Memory Quilt: Toddler Dresses

Just to recap these toddler dresses were given to me to make a pillow. I couldn't bear to just cut chunks out of the dresses without using up all the material given to me - so I suggested a quilt as well.

I have had this idea of having an actual dress sewn to the middle of a quilt - as if in a picture frame for a while now. This quilt is for a 4 year old girl - the youngest of all the sisters who have worn these dresses.

The back of the blue dress was so pretty with its buttons and wide bow -  I knew that was the dress to use.

I used some petals left over from the memory pillow to create her flowers. The ribbon on her flowers and in her hair are from the dresses. Her shoes are made from the grey wool dress.

I used the remaining pieces from the dresses to create a 'picture frame' around the dress.

 

Mini orange peel is a little bit of a favorite pattern for me at the moment.  You can take orange peel in some many different directions - it is a fabulous pattern to play with.

In the border there are lots of cute little details like lace, the stitched boats on the pink striped dress and the pleats and stitched flowers in the blue satin dress front.

Here is some up close detail of the quilting around the girl. 

Therapeutic Mctavishing for the sky.

She is standing on the shore looking out. There are a lot of pebbles and shells beneath her feet.

Some of the pebbles are very small. 

Hair has become a small obsession of mine to take further next year. The braid is actually another piece of brown fabric appliqued onto the hair shape and then I quilted on top of the layers in a lighter thread color to highlight the shape of the hairstyle. It turned out really well.

 
 It sits wonderfully on a queen bed.

I'm excited for the little girl to receive it. I'm planning it will get to her in time for Christmas. I really hope they enjoy using it.

 

Memory Pillow: from Toddler Dresses

You might remember that I was given a beautiful array of toddler dresses from a mom who wanted a pillow made for her bed. A pillow isn't very big. So to make something little that showed the material from all 7 dresses in an interesting way - had me stuck for a bit.

I looked at endless pictures of cushions (I think I would now get top marks in any cushion quiz!) and finally decided to make a simple flower cushion.

Not too much or too little focus on any one material I hope. (If you remember I still need fabric left over for a kids quilt. )

I stuck all the smaller bits of fabric left over from the deconstruction of the dresses to white felt using a strong fusible. I cut out the petals and sewed them in circles - lots of circles!  The petals even show case the lace and other cute details from the dresses.

The vibrant leaves are made from the green velvet collars of one of the red tartan dresses. (I really really try to minimize any waste from any of the clothes I work with.)

Because there were two red tartan dresses I used some of the tartan to make the back. The smocking of one as the center of the back with some spiral paisley free motion patterns around it. 

Almost reversible but I think the front is much prettier.