Custom Quilt Made From Baby Clothes

I created the above quilt pattern and sewed the custom quilt made from baby clothes for a client a while back. This is now a downloadable quilt pattern available in my shop, called Nuts and Bolts. I have since made a few more, including one that will be published in my upcoming book Wise Craft Quilts: A Guide To Turning Beloved Fabrics Into Meaningful Patchwork (YES! we have a real title for my formerly unnamed child!). I wanted to talk a little about these quilts, I realize I haven’t said a ton about the different versions I’ve made here on the blog. There is something incredibly special not just to the family, but to me, in making these particular kind of quilts. The “honored to be asked feelings” loom large for me where these quilts are concerned; cutting into special little baby clothes is not easy for any quilter, skilled or newbie. There’s not more of any one piece, what you have is what you have. There are stained areas to cut around, seams to cut off, special areas to keep in, deciding the right quilt design that will utilize the tiny clothes the best, and also show off any special areas that are meant to be seen in the final quilt. For example, in the quilt above, there is an “O” from a letterman’s sweater worn by the Dad that the client wanted to use, so its size needed to fit within the overall block design. I also added an extra row at the top of the quilt, knowing that it would be used on a “big boy bed” and it would help show a child learning to make their bed which side is at the head or foot of the bed (a sneaky trick to also allow more of the special scraps to be used).

With each of these quilts I make, I find tricks and strategies to make the best use of what I have to work with, and use them to create a well-constructed, durable, washable memory quilt. Calling them memory quilts works for me, because it could just as easily be a t shirt quilt. Just as many memories tied up in those (oh how I wish I’d saved all my old band t shirts). A beautiful quilt can be made from all types of fabric, but making a quilt from clothing like this creates a functional, beautiful object that can now be out in our home and used in daily life. Can’t you tell how much I love these quilts?

Because I have been asked by several about making baby clothes quilts, I have created an Etsy listing for them. I have made enough of them to know the amount of work involved, so I am able to provide a realistic timetable, design ideas, and details on the amount of clothing I need to create a one of a kind quilt totally unlike any other! The quilt image is only for reference, and I work with each client to create a custom design. I can only offer 2 spots for these this year, so if you are interested, hop over and reserve a spot.