Little Boy Adoption Gift

I added a personalized dinosaur to the personalized lap quilt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Little Boy Adoption Gift

The order was simple enough. The customer wanted one of our double wedding ring lap quilts with custom embroidery, a typical order for our custom quilt company and wedding quilts. In this case, however, the recipient was a 6-year old little boy who now has a family through adoption.

Customers buy our custom personalized lap quilts and handmade quilts for a variety of reasons but an adoption is an extra special event. Being a big sister still at heart. I asked what did this little boy like, as if I didn’t know. I have two younger brothers and a nephew or two who went through this love affair with dinosaurs.

As the wedding lap quilt was getting custom embroidered, I shopped for a dinosaur. Not just any dinosaur, I wanted one that was smiling without first chewing on something, or someone.

In the meantime, our embroiderer asked about the size of the monogram letters. I imagined a little boy touching the letters now that he had a new name. Make them big, I said.

This little boy now has a new last name, made larger in this custom embroidery. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

In one of the lap quilt corners, the customer wanted this lovely simple saying:

Perfect quote to add in custom embroidery to a lap quilt corner. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

By the time the custom personalized lap quilt was done, I had found myself one pleasantly-smiling dinosaur toy. I added hand-embroidered initials to the dinosaur so it was clear this was one very special toy.

After tying a ribbon around the dinosaur toy neck, the dinosaur snuck into the middle of the custom personalized lap quilt for his trip to his new home, and a very special little boy.

Dino is safely tucked in and ready for his trip to his new home. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The customer thanked us for “going the extra mile” but this is why we are here, I want to help you make custom personalized gifts for the special people in your lives.

On the gift card we added a sweet note from the customer: “the adoption took time, the love arrived instantly.”

We wish this new family, and their happy dinosaur, everything wonderful life has to offer!

Charlotte

Personalized Wedding Quilt Gift

Quotes are favorite ways to personalize a wedding quilt gift. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Personalized Wedding Quilt Gift

There are a number of ways our customers personalize their quilt gifts. From adding custom names and special dates to choosing the custom embroidery font, personalized wedding quilt gifts have been a popular way to celebrate the special day.

However, our customers have found a couple more ways to personalize their wedding quilt gift.

First, they add a special saying or quote that either represents or is a favorite by the new couple. The quotes have varied from favorite Bible passages to sayings from the couple themselves, which adds a nice personalized touch to the wedding quilt.

There is a second way we have found our customers personalize their wedding quilt gift and that’s with the thread color they select. Although it’s more common to choose a color out of the wedding quilt, we have customers who also choose a couple and wedding’s color.

In this example, the customer chose a light blue for a forest green double wedding ring quilt, making the custom personalized embroidery stand out in contrast.

Free gift card included in our personalized wedding quilt gifts. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

For examples of other personalized double wedding ring quilts, check the photos posted with our Country Double Wedding Ring lap quilts, throws and quilted wall hangings.

Charlotte

Route 66 Handmade Lap Quilt

First place winner in the 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild Quilt Show in Rolla, Missouri.

Route 66 Handmade Lap Quilt

When I think of Thanksgiving, I can't help but think of driving, lots and lots of driving. There was a time when the long Thanksgiving weekend involved several thousands of miles getting to a variety of relatives homes, with a lot of "are we there yet," a tradition that came to mind when I saw this interesting Route 66 Handmade Lap Quilt at the 2017 Piece and Plenty Quilt Guild Show in Rolla, Mo.

The hand-embroidery lured me in, so unusual these days to see in a handmade quilt. Then I saw the first place ribbon in the quilt corner, someone else also appreciated all of the embroidery work.

The first place ribbon in the shape of a flower is also a unique way to recognize these quilts.

This next Route 66 Handmade Lap Quilt block shows the detail of not only the embroidered block but how the machine quilting adds a nice three-dimensional effect to the overall quilt.

A close up of the traditional Route 66 sign in the embroidered design.

The old Route 66 highways were dotted with old gas stations like this one. There still are some still working but most have been memorialized in photos or designs like these.

