Memory Quilt In Progress..

I have been wanting to make a "memory quilt" for years now, ever since I seen the one that my sister-in-law Lola made. Actually, it's a wall hanging because it's not as big as a quilt. So while Tool Belt Jim was off and gone on his "great journey" I trekked off to my local Walmarts and bought some material. I dug out my sewing machine that hasn't been out of the closet for about 5 years (last time I made a baby quilt) and plugged in the old iron (which hasn't been used either for about the same length of time and rummaged in the closet for the book I had bought on making a Memory Quilt forever ago!

After buying my materials I went to see a very dear lady named Laura who has made many quilts in her day and showed her what my new project was to be. She was as excited as I was and gave me many more ideas of what to add to the quilt.

I have lots of old doilies and I especially love this one because it always hung in the window of my Great-Aunts house. And I found this hand sewn flower in a box of stuff she probably made also.

I dug out my grandmothers old sewing box

and came up with some old thimbles and her sewing glasses

and some old buttons. Finding things to add was like being on a great treasure hunt.

It's a work in progress, but here is how it is looking so far. I am not very good at laying things out (that's my friend Jane or Mary's job), but since they are both gone right now, I'll have to make do.

I also had some old handkerchiefs and old hair pin

and an old perfume bottle

so the idea is growing and branching out in more than one direction. I started out thinking it would only have old sewing stuff, but I couldn't resist the old perfume bottle and hair pins.

Now, I need to figure out what my grandmothers used to make those old doilies stiff. I know it was some kind of starch that they were dipped into. I'll have to call and ask Lola tomorrow. She's the crafty one in the family.

As you can see most of the items on the quilt are beige or pale yellow except the one doily that is white with pink roses crocheted on it. Should I take it off and find another one in that same color scheme or leave it on? And what about putting the little heart shaped perfume bottle in the center of it and adding some sparkle buttons around it?

Actually, I have added more color by adding some different colored hanky's so maybe the pink doily will be O.K. after all.