My version of a Memory Quilt
Early last year I had a wild idea. Actually, that happens a lot. This particular idea was to gather up all the fabrics that I had used over the many years that I made and sold tea and coffee cozies and tea wallets. I would fussy cut 1-inch hexagons – enough to make 1 flower from each of these fabrics. The technique is called English Paper Piecing.
My plan is to hand stitch each of these hexies into flowers that showcase all the interesting fabrics I worked with during the early years of my business.
Why would I do such a thing? I’ve never done English Paper Piecing and never, have I ever hand-stitched that much on any one project – in my life! Clearly, I must have lost my mind. Except … it’s kind of addicting.
The progress so far
I started with several large plastic totes filled with scraps and small amounts of yardage I had been saving (waiting for an idea to hit me). Over the past year, I have reduced those (multiple) large totes down to one small plastic tote that I’m still working on. All of the rest of the fabrics (hundreds of different fabrics) have had [6] 1-inch holes fussy cut into them. Anything that was left over and usable has been donated. YAY! So much more space in my sewing room.
Those little bundles you see below are some of these “future flowers” held together with binding clips until I can stitch them together into flowers. I have SO MANY MORE than what you see in this picture.
This is a long-term project for me. Who knows how long it will take me to get it done? Here’s the thing, it doesn’t really matter – there is no deadline, and I’m enjoying the process of picking it up and working on it in between other projects. I also love that it’s a small self-contained project that’s easy to take with me when we’re traveling.
Every flower I work on reminds me of those products I used to make by the hundreds and how much fun it was to search out just the right fabrics to make them. This English Paper Piecing project is the perfect way to remember the years I spent working on that part of my business. Great memories.
Do you have a long term project going? I can’t be the only one!