Four quilts made from Pablo's shirts.
Cousin Pablo passed in March 2019 too young. I offered to make memory quilts for his wife Nancy, son Kelby, daughter Solange and mother.
Nancy sent this box of shirts, and I got to work cutting them into squares and strips to be used to make blocks. Mostly I wanted to preserve the sense of 'shirt', as much as possible, so I kept button plackets and pockets.
Once all the large squares were cut, I cut strips to be used in making blocks such as this one:
I also found a way to keep sleeve cuffs whole and attached only on the 'arm' end.
Next I started embroidering a personal block for each recipient. Solange sent me this phrase: "Remember to breathe so you can laugh" which was something her father wrote to her on her last birthday card.
Kelby called his dad "Papi", Nancy called her husband "Chuchi", and his mother called him "Pablito", each of which I transferred to fabric and hand embroidered:
Once all the blocks were created, I booked open sewing time at my local quilt shop - Gotham Quilts - so i could use their design walls. These are batting covered walls to which you can 'stick' blocks for arranging a quilt top. Here are a couple in progress:
After sewing all 4 tops together and also creating backs for each (using left over squares from the front, combined with quilting fabric sections) I again booked time at Gotham Quilts, this time on their longarm quilting frame. This was a marathon quilting session, where I spent 5 hours meander quilting all 4 quilts.
Then the binding. I created over 1000 inches of scrappy binding as each quilt required about 250 inches (that's the measurement all around each quilt)
As luck would have it, Nancy and Kelby came to visit NYC so I could deliver these quilts in person. It was wonderful and emotional to have them see Pablo's shirts this way. They can hide little keepsakes or notes in the still operational pockets and wrap themselves in the love Pablo had for each of them.
"Pablito" quilt for Pablo's mom
Kelby with his "Papi" quilt:
"Chuchi" quilt for Nancy
Nancy and I have been cousin-friends since I visited Argentina in 1978 when we were both teenagers. She was learning English and was glad to have a pen pal in the USA. In her early 20's Nancy's family moved to the US, and she married Pablo. They had 2 beautiful children, whom I had the pleasure of knowing when they were young. What an honor to be trusted to make these memory quilts after Pablo passed. He was a sweet, smart, honorable, loving man. He died too young and will be remembered forever.
love,
Paula
