Still working on sewing all those diagonal rows together for Message in a Bottle. I have two sections sewn together, and will get the five rows of the third section together this week. It is coming along!
As I look at this quilt top, I am thinking what a great Friendship quilt it would make. You know, one of those quilts for some special occasion (anniversary, wedding, 75th birthday), where friends and family members sign a square that is part of a larger quilt block. These quilts were very popular in the days when young women would pack their worldly goods into a covered wagon, hit the trail Westward, and very possibly never see their loved ones again.
I made one of these Friendship/Autograph quilts for Sara's bridal shower (different block, same concept) and had all her girlfriends sign a fabric square, which I then incorporated into a quilt block. I used an April Cornell fabric collection, and the quilt was as feminine and sweet as can be. The quilt lives at Sara's house, but I will see if I can get a picture of it and share it later this week. It really is super cute.
What I remember most about making that quilt is that it was like herding cats to get people to sign the squares and mail them back to me. I sent the fabric square, a micron pen, and a self addressed stamped envelope to everyone. All they had to do was sign their name on the damn square and mail it back to me. How long could that take? I was hounding at least four girls down to the very last minute to get them to mail me back their squares. I finally told them they would end up on the back of the quilt if they didn't get their squares to me within a week. I tell you I burned the midnight oil getting that quilt finished for the shower because of those lazy girls!
The first Friendship quilt I was ever involved with was maybe 40 years
ago. Some dear friends of the family were relocating to Argentina, and
it was felt that the occasion warranted one of these Friendship quilts. Back then,
you couldn't really get decent quilting fabric, so the quilt blocks
were just big plain squares that were signed or decorated with drawings
or poems and sewn together. We backed it with a bed sheet. It was
actaully rather dreadful, but our effort truly came from the heart. Ultimately, these
friends ended up moving back to California a few years later! I wonder whatever happened
to that pitiful quilt?
One of my cousins organized a similar project to celebrate my Grandma Agnes' 80th birthday. Everyone she ever knew or was related to signed a fabric square and it got made into a quilt. Funny, now I can't remember if I made the quilt or if my cousin did. I believe my cousin must have. The gift was a huge success, and my Grandma lived another 19 years, enjoying that quilt. And you know what? She was buried in it! No kidding. Wrapped in the signatures of everyone she loved.
Have any of you been involved in making a Friendship quilt? How did yours turn out?
20 responses to “Row Row Row Your Boat”
Ha ha ha! Your frustration at getting people to sign the blocks brings a lot back. In the Army, we move around a great deal and are always saying goodbyes. Signed quilts are quite common. I made one sveral years ago for an outgoing commander’s wife. The blocks were not sewn into the quilt. I applied freezer paper to the back, leaving off the seam allowances and explained to everyone that they could not sign too close to the edge and off the paper. Hmmm, I would say that more than 50% of the people ignored me, so I didn’t worry too much when I sewed them up and some of their sentiments were lost.
Ha ha ha! Your frustration at getting people to sign the blocks brings a lot back. In the Army, we move around a great deal and are always saying goodbyes. Signed quilts are quite common. I made one sveral years ago for an outgoing commander’s wife. The blocks were not sewn into the quilt. I applied freezer paper to the back, leaving off the seam allowances and explained to everyone that they could not sign too close to the edge and off the paper. Hmmm, I would say that more than 50% of the people ignored me, so I didn’t worry too much when I sewed them up and some of their sentiments were lost.
I made a quilt like that for my principal when she left. I gave everyone in the school a precut fabric square,with the seam line already penciled in. I had a basket of fabric pens and fabric crayons in my office. Some people did it right away and some people just refused to be hurried. A few idiots did not use the markers I provided and their sentiments were removed at the first cleaning. She was thrilled and I was glad I did it but I’m not sure if I would ever do that again!
