Memory Monday 23 ~ Presenting Aunt Billie Sue's Memory Quilt

I've given lots of sneak peaks of this quilt,

but I didn't want to show it until I had presented it to my cousin

which I finally had the opportunity to do a few days ago.

This quilt started from a box of clothes that was mailed to me.

 These were my Mother's sister's clothes.

She passed away less than a year after my Mother.

My Aunt Billie Sue was very special to me.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to experience making this memory quilt.

My Momma N. saved a baby dress for each of her 3 girls.

The hardest part of this quilt was cutting up this dress.

The best I could do was take it apart,

and keep the pieces intact.

 Such precious pieces.

One day, I was straightening a closet and came upon Momma N.'s stack of feed sacks.

I found one that had the name of the tiny town nearby the farm where they all grew up.

I decided this feed sack would become the base for appliqueing the parts of clothing 

I didn't want to cut up into strips.

The whole quilt was a serendipity experience 

as it developed on it's on without much planning ahead.

I finally had to stop when it got big enough.

 I also wanted to keep the bird intact, 

because if it had been cut up, it would have lost it's visual.

 I stitched it to the feed sack

and later in the quilting frame

quilted it some more.

One piece of her prayer blanket was included in the box.

The house dress, blue jean vest and top

along with the back of the heavy T-shirt with iron on interfacing

 became the perfect pieces I could cut up for borders and blocks

 to surround the feed sack appliques.

 Nine Patch above

Shoo Fly below

 I loved the embroidery on the blue jean vest.

 I always use the labels if possible,

and I try to use the pockets.

Her son and grandson.

 I still can't do straight lines in the quilt frame.

The machine wants to jump around for some reason.

So I stitched the straight quilting lines in the 9 patch on my sewing machine

which wasn't hard because it was along the edge of the quilt.

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Things That Happen in Memory Quilts

Scrappy Pillow for Aunt Billie Sue's Memory Quilt

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Sharing at several Linky Parties

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Thanks to the FREE program

 Photoscape for downsizing & watermarking photo & other alterations to pictures