Back in 2016 with a 4 month old George, I had a strong desire to quilt but I had a house full already. I had started quilting because of all the left over fabric scraps I had in my room, but there was only so many quilts I needed. Since having George, I developed a greater appreciation for the fabrics and patterns in children's clothes and what a great quilt they would make. George hadn't grown out of much yet, so I asked a good friend of mine if she had any old clothes from her little ones she would mind me turning into a quilt. Much to my surprise, she was more than happy to donate all her favourite clothes to me. I all of a sudden felt under massive pressure.
Looking back, I must have been crazy taking on such a task with a 4 month old baby. However, as he didn't move much back then, it was reasonably easy to work around him. I was more motivated to make Crafts by Katie work because of him; spending time with this dude rather than going back to work has really pushed me to grow my business. Two years later I am really proud of how far it has come.
I had already done lots of research about the process and had all the bits I needed to start. When Jodi dropped the clothes off I was delighted to see a dress that I had made her oldest daughter Alexis. Alexis had modelled the dress for me a few years before when I started making baby clothes.
I started by sorting through the clothes and worked out what were the most important parts to include. I then worked out what size I needed to make the patches.
Before long I had made the first cut and I was well underway to making my first keepsake quilt.
The quilt was a mixture of both her daughters, Alexis and Willow, so I included an applique A & W. I was really chuffed with the finished quilt, as was Jodi and her girls. It wasn't long before I got a few more requests and two years later the majority of my work is making keepsake quilts. I owe a lot to these ladies!
Jodi recently asked me to make a quilt for her Son Reid who has just turned one. I am obviously a lot more confident now and I couldn't wait to start. My only worry will be when the girls compare their quilt to Reid's; I hope they don't think it's better. One thing that has definitely improved is my photography.
The other part of my business is the organic bodysuits that I print and sell on my Etsy shop. I had made a few for Reid when he was born so I was really pleased to see his Little Brother vest in his bundle of clothes. It is a massive compliment when I see my own designs come back because it means they were loved and were one of the favourites.
Reid's finished quilt is one of my favourites and I have backed it with some of my Fabric Squirrel upgraded fabrics, because I felt the need for something special. The fabric has dinosaur foot prints and is in blue and green. Alexis and Willow's quilt was backed with greeny turquoise so I knew they would also look good together.
Jodi had faith in me to create my first quilt and 70 quilts later I am always looking to try new sizes, themes and designs. High on my to do list is triangles instead of squares so if you are happy to trust me with your precious clothes and you have a different idea of how you want your quilt to look, I would love you to get in touch.