tildiemae

I have been collecting wool sweaters and have felted them and I have found in order for them to felt it has to have a 100% wool content otherwise if it has other fibers as well as wool it doesn't felt . In fact some of the pieces turned out as a mess and I had to discard them. Good luck as it is a wonderful idea for a memory quilt.

cherrio

a local quilt guild is the PERFECT suggestion! I would take a few of his sweaters and I am willing to bet the farm you will find help there and maybe continued help and advice. look in the phone book or ask at a quilt store for guild information. When I started I wasn't aware there were guilds in the area.

Just Jan

I totally agree with Charlotte. Pillows would be my way to go. I have seen designer pillows made using the main part of a sweater and even using its collar and/or sleeves by folding them across it in a decorative pattern. I think cuddling with a sweater pillow would be kinda like cuddling with that memories of the person who wore it. And the pillows I saw were adorable and would be fast to make. You might consider this for using some of the sweaters that aren't 100% wool. I'm sure if you search the internet you can find some free patterns and tutorials for them. Good Luck. Jan

solstice3

I would use the sweaters to make blocks and crochet them together

solstice3

I tried to edit above but waited too long. Sew around the area you are going to cut for block. AND on second thought I would sew them together and then back with flannel. I am just shooting from the hip so I am sure there is someone out there with more experience

mtpockets1

If you are looking for filler wool pieces or fabric, you might try purchasing blankets from yard sales or resale shops. I buy blankets at the Goodwill or Salvation Army stores for $4-$10 dollars. This gives you large pieces that can be used and is much less expensive than purchasing wool by the yard. Also might be a good practice piece for you. I serge the edges on some projects with the thinking that it might be a little safety net for fraying. Some people put stabilizer on the pieces as has been suggested.
Here is a tutorial I have used with the wool in my collection that might help with ideas. The wool does stretch and I believe cutting larger than needed is a great idea.

http://www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/...k-quillow.html

Good Luck it is really a wonderful idea!
Lisa

dee1245

You might want to try serging the edges of the quilt squares; that could help prevent raveling. Just a thought...

mpeters1200

I completely agree. My mother passed away, after a long illness, just a few years after I started quilting. Having 3 very small boys at home, I had little time to make any projects, let alone build up my expertise to make a memory quilt of mother's things.

My grandmother and aunt, bless their little hearts, saved all of her nicest clothes for me. Unfortunately, they were all silks and stuff that not only didn't remind me of mom, but would have been impossible to make anything with. I went to the stuff they wanted to donate and found some beautiful pieces that just screamed my mom. I'm going to make a t-shirt quilt with them. I buy bits of tricot when I can find a remnant of it big enough and I've already stabilized a few blocks and got them cut and sashed. Had I attempted to make something with them right away, I'm sure I would have ruined them and they are irreplaceable.

Now I've been quilting several more years, my boys are "tweenagers" and I've been getting my feet wet in more complex quilts. This really was the best way to go. I'm going to have a lovely memory quilt of mom's things and I have so many that I'm making a table runner type size for my aunt who took care of my mother her last 8 years of life. I'm so glad I waited. It was my inspiration why I kept quilting for a while cause I wasn't very good at first. I think of myself as an intermediate beginner now. Still lots to learn, but I know I can tackle mom's quilt as soon as I have all that stabilizer I need.

I wish I could help with the wool sweaters you have. I don't think I'll be of much help. If you have enough of those lighter weight shirts, you can alternate them with a light-weight flannel and make a rag quilt. I've also made a Stairway to Heaven pattern, which is very easy and put memory pieces in strategic spots. I used old handkerchiefs for those and it turned out well. Regular cotton paired with the old hankerchiefs and I used cotton on the back.

My time

You know it's your quilt so I would do what you want. Now that being said I've never made a quilt from sweaters! I think if you felt them, use a lightweight iron on stabilizer, serger, 1/2 inch seam allowance you should be good to go. I can't see why you can't use his shirts as well. If it were me I would add interfacing or stabilizer to the shirts so all your materials are the same weight. It's so cool your excited about this project. This is what quilting is all about. I hope you keep us posted.

mom-6

If you decide you don't want to go for the interesting texture variation of the shirts and sweaters I would suggest corduroy as a possible additional fabric to use with the sweaters. It also lends itself nicely to the larger 6"-8" squares you would want to use for the sweaters.