A Quilt Tale 2013

  Quilts have stories.....about the maker, about the recipient,  about the journey, about the subject, or about the process.   That's why I create such involved labels and include the story behind the quilt.   I love finding out about the Quilt Tales, as I call them.
  This Quilt Tale has a lesson learned, and a memory  preserved to it.
   I had an email from Nicki, Mrs. Claus from Texas (and a huge help to me in the doll quilt project), about a batik backing she was concerned over.

   " I'm making a memory quilt for a friend of mine out of some of her dad's old shirts & I bought a dark (navy) batik for the back.  I washed it twice in hot water with Retayne (a color fixative to stop the bleed of fabrics) and color catchers.  The fabric faded both times I washed it.  Now here is my question.  I always like to wash my quilts after I make them and before I give them away.  I'm sooo afraid that the backing is going to fade again & bleed off on the front (there is a lot of white on white fabric on the front) if I wash it. "

 So in my best opinion, I told her she had done all the right things, and to go for it and hope for the best.  As a side note, in the latest issue of Quiltmaker magazine there is an article about the batik making process.  Batiks go through multiple dying processes, as well as wax stamping, more dying, and then boiling.  

First moral:  Depending on the type of dye  and the rest of the process, we need to use care to avoid the bleeding that can occur when we wash batik  fabrics.  The quilt is worth the effort.

The rest of the story..........  This is a close up of the quilt front Nicki made.
A friendship block variation using a Father's shirts.   I think it is a perfect block for this very special memory quilt.










 Nicki said in a later email,

    My friend came to the office today & I gave her the quilt & she absolutely loved it.  There were tears shed as she quietly touched the blocks & lovingly just remembered her Dad.  What an honor & joy it was to make this quilt for her & to see & feel her reaction when she saw it.  I'm so glad I finished it before Father's Day for her.

  What a wonderful gift to remember a father by.

The second moral:   What we make with our hands, is a gift of our heart.   I think Dad is smiling, too.

  And that backing that started this off.....here it is, a beautiful batik.   And no more bleeding after being washed!    See the pocket Nicki added on the back to hold the label. It looks like more of one of the shirt fabrics.  It holds the label she made using one of the father's  handkerchiefs.   The quilt finished at  44" by 59" ---a perfect throw size lap quilt.  

Third moral:  Label those quilts!

A wonderful quilt, Nicki, and thank you so much for allowing me to share this Quilt Tale.
Happy stitching.