My paternal grandmother’s side of the family is having a family reunion the end of June. The last one was five years ago. I collected signatures on squares of white fabric at the last reunion, and it’s time to get that PhD off the shelf and make sure I get them all incorporated into a quilt for this next reunion. I have 98 signed blocks! Based on the number of children and young adults at the last reunion, I’m sure this year’s reunion will be even larger.
I also got word that two teenagers at the last reunion were killed in auto accidents since that time. How heartbreaking. I checked the signatures, and I have signed blocks for both of them. (I wasn’t sure I got everybody at the last reunion, although I gave it my best attempt.) That just makes this quilt all the more precious.
So, are you going to a reunion, large or small, this summer? Please consider planning an autograph quilt to commemorate the occasion.
- There are lots of autograph quilt patterns on line, in Electric Quilt, and at your LQS. Then figure out what size signature piece you need, and get some good quality white fabric and cut it into the appropriately sized pieces ahead of time.
- Use a good quality fabric pen, and buy EXTRA (of the same kind). It may run out of ink, it may walk off in someone’s pocket, several people may want to sign at the same time, etc.
- Use blue painter’s tape underneath the area to be signed. This makes the fabric firm enough to sign easily, and it defines the area for the signature so children aren’t signing in the seam allowance. (Some may do that anyway, so have extra signing blocks for “mistakes”.) Apply the tape ahead of time to all the blocks.
- Be prepared to explain several dozen times what you are doing and why they should be a part of it. This year will be easier, because they will have the finished quilt from the 2004 reunion to look at.
- Even if you have a very small family get-together, it would be fun to make a wall hanging as a remembrance of the good times had by all.
- Be sure to include the Family Name, Location, Date, and any other pertinent information somewhere on the quilt or on the quilt label.
- I am going to print a photo of our common ancestor couple (my dad’s grandparents) on fabric, and this will be in the middle of the quilt with the family name, date, and location of the reunion embroidered also in this center section.
- I’m going to give this quilt to the couple who generously hosts this reunion on their farm (I think it’s my first cousin, twice removed, but I’m going to have to study up on relationships!).
Sue