The details of this gas station are impressive down to the glass window panes.

The top of the Route 66 Handmade Lap Quilt has some more personalized details including license plates and old oil cans. I have one that looks like the oil cans on the right.

Close up of the old oil cans in the top banner of the winning handmade quilt.

This is a very personalized quilt and gift, the quilter took the original design and personalized it for her husband:

Every quilt has a story and this is the story behind this Route 66 Handmade Quilt.

It's a lovely handmade quilt, with an even nicer story behind it.

Charlotte

Butterfly Throw Personalized Gift

Different fabrics form the applique butterflies in this personalized gift.

Butterfly Throw Personalized Gift

An office colleague made this lovely butterfly throw as a gift and the simplicity of the design, and intricacy of the execution, is a good reminder that a quilt gift does not need to be - well, complicated.

The throw - a standard one is 50x60 inches - is a good size for a gift quilt. Throws can be used to curl up in and can easily be tossed over the back of a chair or used as a wall hanging.

Secondly, the theme was a universally-liked one, butterflies.

This butterfly is a cut out butterfly giving the insect more dimension.

The design could have stopped there but this quilter decided to add some interest in her butterflies by having them in different shapes. Some are solid fabric, others are cut-outs. The variety adds to the overall design.

This is one of the solid fabric butterflies up close in the custom-made butterfly throw.

When joined together, the butterflies make a wonderful visual message of beauty to a parting colleague and friend.

The butterflies were quilted in outline to finish their design.

The machine quilting was done on a home sewing machine so this was truly a custom, handmade gift!

Charlotte

Personalized Blue Blocks Quilt Throw

One way to personalize a handmade quilt is to add names in each of the blocks.

Personalized Blue Blocks Quilt Throw

It is one thing to talk about a custom personalized quilt but I know it is more helpful to see examples. This is a custom personalized quilt throw we made as a gift that included the names of all family members along with military insignias and a pink breast cancer ribbon.

This is one of the reason why we offer a variety of handmade quilts and throws with blocks, it gives you several options to add custom embroidery, such as ribbon flower garden throw.

In this example, not all blocks were filled but they were centered through the available blocks to keep a pattern to the throw.

Blue Blocks handmade quilt throw custom embroidered blocks.

Names and dates hold very special memories, as do military service. One way to mark that contribution is to add the seal of the particular service in custom embroidery:

Custom embroidered Navy emblem to mark military service on this special quilt throw.

One more special touch to this handmade quilt, a tribute to surviving breast cancer:

Custom embroidered breast cancer ribbon as part of this personalized handmade quilt throw.

There are many other things that could have been added to this handmade quilt throw but these were the final ones included.

Names and military symbols could have been included in the same quilt block, and several names could have been included in one quilt block to represent one family.

I though this one turned out well as designed.

Charlotte

Inspire Your Heart with Art

Have you seen these old-fashioned flower of the month quilts? i am making one for a customer.

Inspire Your Heart With Art Day

No surprise that I love floral quilts. A customer just sent me 12 embroidered, flowers of the month floral panels to make into a custom quilt for her bedroom and I was delighted to go through the blocks, they look very similar to the red floral quilt blocks quilt I found at an estate sale.

I suppose it's also no surprise that I enjoy all manner of handmade items, from little pottery bowls to oil paintings including my personal favorite, kindergarden student drawings of their teachers. Art is all around us, if we just take a moment to appreciate it.

That also applies to where many think "real art" is stored. When I visit a museum, I like to take my time. I make a beeline for the benches some have scattered around. Benches give me time to let my mind and heart settle on whatever catches my attention. Sometimes I wonder what the artist was like, not so much by reading a biography but by what life experiences we may share. There's a smudge in a corner, did the artist's cat helped by walking across the canvas?

Some art is downright inspiring. Original oil and water color paintings of - well, yes, flowers - speak to my soul. I came across a traveling exhibit of Claude Monet's water lilies a few years ago. I was sitting on a bench looking at it next to an older gentlemen. We seemed quite content in sharing our quiet moment together until I leaned over and pointed to a corner of the water color, where a particular lily had caught my eye.

