If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to write me.  Just make sure you put memory quilt in your subject line so I know it is a legitimate question or comment and not spam.  Also, if you would love to have a quilt but just don’t have to time, I am taking orders for photo memory quilts.  E-mail me  with your phone number and the best time to call, I will call you and get the information about your quilt.  Price is based on several factors:  number of photos, if I purchase the materials, ect.  I can be emailed at the following address:  makingwarmmemories@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you all and seeing your beautiful creations!

Keep on making warm memories,

Billie

When it comes to tying a quilt, anything can be used.   Years ago, string was used, then yarn, and embroidery floss.  I use  six strand embroidery floss, but feel free to use what you prefer.  The first step is secure your quilt in some fashion.   Quilting frames are nice but if you don’t have don’t panic.  If you have some place that you can hang your quilt from, this works also.  If you are planning to make a lot of quilts, or hand quilting your photo memory quilt you may want to invest in a quilting frame.

After finding some where to hang your quilt, thread all six strands of your embroidery floss through a large eye needle.  When you have your needle threaded, start at a square located toward the center of your quilt and at the corner of your starting picture  as close to the colored square as you can, insert your needle through all your layers.  Leave about three to four inches hanging from the front.  Reinsert your needle through the back about an eighth to a quarter inch from where it came through the back.  As you insert your needle be watchful that your needle does not enter into your photo, but comes out about an eighth to a quarter inch from the other thread.  Clip your embroidery floss to the same length as the other, and tie three knots pulling tight enough to close the small gap but not enough to pucker the quilt.  If you notice it puckering, just don’t pull so tight as you are knotting, or make you enter and exit holes with the needle as close as possible.

Continue knotting your quilt making sure to knot at each corner of every photo.  You do not need to knot the edge of your quilt since your binding will keep the quilt in place.  After you have your quilt knotted, go back and trim all of your embroidery floss threads to about a half inch to three quarter inch long.  You can also do this as you are tying your quilt, it seems to save a little bit of time.

After using the adhesive and letting it dry, unroll your binding.  If the binding does not have a square cut on one end, make one.  The binding is not folded evenly.  There is a reason for this.  When you look at the binding you will see one side is just slightly smaller than the other one.  This is the side you want to sew on.  The reason being, you won’t have to worry about not catching the other side, if you sew on the narrow side.

Starting in the upper right corner and coming down the right side, (if you are right handed, if left handed then start in the upper left corner) start pinning the binding making sure to go through all four layers.  The memory quilt top, batting, backing, and finally the blanket binding on the back.  As you come to a corner fold the binding around the corner, and then fold and pin the binding so that it lays flat and points to the corner you just rounded.  Remember to fold and pin the back side of the binding at the corner also.

After going all around the blanket with the binding when you get to the corner you started on, cut the binding even or a bit longer than the side of the quilt and fold the raw edges under neatly making this corner look like the other three.  You can also wait to do that last corner after you have sewn the binding on three and a half sides.  I’ve done it both ways, so which ever you find easiest.

When you get that all done, and are satisfied that no one on earth, could have ever made a more beautiful photo memory quilt, you will realize that you are just one step away from a finished quilt.

Next lets get tying!

You can now start to see just what all this hard work was for.  On the back side of your quilt top, press  your seams open where possible.  After you have all your seams pressed, lay your quilt top on a flat surface.  Unroll your quilt batting and lay it on top of your quilt top.  Cut off the excess batting.  Take your quilt back and lay it down on top of your batting and quilt top.  Cut your quilt backing to fit your quilt top and batting.

Next take all you layers off your quilt top.  Just a word of caution, this spray adhesive is very sticky or tacky which ever you chose to call it.  If you have some disposable latex gloves, now would be a good time to put them on.  Spray the adhesive on one side of your batting, and  according to the instruction on the adhesive, spray the back of the quilt top.  Being very careful lay your batting down on your quilt top.  Next spray the other side of the batting and then spray the wrong side of your quilt backing.  Now lay your quilt backing down on top of your batting.  Work quickly, the adhesive sets fairly fast.  You now have what I like to call a “Quilt Sandwich.”

Next we will work on the blanket binding.

When it comes to sewing machines the sky is the limit.  You can get as many bells and whistles as you want.  I hand tie my photo memory quilts, but if you prefer to machine quilt them that is ok too.  Singer makes  nice sewing machines.  But so does Brothers.  Their sewing machines are easy to operate also.  Then there is White, Sew-Pro, and Shark just to name a few.

When you are ready to start sewing your blocks together start at the upper left of your quilt layout and take the first two squares, put right side together and pin them in place.  Sew a seam down the right side of the block.  Making sure that the first square you pick up (the one in the very far upper left corner) is on the bottom,before you sew your seam. Open it up, you should have two squares with the photos in the correct position, and alternating color squares.  Now take your next square in that same row lay it on top of your square you just sewed onto the first square, right sides together, pin then sew a seam down the right side again.  You will continue in this manner until you have sewn all your horizontal (left to right) rows together.  Make sure you keep your seams the same width so that your squares will all line up correctly.

Now you are ready to sew your vertical (up and down) rows together.  Take you first row that you sewed, and the next row.  We will call this your second row.  Lay your first row down, take your second row lay it directly under it.  Now take the second row, holding onto the bottom edge and lay it on top of the first row.  Right sides together.  Making sure you match up the edges of each rowPin then sew this row.  Continue in this manner matching the bottom of the row you just did, with the top of the next row.  You may have to “ease” a square into the next one, if your squares were not truly square or if your seams were off just a tad.  Don’t worry about this.  I look at it  as proof that it was hand made, therefore making it invaluable to the recipient of the quilt.  When you are all done, you will finally have your quilt top!!  Yeah for you!!

Next we will work on the batting and the back of your quilt.sewing machines

You can now take some trim of some sort and sew it on top of your stitch line from before,after pinning it in place.   Adjusting it as needed to not cover up your photo.  Any kind of trim will work.  I have used one inch eyelet lace, narrow ribbon about a quarter of an inch wide, and even rickrack.  Which ever looks best to you.  Remember to use the same color of thread as your trim, so your stitch line won’t be so noticable.   If you decide against using a trim that is ok too.  You may want to fold and pin your white square under at the edges before you sew it on so there will be no raw edges on your white square.  Next sewing your colored squares together.

When you are ready to apply your transfer to your white fabric make sure that you have the right side of the fabric facing  up so you will apply your transfer to the correct side of fabric.  To tell if you have the right side, just look at it.  The right side should look smoother and not as rough as the wrong side of the fabric.  You may need to compare it to another square of your white material to see the difference.

As I said earlier make sure you follow the instructions for ironing the transfer.  The heat temperature and the movement of the iron is very important.  Don’t just guess at how long you have had the iron on the transfer, use an egg timer or something so you know exactly how long you have been applying heat.

Also be aware of how long it has been cooling off.  Some transfers need to be completly cooled, and some need to still be warm when you go to pull the paper backing off.  I usually use a rolled up wash cloth to slid over the transfer while it is cooling to help pull some of the heat out.  If you have or can find one a chalk board eraser works great.

When it is time, start pulling the transfer off according to the instructions.  If you incurr any problems, refer back to the instructions on the transfer package.  The next entry will deal with putting the white square onto your colored square

Cut one square for each photo.  If you are using two different colors of material, divide your photos in half, so you will have the equal numbers of squares.  After you are done with your colored material, then cut one square of your white material for each photo.  If you will be washing and drying your memory quilt from time to time, pre-wash your material before you cut your squares.  You will probably need to iron your material after it is dried, to make it as wrinkle free as possible.  Iron your white material especially since this is the square your photo will be add to.

The next section will deal with pressing your photo onto your white material.

Remember if you do a memory quilt for a person who has Alzheimer’s to chose a pattern that is not too loud or busy.  It tends to just add to their overall confusion.  When I chose the photo’s for Peggy’s memory quilt,  I chose photos that regressed her children from present day back to when they were infants.  For those of you who are lucky enough not to know anyone afflicted with this horrible and hateful disease, Alzheimer’s patients retain their first memories the longest.  The ones that just happened, are the first to go.   This is why in the early stage of the disease a person might not recall where they parked the car or what they had for dinner the night before.  But they will recalled things that happened in their childhood with such clarity that it is at times quite intimidating.   So, with this in mind I tried to keep Peggy connected to her children as long as possible.  She may not know my husband is her oldest son. but believe me she knows that little boy or baby is her son Larry.  So her quilt was truly a “Memory” quilt.

For my Mom, I made her a “Family” quilt.  Everyone in the family sent me something that when you saw it you knew who it was from.  For example my husband was in the military for 20 years, so for his square I used camouflage material.  My daughter loves sunflowers, so her square was..you guessed it sunflowers.  I used an old nightgown for my square.   It had really seen better days, and every time I wore it my Mom made a comment about it.  So it was only fitting that it found it’s way onto her quilt.  They also sent me pictures of each member of “their” family.  Mom’s “Family” Quilt had 28 squares on it and every square had a different material.  It was beautiful.

You will also need 2 &1/2 yards of  white material.  This is what you will iron your transfer pictures on to.  It is very important that you get “white” because other wise your photos will look muddy or just plain weird.  I buy just a plain white flat sheet for this, just make sure that it is of average or better thread count so your photos won’t look too scratchy.  You can always find a way to use the rest of the white material.  Your next quilt!!  What a great idea.  I make my white squares 9″, that way  I have a 3 inch border of the colored material around each picture.  Remember to allow 1/4″ for seam allowance on each square.