Memory quilts are usually made from a combination of worn clothing and new fabrics. Today we wear so many knits and other special fabrics that we need to know how to stabilize the fabric so that it will be able to be used in a quilt. In addition to using all sorts of fabrics in a memory quilt we can use our home computer and printer to put photos on fabric and incorporate these into a quilt.
Choosing a design
When choosing a design for your memory quilt you want to remember that the fabrics you are using are almost more important than the design. I recommend that you no use pieces smaller than 3". You want to be able to recognize the swatch of fabric. I like to search quilting magazines and books for "scrappy" quilts and save these for ideas in memory quilts. Squares and triangles are nice for memory quilts.
If I am making a m
emory quilt with photos and favorite fabrics or even just photos and new fabrics I look for a design with a large center square for the photo and frame it with the fabrics. Any basic quilting book or magazine will have plenty of designs to choose from. Many quilting books intended for baby quilts have simple designs that lend themselves well for these projects.
emory quilt with photos and favorite fabrics or even just photos and new fabrics I look for a design with a large center square for the photo and frame it with the fabrics. Any basic quilting book or magazine will have plenty of designs to choose from. Many quilting books intended for baby quilts have simple designs that lend themselves well for these projects.Photos to fabric
There are many manufacturers making products for transferring photos to fabric. I like Printed Treasures by Milliken and Miracle Fabric Sheets by C. Jenkins. These are fabric sheets that are backed with paper. The fabric s been specially treated to accept and retain the ink from ink jet printers. These fabric sheets can be printed on as if they are paper. The quality and permanence of the photo will depend on your printer. The newer printers use inks that are more permanent as manufacturers are learning that we consumers are using our printers for these special printing uses. Whichever product you choose to use, I strongly recommend that you wash it in the manner you expect to be washing the quilt before using it. I have tried iron on transfer sheets that felt like plastic on the fabric and some that just disappear when washed.
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