quilt using old house dresses ???
 

A dear friends mom passed away a few years ago and she asked if I would make 4 lap quilts from her mom's house dresses.. There the old cotton dresses that women would wear a while back..I really don't mind making them but am having a hard time trying to decide what pattern to use. I didn't want to make just a block quilt, I wanted to do something a little different, even if I have to use some other fabric in the quilts for the back ground. She gave me 9 dresses and a few nightgowns which I will have to use some fusible interfacing on them as they are finer fabric then the dresses. This is do able so not worried about that but just need a pattern to show case the dress fabric.

anyone have any suggestions for a pattern for these lap quilts.

Also what is a good size for a lap quilt.. Thanks ladies

Dresden plates would be feminine and pretty.

Good idea Tartan!

You could also do a quilt of vintage dresses out of the dresses...something like this:

http://charisecreates.blogspot.com/2...s-pattern.html

Oh red stilettos great minds work the same ..LOL I bought the pattern for these dresses but it is paper piecing and I am not every good at that. also the pattern has a lot of small pieces in it and the pattern said that the 1/4 inch seam was not included so you would have to add that. now this may not be a big thing for someone that understands paper piecing but for me it is a big thing. I am giving it a try on some scrap fabric so will see how it goes..also the pattern has it divided into different sections and I guess that is where the 1/4 inch seam comes into it when you put it all together. I just wish she would have made the pattern with all the 1/4 inch already figured into it. This is really hard but will give it a try.. Thanks for your great suggestion..

Do you have a library of quilt books (or a public library with some --746.46)? Look at scrap patterns or patterns that call for fat quarters (just make more blocks).

Maybe do a pinwheel pattern.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=pinwh...HXLkDfgQsAQIGw

I would add some white on whites to use as neutrals and to help stretch the fabric so you have enough. You could also add some solids if needed to set of the patterns in the dresses. Since you are doing 4 quilts you might want to keep the patterns simple. Evening star alternated with 9 patches in a chain or other blocks that are not too complicated can still give a pretty effect. Also setting blocks on point can make the quilt larger with fewer blocks to piece.

I made a memory quilt for a friend of mine whose father passed away & used some of his shirts for it. I couldn't decide on a pattern. So I decided to try something related to the state he was from. He lived in Indiana so I made the Indiana Puzzle Block pattern from Quilter's Cache. http://www.quilterscache.com/I/IndianaPuzzleBlock.html
I made it on point & it turned out really pretty & my friend loved the fact that the block was related to his home state.

If the pattern of the fabric is similar to what I remember, they would make lovely Dresden plates or Dresden fans.