Every time I mention I’m making an Obituary quilt people shiver. I love my family and my family’s history. Finding obituaries is finding a treasure trove of information. I get really excited when I find information that tells me what they and their lives were like. This is how I remember them, how my children and grandchildren will get to know them.
Remember Me! This was truly a labor of love and a learning experience! I have a tendency to jump into projects feet first and figure out the details along the way. My sister and I had collected so many wonderful obituaries that one day I said “I know, I will make them into a quilt”. I started entering the information into my lettering software and began embroidering them. Some took over 3 hours to embroider. Then I had to figure out how to connect them into a cohesive top. I’m not sure if I was successful or not. I just started playing with them on the design wall, measured the negative space and figured out how to join them. The star blocks are Rapid Fire Lemoyne Stars (my favorite). I know it looks a little weird, but I kind of like the randomness of the top. I had real trouble with the borders. The embroidery shrank up the fabric, so I had to rip out what I could and add fabric to try to square it up. I got one end of the top square but not the other. I couldn’t take off the whole border as part of the embroidery went into the seam. I did not want to start over so I just went with it.
These obituaries start in 1900. That’s amazing, 113 years ago!!!
If These Threads Could Talk 
Oh my goodness! I love this idea! I too have been looking into the family tree. What I decided to do is a ‘Family Tree Quilt’ for my mother’s side of the family, the Kings, all in red fabric and red embroidery thread. My mother was one of 14 children! A letter was sent out to all of my mother’s brothers and sisters in which I asked them to trace their left hand! Some embellished by adding their finger nails, rings and one added finger nail polish! As I recieved them, I then hand embroidered them in red embroidery thread! Under the hand print I have added their date of birth and birth place. Since I have started this project, we have lost an uncle. I have added the date of his death to his square. Since my grandparents (their parents) have past on, a picture of a women’s hands, crossed on top of each other and a man’s hand, on a bible(he loved to read the bible), was embroidered for my grandparents. One thing I am wanting to do, is put a copy of all the King grandparent’s marriage licenses on the the back of my King Family Quilt, then add mine and my daughter’s who just got married! This quilt will be passed on to her!
LikeLike
What a wonderful idea. I love to tell my family’s story in quilts. I took my grandmother Bessie for granted when she would talk endlessly about family history. When she passed I had nothing written down. My sister and I have had to work our butts off to find information. I figure my family throw out papers but will not throw out a quilt. This quilt just won a Blue ribbon in my hometown quilt show. I am working a cemetery quilt. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike