Clothes Quilts

Re-Purpose Clothes Into Custom Quilts
Recycling clothing into quilts is a good way to preserve special memories and reuse clothing. Over the years, we've made a number of quilts out of clothes including wedding dresses, favorite khakis, shirts and blouses, baby and children's clothes, handkerchiefs, table cloths - if it's made out of fabric, it can be made into a custom quilt. Because these quilts are custom, no two are exactly alike. We offer these custom clothes quilts as ideas to get you started thinking about what kind of custom quilt you would like us to make for you. One of Bluebird Gardens customer favorite combinations is to take a few favorite clothing pieces and add photos printed onto fabric. Custom Clothing Quilts have also been made into quilted wall hangings when we've added a sleeve on the back so the finished quilt can easily be hung on a wall for a room focal point.

Custom Patchwork Block Quilts
Customers have also sent us men's suits, shirts, t-shirts and ties we've made into custom patchwork block quilts. On the back side, we added ties with embroidered names of the individuals getting the clothing memory quilts. These custom patchwork block quilts feature patchwork blocks on the front and variable sized clothing blocks on the back, making these quilts easily reversible.

Custom Wedding Dress Quilts
Wedding and bride's maid dresses are good candidates for custom quilts and throws. Depending on fabrics in the dresses, many can be preserved in custom patchwork quilts. Some dresses, made out of organza and silk, may not be the best candidates for custom quilts.

Custom Baby Clothes Quilts
Whether it's saving favorite baby clothes, or making quilts out of baby clothes pieces, we can make custom baby clothes quilts  that can be charming and unique home decor.

Custom Baby Clothes Dreams Quilt was a birthday gift for a Dad who loved the idea of a quilt made out of his kids clothes spread all over the bed!

And No Need to Pick Anything Up!

Are Handmade Baby Quilts Little Quilts?

I always smile when I think of the little girl at a craft fair who asked me about "baby quilts" being "teeny tiny."

Baby quilts certainly can be smaller versions of bigger quilts; they more often are  little works of art made just for babies!

Receiving Blankets Baby's First Baby Quilt
Receiving blankets  are often a baby's first quilt.
Receiving blankets are usually square,  either 30x30 or 36x36 inches. If baby is lucky, grandma will  crochet a baby quilt  that keeps baby warm on baby's way home from the hospital. Our receiving blankets  are very soft; made out of fleece, cotton flannel or brushed cotton, all which are soft on a new baby's skin.

Standard Crib Quilt Size
Standard crib baby quilts are  36x48 inches  and fit standard baby crib sizes. Crib baby quilts  easily fit under crib bumpers  without overlap over mattress sides.

Baby Crib Quilts Handy Home Decor
Between their design and size, crib quilts make  quick quilted wall hangings,  which can easily change a room into a baby nursery. Some ready made crib baby quilts  have sleeves on the back  that can quickly be used to change crib baby quilts into quilted wall hangings. When not in use, sleeve lies flat against the crib quilt back. I try to add sleeves to  Bluebird Gardens crib quilts  whenever we can!

Handmade Baby Quilts Also Throws
Handmade baby quilts can vary in size, depending on the quilt design.
Some baby quilts are made in  standard throw sizes 50x60 inches.Those larger baby quilts work well for older babies  developing a theme or character interest.

Even though they are larger than standard crib quilts, baby quilt throws are also great candidates for wall hangings to quickly change a room into a nursery. Some ready made throws, as well as baby quilt throws we make, come with either loops or sleeves on the back so you can easily hang them once you get them.

Welcome, Baby!

Are Baby Quilts Little Quilts?

I always smile when I think of the little girl at a craft fair who asked me about "baby quilts" being "teeny tiny."

Baby quilts certainly can be smaller versions of bigger quilts; they more often arelittle works of art made just for babies!

Receiving Blankets Baby's First Baby Quilt

Receiving blanketsare often a baby's first quilt.

Receiving blankets are usually square,  either 30x30 or 36x36 inches. If baby is lucky, grandma willcrochet a baby quiltthat keeps baby warm on baby's way home from the hospital. Our receiving blanketsare very soft; made out of fleece, cotton flannel or brushed cotton, all which are soft on a new baby's skin.

Standard Crib Quilt Size

Standard crib baby quilts are36x48 inchesand fit standard baby crib sizes. Crib baby quiltseasily fit under crib bumperswithout overlap over mattress sides.

Baby Crib Quilts Handy Home Decor

Between their design and size, crib quilts makequick quilted wall hangings,  which can easily change a room into a baby nursery. Some ready made crib baby quiltshave sleeves on the backthat can quickly be used to change crib baby quilts into quilted wall hangings. When not in use, sleeve lies flat against the crib quilt back. I try to add sleeves toBluebird Gardens crib quiltswhenever we can!

Handmade Baby Quilts Also Throws

Handmade baby quilts can vary in size, depending on the quilt design. Some baby quilts are made instandard throw sizes 50x60 inches.Those larger baby quilts work well for older babiesdeveloping a theme or character interest.

Even though they are larger than standard crib quilts, baby quilt throws are also great candidates for wall hangings to quickly change a room into a nursery. Some ready made throws, as well as baby quilt throws we make, come with either loops or sleeves on the back so you can easily hang them once you get them.

Charlotte

Hoppy Spring!

It's spring, and spring to me means, among other things, rabbits.
One of my younger brothers used to call them "bun buns."
This charming custom quilt featured at a recent local quilt guild show is a tribute to those "wascally wabbits" and their favorite treats. What I love about this charming custom quilt is how the big ears of the applique rabbit on the right covers the ninepatch block, making it look like the rabbit has stepped out of the quilt.
Carrots, anyone?

Giving Thanks.

Sandy is an amazing person.
She loves to make quilts to honor and thank Vietnam Veterans for the sacrifices they made to protect our country.
The quilted works she creates are breathtaking.
Each of the blocks in these flag quilts are 4 inches square; those are small pieces of fabric to make the overall patriotic design.
Thank YOU, Sandy!

Mom to Daughter Message

We make custom quilts with all sorts of messages.
Usually they're on the front in a quilt block, or all by themselves in a corner.
This custom quilt was special.
The message was the block smack dab in the center.
Think the daughter got the message?

Twelve Days of Christmas Custom Quilt

One of our friends Cindy is looking for this custom quilt pattern.
I was told its "an oldie" from the days before the internet.
If you have the pattern, or know where we can get the pattern, would you please let us know?
Cindy will be delighted to finally find it.
Thanks!

"Go Tigers!"

I don't have the mascot correctly identified but you get my drift.
When you're in college, the mascot is a part of the whole experience.
So is the name of the college.
For a daughter's college graduation gift, Mom had us personalize a throw.
It was very simple. Her daughter's name. Year of graduation. Name of the college.
It's just a guess but I'll bet Mom didn't know a thing about "Miss Rev," the Texas A&M college collie mascot or she might have added her to this personalized throw.

Personalize Quilt with Toy

Isn't this lamb adorable?
He looks like he could have jumped right out of our One Sheep,
Two Sheep Baby Quilt!
Adding a complimentary toy to a baby quilt is an easy way to personalize the gift. It also makes a nice connection between the child and quilt.
Over the years, we've received dozens of notes from customers who like their quilts and get an even bigger kick out of the toy!

Charlotte

Embroidered Garden Dreams Throw

If you've ever told yourself your simple embroidery stitches aren't enough to make a custom gift, think again.
Elaine will be the first to tell you she's not accomplished with hand embroidery.
And yet, when all the embroidered quilt blocks were put together, there's a decided charm to this garden dreams throw. 
Simple embroidery stitches - a back stitch and a few french knots, and she's created a whole charming custom quilt garden. Love the yellow honeybee fabric tying them all together...

Charlotte

Aloha, Pineapples!

One of the wonderful things about visiting Hawaii is tasting fresh pineapples.

Our customer was a recent resident who had fallen under the pineapple spell and wanted a custom throw to celebrate. What I loved about this custom throw was the range of beautiful, hand-dyed fabrics our customer selected. In order to showcase the fabrics, we made each pineapple in the custom throw just a little different.

See the fabric shading around the edge? Very much like a Hawaiian sunset.

Mahalo!

Charlotte

Once Upon a Time Custom Quilt

Every custom quilt has a story. It's one of the reasons why I love quilt shows. Besides being inspired by beautiful work, I love to read the back story of why the custom quilt was made.

This charming wall hanging throw was one of the custom quilts at our last local quilt guild show, made for the quilter's little daughter. As a former little girl, I thought the quilter did a nice job of capturing the basic elements in a fairy tale.

And this, boys and girls, is how a custom quilt becomes a wall hanging and lives happily every after!

Charlotte

Fun with T-Shirts!

We have such fun making custom crazy t-shirt quilts.

Besides putting them together, the favorite t-shirts themselves tell a story.

Great way to preserve those stories, too and repurpose those memories.

Aloha, Pineapples!

One of the wonderful things about visiting Hawaii is tasting fresh pineapples.

Our customer was a recent resident who had fallen under the pineapple spell and wanted a custom made tp order quilt to celebrate. What I loved about this custom quilt was the range of beautiful, hand-dyed fabrics our customer selected.

In order to showcase the fabrics, we made each pineapple in the custom quilt just a little different.
See the fabric shading around the edge? Very much like a Hawaiian sunset.

Mahalo!

Charlotte

Personalized Cherry Tea Time Throw

Looking for a creative way to pop the question? This customer planned to ask his girlfriend to marry him on Valentine's Day.

It was our job to get the personalized cherry time throw to her in the mail; then he was going to fly out to surprise her. After sewing on an embroidered felt heart, I added the card with a poem he wrote her, gift-wrapped it, and timed it so that it arrived two days before Valentine's Day.

The card had only part of the poem written on it. He was carrying the other part in a larger fleece heart pillow we made for him with a pocket where he had the engagement ring.

In case you were wondering - she said yes!

Charlotte

Good Golly Miss Molly

Just as flowers have special meanings, so do names. One way to make a gift special is to add information about the meaning of someone's name.

This customer had us make a custom double wedding ring for her best friend and wanted it to be "extra" special. Besides picking fabrics that matched her bedroom decor, we added the meaning behind the bride and grooms' names printed on fabric next to each other in the custom quilt center.

Since the friend was a bridesmaid, we also had inside information about the wedding flowers, which we custom embroidered on each of the custom quilt corners. Any one of these would be a great way to customize a quilt; this one had lots of personal touches from the bride's best friend!

Charlotte

Once Upon a Time Custom Quilt

Every custom quilt has a story. It's one of the reasons why I love quilt shows. Besides being inspired by beautiful work, I love to read the back story of why the custom quilt was made. This was one of the custom quilts at our last local quilt guild show, made for the quilter's little daughter.

As a former little girl, I thought the quilter did a nice job of capturing the basic elements in a princess fairy tale. And this, boys and girls, is how a custom quilt becomes a wall hanging and lives happily ever after.

Charlotte

Note to Mom in Custom Made to Order Quilt

One of our custom made to order quilt orders included this well-worn card.
The customer insisted the card needed to be printed on fabric and placed in the center of the custom quilt.
This is inspiration for all of our customers who want suggestions on what to embroider on a quilt for their Mom besides "thanks, Mom!"

Charlotte

Fun with Crazy T-Shirts!

We have such fun making custom made to order mixed blocks custom t-shirt quilts, also called crazy t-shirt quilts.
Besides putting them together, the favorite t-shirts themselves tell a story.
Great way to preserve those stories, too and repurpose those memories.

Charlotte

To a Pine Tree Custom Made to Order Quilt

There's nothing quite like seeing the world through the eyes of second grade elementary school children.
Over the years, we've made a number of custom quilts with their original art work printed onto fabric.
This quilt featured their drawings of a pine tree.
Can you tell this is the same tree?

Charlotte