For many years I had wanted to make a Memory Quilt, an idea I saw on one of our favorite sitcoms, “Rules of Engagement” in an episode titled “Jeff’s Wooby” from Season 1, (air date 3/19/2007). About ten years ago, I recruited my mother-in-law, who is a very talented quilter, to make one for my son. We went together to the local quilt shop, and discovered a book called “You Did What With my T-Shirts,” available at Amazon. I had already put aside a bunch of my son’s t-shirts from sports and various middle school events; we had a great time selecting fabric to coordinate with all of the bright colors.
A few months later she made him a second memory quilt with t-shirts collected from Grades 1-6.
For our 25th Anniversary I requested a third memory quilt, containing t-shirts from 25 years of vacations. I shipped her all of the t-shirts and fabric.
A few years ago I decided it was time for me to try one myself, so she sent me the book and I finally started working on my first memory quilt in late 2020.
Last year I completed two Memory Quilts, one for for my son and one for me. I used the same template for both, and some of the same t-shirts. For the backing on my son’s quilt, I incorporated his Robotics Team 303 stadium blanket.
Quilting is very challenging, but I enjoy it. I still consider myself a beginner, but eventually I hope to offer custom quilts at my Etsy store. I have reserved the domain “Bearly Quilts” for that purpose. I created Bearly Quilts to focus on my craft items, which include quilts, vests, cross-stitch, and scrapbooks. Bearly Quilts is inspired by our newest dog, Bear. We rescued her in 2020 and she has been a wonderful addition to the family. She loves to keep me company during my quilting projects!
