Has anyone made a memory blanket?

[mylittleprince]

Was thinking of making one out of the dc's old baby clothes. I doubt they'll want it but I also doubt they'll want the clothes either so it will be for me!

Was wondering what size/shape people recommended to use as a template? I was originally thinking I'd do a hexagon shape as that's what I always think of, but I've noticed that the images online seem to be mainly squares, is it due to using awkward clothing instead of fabric maybe?

Are you planning to sew by hand or machine?

'English paper piecing' (EPP) is traditionally hand stitched using hexagons.

Sewing hexagons with a machine is not the easiest but can be made simpler by usung half hexagons... with added seam allowances math!

Using a range of materials - woven and knitted - means coping with varying amounts of 'stretch' and squares would make coping with this factor easier.

By machine and yes they will all possibly be a different type of fabric.

I was thinking hexagon but the ones I see online are all square but of course this could be as that is just easier to sew. I just thought they all looked a bit blocky.

I did one with squares due to the fact that there were lots of different materials and it was easier to piece together.
I made it less blocky by adding embellishments id removed off the clothing - emblems, ribbons, buttons etc.

If you don’t want it to look so blocky could you do strips? Say all 10cm tall, but varying lengths depending on the item/print/motif you want to capture? If you grouped similar colours together then you could have it look stripy from afar, and then you’d see the details closer up.
Or you could do rectangular pieces and do a brick wall type arrangement - sew into strips and then join the strips together offset by half a piece on the first one.

I think hexagons would be very difficult to machine sew, and take forever to hand sew (but maybe that’s just me).

My sister made one out of my Mum's clothes after she died. It took her 10 months and she sewed it all by hand. She did hexagons. I was quite envious of it when I saw it finished. My sister said it helped her grieve and once it was completed she felt a lot better.

Thank you. I've been looking at the stripy ones and I like the look of those. I think the biggest issue is probably logos and pictures on the items. I think I'll have to get everything out and do some cardboard templates of possible sizes and see how it works with all the items I've kept.

Someone did this for me of the baby clothes, I have for all my dc. It's squares and the amazing seamstress/sewist also applied buttons/ things from the baby clothes. They don't remember the various baby fros etc but I do. It's sort of slightly smalller than a single duvet and I have used it on a chair and also as a "throw" at the bottom of my bed.

I kept my daughter’s dresses, made them into a quilt and gave it to her as 21st birthday present. Hexagonals, machine stitched - still took ages!! I think strips/ stripes looks more modern.

I've made a few quilts...
If you have stretchy baby grow fabric it's easier to cut and sew it if you apply a lightweight iron on interfacing first.

Maybe buy a rotary cutter and an acrylic template for convenience (you can also mark the seam allowances). Triangles and half hexagons are not difficult on a sewing machine but squares are easiest.
Or you could do a pattern called log cabin using strips which is quicker.
Press the seam allowances as you go and cut off the threads too.
Don't be tempted to use polyester wadding - go for cotton or bamboo.
And have a look on Pinterest for ideas and inspiration.

I made one each for my daughters - different size oblongs/squares sewn together to make strips and then added appliqué, buttons, etc and some free motion quilting. They’re single bed sized

I used iron on interfacing as there were so many different types of fabric - it made it much easier to sew together

It took forever but they love them. DD1 has taken hers to uni with her

Mine both have one each similar to these

https://www.thelovelykeepsakecompany.co.uk/products/keepsake-bunny

The ears had their name embroided on the inside one one ear and the date of birth on the other on one foot their weight and the other the time of birth.

The lady that did mine 17 and 10 years ago was brilliant

but a relatively easy to make