speechless when they recieved this!! I'm so glad the linky created an opportunity to post this on your blog....as it's an inspirational piece of work!! Soooo Glad you shared it as it truly is beautiful and I'm sure it's been cherished ever since!
Janine, this is a lovely idea, and beautifully executed. Thanks for leaving a comment, I was able to find your blog from it. I am enjoying reading your blog and seeing your creations. I do like your quilts, they are beautiful.
I don't think any one can ask for a more thoughtful gift, including so many wonderful memories. I see the charms too. Is that you in the right bottom picture?
Saw this on Val's Tuesday Archives 2016. Great idea for a photo quilt. And the addition of the charms is well, charming! I think you're right about the photos...using color certainly makes them shine and that's the point, right? Great job.
Perfect for our Tuesday Archives Anniversary theme this week!!! I hope you get some visitors as this is very inspiring!
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