Over the years I have worked on many wonderful quilt projects that have incorporated special old clothing given to me by my clients. In one I used saved baby clothing to make a very special gift for mother’s day. To honor a very beloved grandmother who was an expert seamstress I made several pillows and quilts with her clothing as mementos for her grandchildren. I also made sets of pillows for four adult sons from their deceased father’s clothing, including his old navy paraphernalia. Last year I made a quilt for a beloved teacher that incorporated squares embroidered by all of his students (lower left).

 

These projects have always been of particular interest to me, as it seems they get to the quintessential reason for making a quilt: creation of a beautiful hand made gift that includes tactile mementos for generations to remember and enjoy.

 

Today I am adding to this concept my interest in reducing one’s carbon footprint in daily life. The baby quilt (lower right) was made with recycled men’s shirts and a pair of corduroy pants. The idea came to me early one morning. I quickly arranged to pick up (on my bicycle) old shirts from the homes of two friends. I raced home and began the quilt. Within a few hours I was confident that the concept would work. I completed the quilt after another bike trip to pick up a couple more shirts purchased from a local second-hand store (all proceeds benefit a growing local arts center).

 

Please contact me if you are interested in a project using recycled materials.