I made a quilt like that for my principal when she left. I gave everyone in the school a precut fabric square,with the seam line already penciled in. I had a basket of fabric pens and fabric crayons in my office. Some people did it right away and some people just refused to be hurried. A few idiots did not use the markers I provided and their sentiments were removed at the first cleaning. She was thrilled and I was glad I did it but I’m not sure if I would ever do that again!
Love your Message in a Bottle quilt! You are certainly wildly successful at rowing thru getting the rows together! Applause!!
I’ve never made a Friendship quilt but have signed blocks for two. One was made for an outgoing guild president and she burst into tears when it was presented to her.
The other was made by an Aussie quilter who, with a dear friend, was travelling around the world. Their aim was going to the Paducah Quilt show but along the way they visited California, Tennessee, the Amish areas in the east, and ended up in a B&B up the road from Keepsake Quilting. From there, they went to the UK to visit friends, Paris, and on around by way of the Far East toward home. Carole had prepared squares that she ironed onto freezer paper and she brought a good supply of Pigma pens. She had folks she met and friends she visited sigh a square. I always wondered how many signed squares she ended up with and how large the quilt was! She was a delightfully friendly person.
I’m looking forward to seeing Sara’s quilt.
Dearie me! I think I wrote a book!
Hugs!
Love your Message in a Bottle quilt! You are certainly wildly successful at rowing thru getting the rows together! Applause!!
I’ve never made a Friendship quilt but have signed blocks for two. One was made for an outgoing guild president and she burst into tears when it was presented to her.
The other was made by an Aussie quilter who, with a dear friend, was travelling around the world. Their aim was going to the Paducah Quilt show but along the way they visited California, Tennessee, the Amish areas in the east, and ended up in a B&B up the road from Keepsake Quilting. From there, they went to the UK to visit friends, Paris, and on around by way of the Far East toward home. Carole had prepared squares that she ironed onto freezer paper and she brought a good supply of Pigma pens. She had folks she met and friends she visited sigh a square. I always wondered how many signed squares she ended up with and how large the quilt was! She was a delightfully friendly person.
I’m looking forward to seeing Sara’s quilt.
Dearie me! I think I wrote a book!
Hugs!
What a great story to share Nicole! Especially being wrapped in the quilt. Love it!. G
What a great story to share Nicole! Especially being wrapped in the quilt. Love it!. G
I have signed blocks for others, but have not made one.
I was given a friendship quilt 3 1/2 years ago when I moved away from my friends. I so love my quilt and sleep under it. I look at the signatures every night and remember. As one who recieved all the hard work, thank you for the effort!
I have signed blocks for others, but have not made one.
I was given a friendship quilt 3 1/2 years ago when I moved away from my friends. I so love my quilt and sleep under it. I look at the signatures every night and remember. As one who recieved all the hard work, thank you for the effort!
I’ve made two friendship quilts. The first was for my boss who is also a good quilting friend. Our other friend and I went on a weekend retreat to put it together (that’s another whole funny story). The quilt was totally put together for her and she got it at her retirement party. We had it displayed with pens and the people signed it there. None of that mailing blocks stuff.
Another friend retired and her office wanted me to make a small wall hanging for her. I encouraged them to let me make it bigger and I turned it into a friendship quilt. Again, I let people sign the finished quilt at her retirement party.
Both ladies loved their quilts. I was hoping I would get one at my retirement, but alas….
I’ve made two friendship quilts. The first was for my boss who is also a good quilting friend. Our other friend and I went on a weekend retreat to put it together (that’s another whole funny story). The quilt was totally put together for her and she got it at her retirement party. We had it displayed with pens and the people signed it there. None of that mailing blocks stuff.
Another friend retired and her office wanted me to make a small wall hanging for her. I encouraged them to let me make it bigger and I turned it into a friendship quilt. Again, I let people sign the finished quilt at her retirement party.
Both ladies loved their quilts. I was hoping I would get one at my retirement, but alas….
