Sunday, June 21, 2015

A Comfort Quilt for My Friend's Friend

My friend Darla asked me to make a comfort quilt for a friend of hers whose husband had passed away in December. She wanted this quilt to be made of some of his shirts and she wanted flannel on the back.

I will just confess to you that I did not want to make this quilt, but I did repent and I got it made. Look at those two big "bumps" in the backing.

I included two of the shirt pockets, and for them to be functional they could not be quilted.

This is how I reminded myself NOT to quilt them!  Masking tape.

Inside one of the pockets I put a little heart made from fabric from two of the shirts. This is one side.

This is the other side. 

A collage of the design process. By the way, that little lazy Susan type cutting mat helped SO much! There were lots of wonky blocks needing trimming. There was not enough fabric in the shirts provided to do what I wanted, so I added in some gold with white stars. It and the backing, a pretty gold-y/yellow flannel are both from Connecting Threads. I like their flannel a lot, it's been the best quality I've found.
 
A not great picture, but still the natural light coming in the window this morning gives you an idea how very cuddly this one is.  I hope it is a comfort to Darla's friend.
 
Our weekend is over and Mr. Muddling heads back to work bright and early in the morning. It sure will be lonely around here without him, but he'll be back!
 
I do hope your week is exceptionally good in every way!
 
Hugs and kisses,

7 comments:

Sheila said...

I have been thinking about making a quilt with deconstructed men's shirts. Backing. Pockets. Quilting issues. You have answered them in this post. Thank you, Elaine.
By the way. So kind of you to make this quilt for a friend of a friend, dear. Have a good week.

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

Wow, that's a spectacular quilt ... well done, my friend. And I know that it will be a huge blessing for Darla's friend. I have one of those rotating cutting mats - one of the best quilting investments I've ever made.

Thimbleanna said...

Another wonderful quilt Elaine! Doesn't it make you happy that you have a skill that can help when friends need it? And what a thoughtful gesture that little heart is!

Susie Swanson said...

I love the way you did it.. I know this will bring great comfort.. You never cease to amaze me. Hugs and Blessings, xo

Karen S said...

Using the shirts does make it a very special quilt. Love the idea of using the pockets and i like the way you marked them so they were not stitched. It will be a treasure.

Karen E. Overton said...

Excellent job, as always. A memory quilt or comfort quilt is indeed difficult to make especially if you know the deceased but I'm sure knowing you with every stitch you had the widow on your mind, in your heart and prayers. That's the true gift - the cuddly quilt is just the tangible evidence of someone caring enough to take the time (and prayers) to create the memory. Well done!

Wonky Girl said...

The quilt will surely be such a hug of memories for your friend. The star fabric gives just enough color to make it all come together and the pockets with hearts are a wonderful add. Brilliant finish!