Category: Memory Quilts

Memory Quilts remembering a loved one often uses the clothing and special items from a family member. Wall art or a bed quilt can be a memory quilt.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/11/memory-quilts-i-have-made/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/02/memory-quilt-a-work-in-progress/

About the Quilt Artist

My art quilts are all about the quilt artist  creating abstract, whimsical or impressionistic pieces.  Inspiration comes from the natural world as well as from Mexican and Native American influences. My materials of choice are often redirected fabrics from the San Francisco Design Center and found objects.  Art quilts free me to play with color and texture. My technique, Scribble Quilting allows me to create movement on many of my pieces.

"Fashion

TWO INSPIRATIONAL ARTISTS

I owe some of my inspiration to two artists from Santa Cruz County, California. Meri Vahl, an award winning art quilter has been recognized nationally for her work. Teacher of the fabric layering technique, she was patient. Understanding that each student brought individual strengths, weaknesses and abilities.  Ellen edith;friend, art quilter, fabric designer and artist extraordinaire made whimsical, personal quilts. Her influence lives on well beyond her life.   I have great appreciation for these two local leaders of the art quilt world.

SAQA (STUDIO ART QUILT ASSOCIATES)

I am proud to be part of an evergrowing group of art quilters.  SAQA started by Yvonne Porcella in Northern California in 1989. It has grown to an international organization.  Art quilters have transformed the quilt into a 21st Century art form. I continue to explore new forms and ways of working with unusual materials on this  journey.

ABOUT THE ARTIST,BIO

I was born and raised in Palo Alto, California. In high school I studied sewing and clothing construction for two years. I continued to sew much of my wardrobe. In 1974,I took my first quilting class at a neighborhood fabric store. Over the years, I continued to sew clothes and make quilts for my family. I stopped counting bed quilts at 300. After teaching 30 years in Watsonville as a bilingual teacher, I retired to spend more time on creating art quilts.

MY FIRST ART QUILT
Homage to a Dancer,45″ x 56″

In 2008, I made my first art quilt, Homage to a Dancer. It reflects  my participation in Los Méxicas,the University of California,Santa Cruz ballet folklórico group.

A STUDIO IN THE ART CENTER

In May of 2016, I opened a studio in the Santa Cruz Art Center, 1001 Center St. Downtown Santa Cruz. I have space to work and display my work. For First Fridays and Open Studios, I fill the lobby with art. In June, 2019  New York Art Center accepted my work into their gallery. 7 Franklin Place, TRIBECA, New York City.

AWARD WINNING ARTIST
Great Blue Heron at Dusk,31″ x 25″

Great Blue Heron at Dusk entered into an art show in 2010. The following year it won a merit award at the Olive Hyde Art Gallery in Fremont,California.
In 2013, Visions of New Mexico won third place in the Neo Membreno Vessels 2013 Show at the Western New Mexico University Museum in Silver City, New Mexico.

What Do You Want to Know? Frequently Asked Questions

Smilin', the all silk art quilt was made after one of the times that we thought the Pandemic was over.

Frequently Asked Questions about Materials

  • Where do you get your materials from?

Above all,I usually get my materials from FABMO, a nonprofit that gathers materials weekly  from the San Francisco Design Center. fabmo.org Then they make the materials available to the public to keep them out of the landfill. Furthermore,these materials are new, high end , high quality fabrics. For example,linen, silk and other unique fabrics are readily available. Most importantly,these fabrics cannot be found in regular fabric stores. It is a win-win situation.

More recently, people have been giving me fabric.Thy know that I will put good use to it. Sometimes it is just a few yards and sometimes it can be more.When a loved one who sewed passes, they may leave behind a lot of fabric. This year I was gifted a lot of fabric in this category. I keep the pieces I think I might use and pass on the rest to others who may use it.