Ha ha! I have never heard the term “herding cats” before but this entirely sums up why I have never attempted a friendship quilt before! I think if you can get everyone in the same room at the same time for 5 minutes it would be a piece of cake, but with everyone all over the place I can only imagine it is nigh on impossible to get all those signatures back. Well done for finishing one to such a tight deadline! Love your Message in a Bottle – lovely muted blues & browns – very soothing x
Ha ha! I have never heard the term “herding cats” before but this entirely sums up why I have never attempted a friendship quilt before! I think if you can get everyone in the same room at the same time for 5 minutes it would be a piece of cake, but with everyone all over the place I can only imagine it is nigh on impossible to get all those signatures back. Well done for finishing one to such a tight deadline! Love your Message in a Bottle – lovely muted blues & browns – very soothing x
To date, I’ve made eight friendship quilts. Three were when my children were in the Environmental living program at Sutter’s Fort. I was the “quilt lady” and we made a quilt, everyone signed it and we raffled it at the end of the project. I made one for my grandma’s 80th birthday, she used it to the day she died and it came home to me. I made another for a friend’s wedding—thta took a while to collect and assemble!
I’ve also made one for a family friend who moved out of state, one for a dear friend who moved to Honduras, and another just this past summer for our pastor, who moved with his family to Mississippi.
All were different patterns, and the one that went to Honduras was especially special, as I made a medallion center and the signature blocks surrounded it.
Loads of fun—can you tell I love friendship/signature quilts!
To date, I’ve made eight friendship quilts. Three were when my children were in the Environmental living program at Sutter’s Fort. I was the “quilt lady” and we made a quilt, everyone signed it and we raffled it at the end of the project. I made one for my grandma’s 80th birthday, she used it to the day she died and it came home to me. I made another for a friend’s wedding—thta took a while to collect and assemble!
I’ve also made one for a family friend who moved out of state, one for a dear friend who moved to Honduras, and another just this past summer for our pastor, who moved with his family to Mississippi.
All were different patterns, and the one that went to Honduras was especially special, as I made a medallion center and the signature blocks surrounded it.
Loads of fun—can you tell I love friendship/signature quilts!
Well u made me laugh out loud about the “lazy girls”!
I made one signing quilt for a neighbor’s daughter when she graduated from UCBerkeley…
Yup, ya gotta really hound people to get the siggys!
It was actually very cool to see how far the signatures came from, one from Sweden!
The lil funny about it is that I had to include the girl’s boyfriend…Knowing that college romances may not last, and wanting a “removable square”, I made his siggy into a flattish stuffed heart, and pinned it over a square with the girl’s inital.
Guess what? Yup, the heart was “unpinned” not long after her graduation… lol
My main thing was to make sure the girl REALLY liked everyone who would be signing..
When she opened it, tears burst outta her eyes like a cartoon, I couldn’t believe it..
Take care Nicole, your quilts are wonderful!
Gael
Well u made me laugh out loud about the “lazy girls”!
I made one signing quilt for a neighbor’s daughter when she graduated from UCBerkeley…
Yup, ya gotta really hound people to get the siggys!
It was actually very cool to see how far the signatures came from, one from Sweden!
The lil funny about it is that I had to include the girl’s boyfriend…Knowing that college romances may not last, and wanting a “removable square”, I made his siggy into a flattish stuffed heart, and pinned it over a square with the girl’s inital.
Guess what? Yup, the heart was “unpinned” not long after her graduation… lol
My main thing was to make sure the girl REALLY liked everyone who would be signing..
When she opened it, tears burst outta her eyes like a cartoon, I couldn’t believe it..
Take care Nicole, your quilts are wonderful!
Gael
Yes, I too was laughing out loud… herding cats huh? LOL
I did a High School graduation quilt for my son… and it was pretty much the same as your story!.. I was also at a bridal shower where everyone had to sign that day.. better idea!
Loving your message in a bottle quilt… it looks “sparkly”.
Yes, I too was laughing out loud… herding cats huh? LOL
I did a High School graduation quilt for my son… and it was pretty much the same as your story!.. I was also at a bridal shower where everyone had to sign that day.. better idea!
Loving your message in a bottle quilt… it looks “sparkly”.