If you haven't seen his Giverny water lily paintings, look up Oscar-Claude Monet, he was a french painter 1840-1925 who established the Impressionist Era, particularly the plein-air landscape paintings. In his later years as he became more successful, Monet also became an avid gardener. Basically his paintings interpreted what he saw in nature. My words, I am sure if you are a Monet specialist you can correct me but that's how Monet's art speaks to me.

With a twinkle in his eye, the man sitting on the bench whispered back "they thought Monet was crazy because he wanted to spend all of his days in the garden."

We smiled at each other. I do the same, in part because my garden inspires my creativity, in part because I feel closest to my maker among my flowers. There seems to be a balance, and perspective, in a garden, even when nature is furiously working her magic. It's a very personal experience, and it's a gift of time I give myself. 

I showed him my roughed up, nailess, almost clean, gardening hands. He showed me his gnarled, roughed up, nailess but spotless hands. We smiled again.

Guess we gardeners are all just a little bit crazy.

Charlotte

Handmade Painted Quilt Blocks

Handmade Painted Quilt Blocks

One of the questions customers ask about custom quilts and throws is what can kids do to be included. The kids blocks are my favorites and I have two featured here for your inspiration.

The top block are flowers made out of hand prints. I love the little hearts that were added in the palms, the family member getting this custom throw will be reminded of the love that has been included.

The next painted quilt blocks is another personal favorite:

Butterfly feet, so cute and easy. Well, except for the holding still and the cleaning up after part, but quite clever.

These original quilt blocks will be printed onto fabric and included in a custom birthday throw for a special family member.

I can see these as handmade cards, pillows, even framed artwork signed by the artist.

Hope this gives you some inspiration for your youngsters, too!

Charlotte

Personalized Throw for a Grandson

This customer fell in love with our Bluebells Applique throws and is now giving one to each of her grandchildren. Julien turned 3-years old this year. He's a big fan of Disney's movie "Cars" so we included a green truck to deliver birthday wishes. His grandmother told us he loves his quilt and travels everywhere with both throw and car.

Now that's a satisfied customer!

Charlotte

Personalized Birthday Throw

How to celebrate that milestone birthday?

This customer picked one of our Applique Roses throws and added her best wishes, initials and the special date. Whenever AJ sees this throw, she will be reminded of this special date and the people who mark her special day with her.

Happy birthday, AJ!

Charlotte

Memorial Hydrangeas

If you've ever driven down Lombard Street in San Francisco, you know the world's most crooked street is lined with hydrangeas.In memory of my uncle, who lived a few doors down from Lombard Street, I added hydrangeas to my garden this year. My uncle would have been amused. Living on the top floor of an apartment complex with a view of San Francisco Bay, my garden adventures were foreign to him but we could always agree the Lombard Street hydrangeas were beautiful.
Regardless of the kind of plant, adding greenery associated with a good memory is a wonderful way to add a special touch to a garden. Giving a plant that has a special association to someone can also be a nice garden gift that helps them deal with sorrow. It's difficult for some people to even talk about death.

In making memory quilts out of clothing and photos to help people preserve memories and cope with a loss, I have found embracing the gift of life that was shared can be the kindest way to help someone cope, and  move on. Even a simple plant that has a memory associated with it can be the emotional anchor someone needs to manage through their grief.

My uncle was a special family member. By having a plant that I associate with him, I remember the wonderful times we had together and it helps keep those memories alive and close to my heart.

Charlotte

Add Printed Photos to Personalize Quilt

One way to quickly make a personalized gift is to add photos printed on fabric, then sew them on a quilt.

Pick a quilt with favorite colors or a charming pattern such as handkerchief quilt. If you're not sure of colors, select something with a variety, that way the quilt will blend in with any room decor.

I can print photos and artwork onto fabric; then you can cut them out and sew them on a quilt. We'll also be glad to do that for you but I know it's fun to do it yourself.

Charlotte