Pink Heart Quilt

Wow, Pink Heart Quilt is a boring name, I need to come up with a better name for this!  Any ideas?  This wall quilt will eventually be framed, it measures 24" tall and 26" wide.  After doing lots of projects for other people, this one is just for me, so I loaded it with lots of my favorite things.

Close-up #1 shows recycled linens, new jumbo rick rack that I hand painted, reclaimed vintage MOP (Mother of Pearl) buttons, beads, and lots of embroidery.

Close-up #2 features , at the top of the photo, some lace handmade by my great-grandmother that I removed from a worn pillowcase. The lower left side of the picture shows a button stack. In the top left, just below the large flower button, you can see a gold locket I was given as a child. It's too delicate to wear, but will be preserved safely once this piece is framed.

Close-up #3 shows some more of the new and reclaimed cutwork and eyelet. There is a reclaimed piece in the top center that I coffee dyed. Again, lots of beads, buttons, sequins and embroidery.

Close-up #4 has a hand-painted doily. This a dollar-store cotton doily, painted with Pebeo Setacolor Transparent paints. The white piece in the middle is a newer thrift-store tablecloth, the ivory piece in the lower left is part of a crocheted doily, also found at a thrift store.

Introducing - Reclamation Textiles

Welcome! My name's Jenni, and I'm glad you are here, reading my first blog post. My new company is ReclamationTextiles.etsy.com and there you will find recycled and reclaimed fabrics, buttons, beads and some of my CQ (Crazy Quilt) art.

Reclamation Textiles - fabrics and trims salvaged from pre-loved garments and linens. I release them; you breathe new life into them.

I am a fabric artist, and in my constant quest to find fabrics, I discovered a number of sources of pre-owned fabric. Thus began another passion - reclaiming and reusing textiles, particularly vintage textiles. These salvaged fabrics are not only less expense than new yard-goods, they are a great way to reuse and recycle. Most of all, I suspect I am not the only one who can run my fingers over a bit of old lace or faded velvet and hear it whisper stories to me. I imagine who wore this dress, who sewed this piece of lace onto an apron.

It's the same reason I love vintage scrap quilts more than many contemporary quilts. Old scrap quilts were made from a piece of John's shirt and a usable scrap from Mary's dress - each piece had memories attached.

Nowadays, I can go to a quilt shop and buy luscious new fabric in any color and pattern imaginable. But I still prefer the pre-loved fabric, with its history and aged beauty.
I unpick seams, mend or cut around holes and tears. I gently wash and press these tactile treasures and am now offering some of this bounty in my Etsy shop.

And even if you never purchase anything from me, I hope you will check back here for more crazy quilt ideas, pictures of work in progress, stories, recipes, and maybe even a few giveaways in the coming weeks! Thanks for stopping by!