Frequently Asked Questions about Inspiration

  • What motivates you?
    Using fabrics and materials sustainably motivates me. I rarely throw anything out.
  • Where do you get your inspiration/ideas from?
    My inspiration comes from how the materials play with one another. I usually decide ahead of time which portfolio I will make next. It could be abstract, nature, or Mexican inspired.

Frequently Asked Questions about Time

  • How long have you been sewing or quilting?
    In high school,I took two years of sewing. Then I continued sewing. In the 1970s,I took my first quilting class at a neighborhood fabric store. I stopped counting my bed quilts at 300. Then around 2008, I began making art quilts.
  • Doesn’t it take a long time to make a quilt ?

Yes, it does. But I used to think about writing a book. A quilt doesn’t take as long as that.

Sewing Questions

  • What kind of a machine do you use?
    Above all,my machine is a computerized Lily Husquavara.
  • Do you  sew by hand?
    For instance,I hand sew my sleeves or fabric tubes. Furthermore,art quilts with facings are handsewn to the back. Moreover, most of my quilts are done by machine. On the other hand,I do sew small details or found objects on my art quilts. by hand. However, the majority of my work is machine pieced and machine quilted.
  • Do you sew clothes?
    In short,I rarely sew my own clothes anymore. In the same vein,I do not sew clothes for others.

Other Questions

  • Do you do memory quilts?
    I do make memory quilts. People give me or send me the clothes from their loved one. We work together to decide on a style that will work for the client. I have made wall art and traditional and non traditonal lap quilts from the clothes. As the work progresses, I send photos to keep the client informed of progress.
  • Do you teach classes?
    All in all,no, I don’t teach classes. However,post COVID I have starting a mentoring project. A more personal 1 on 1 situation based on what skills the student would like to learn or what direction they would like their sewing,quilting or art career to go.
  • Have you been to Paducah, Kentucky, home of the National Quilt Museum? No.

https://annbmayartquilts.etsy.com/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/07/fabric-layering-technique/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/10/something-about-memory-quilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/01/to-frame-or-not-to-frame/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/05/reuse-dont-toss/

Honor a Loved One with a Quilt

a memory quilt made from women's clothing and 3D items,Honor a Loved One with a Quilt

Memory Quilts I Have Made

Memory quilts I have made have been made out of clothing or special items. Honor a Loved One with a Quilt is a special  memory quilt. It could be clothes from a younger time in a person’s life or the clothes of a loved one that has passed. Quilts are a great way to keep someone’s memory alive. It can be a bed quilt, a lap quilt or an piece of wall art. Memorial quilts also honor a commitment to reuse, reduce and recycle items.

A memory quilt is as unique as the loved one being honored. The client can offer input and information. They can even help in the design process if they do so.

Distance is not a limitation. Clients have sent me fabric and  items to use. Photos track the progress and keep the client in the loop. Upon completion, I simply sent the completed project to them.

Wall Art

This client’s grandmother’s items became a piece of wall art. The client and I agreed to eliminate certain fabrics that  did not fit into the color scheme. Luckily, there was a wide range of materials to choose from. We collaborated a bit in the beginning but then she let me have free range to create an artful memory quilt.  We started with her house dresses, other clothing jewelry and some 3D objects.

dresses,Honor a Loved One with a Quilt
Part of memory quilt made from a man's clothes,Honor a Loved One with a Quilt
Part of memory quilt made from a man’s clothes

Lap Quilts

Reversible lap quilts increase the enjoyment of a quilt by double. We all need a change of scenery from time to time. By flipping over the quilt, a whole new quilt appears. These two lap quilts(front and back) were made from a loved one’s shirts and pants. The pockets are completely usable to store something inside.

front, blue commission quilt
front, blue commission quilt
back of blue commission, Fabric from ties add an accent.
back of blue commission, Fabric from ties add an accent.
front,Beachy Commission made from tropical shirts and pants
front,Beachy Commission

back Beachy Commission
back Beachy Commission

To learn more about my prices see my Commissions and Memory Quilt page.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/02/memory-quilt-a-work-in-progress/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/10/something-about-memory-quilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/09/scale-and-size-is-important-on-fabric/https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/01/

dogs-are-family-members-make-a-memory-quilt/

To learn more 

https://www.toocooltshirtquilts.com/blog/author/andrea-funk

Want an Heirloom?Make a Memory Quilt.

Memory Quilt finished art quilt

Memory Quilt-Step by Step

Above all,a memory quilt is a quilt made out of a person’s clothing as a way of honoring their memory. After seeing my art work, a client contacted me to make an art quilt as a way to keep the memory of  her grandmother alive.For example,follow as I show the step by step the process of making a memory quilt of the client’s grandmother’s clothes and articles.

At our First Meeting

At our first meeting, the woman shared information about her grandmother’s life that she especially wanted to be included in the memory quilt. In addition,she brought artifacts to illustrate her life. The artifacts included buttons, artificial flowers, a paper card notice, lace and several dresses and clothing . Together step by step, we decided on the colors.  We both agreed on the pink, green, and blue palette. I was able to use some dark blue from the orange and blue housedress.

Personal details

Furthermore,the wide range of details, artificial flowers, momentos, jewelry,clothing gave me a lot to choose from. Subsequently,I was also able to include buttons, lace from hems and the safety pins that had been hidden inside the clothing. Luckily, the client said that she would trust my artistic choices to arrange or eliminate as necessary. After that the work on the Memory Quilt-step by step began.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/11/memory-quilts-i-have-made/

choosing fabrics for a memory quilt a work in progress Memory Quilt-A work in progress
Step 1. Choosing fabrics and details for a memory quilt
dresses for a memory quilt a work in progress,Memory Quilt-A work in progress
Step 2. dresses for a memory quilt
earrings for a memory quilt a work in progress,Memory Quilt-A work in progress
Step 3. Earrings add a very personal touch.

To Begin-Memory Quilt-Step by Step

First I cut  out parts of the fabric from the dresses. Based on my experience and the approximate size of the finished piece, I knew that  I didn’t need to take apart all of the seams. In other words, there would be plenty of fabric. Therefore, I cut pieces of about 10” -20” square. I heat fused interfacing on to the back of the polyester to reduce stretching and to aide sewing. Then I was able to cut out a variety of interesting geometric shapes in dark navy blue from an eliminated orange dress. Finally,I noticed that the back side of the fabric was a lovely medium blue so I decided to use both sides of the fabric. The pieces were smaller about 3” each.

Using the  Design Wall to create the Memory Quilt-step by step

Using the design wall, I pinned the fabric up to begin to try out fabrics for work in progress of the memory quilt.

Memory Quilt,Memory Quilt-A work in progress
Trying out fabrics for a memory quilt on the design wall

I created this accent from zippers I took out of the clothes. The safety pins are decorative. Be brave and use interesting objects that one might not usually think of using  for a memory quilt.

zipper detail
Step 4 Create zipper accent

Next, I added the details to get an idea about where they should go.

Moving around fabrics and details a work in progress
Step 5 Moving around fabrics and details

Then,I began to sew pieces together.

Memory Art Quilt, I sew many pieces together
Step6 Trying out places

I continued to sew pieces together and change their place for balance of color.

The various pieces are ready to sew together.
Step7 ready to sew together

Finally, all of the pieces found their special spot.Next, the top was sewn together. Then,the backing and batting are added. Lastly I quilt  the three layers together. In this case,the focus is on the materials and details. Therefore, the quilting took a back seat and did not stand out.

Memory Quiltfinished art quilt
Step 8 Memory Quilt finished art quilt




Read more in these articles on Memory Quilts.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/10/something-about-memory-quilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/11/memory-quilts-i-have-made/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/commissions-and-memory-quilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/08/memory-quilts/

https://www.toocooltshirtquilts.com/blog/memory-quilt-ideas

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts

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