UniQuilt

by Bronwyn Hartung
(Prospect, KY, USA)

A UniQuilt is made from the pieces of one of my late great-grandmother's unfinished quilt tops. The fabrics were donated by mamaw's church or gathered from my father and aunt's clothing from when they were children. Each one, therefore, is a piece of my family's history and the history of mamaw's small town in Southeast Texas.

The quilt tops are hand-pieced in crazy-quilt fashion, sometimes the newspaper is still attached! In keeping with the crazy quilt tradition, I machine quilted the UniQuilt with a pattern stitch, using a multi-color cotton thread.

The quilt is backed with a new, but classic-looking all-cotton fabric, and finished with a coordinating handmade binding with mitred corners.

I use 1/8" unbleached 100% cotton batting, which gives the quilt a nice drape, fluffy loft and comfy feel - with no bearding!

The end result is a snuggly quilt that is perfectly sized for a baby or toddler to carry with her wherever she goes. The colors and textures make the UniQuilt into a fun game for children, who can look for colors and fun prints, feel the differences between flannels and satins, polyesters and cottons.

I am an amateur quilter, having made only one quilt from entirely new fabrics when my son was born. The UniQuilt concept has allowed me to dive into family history, while creating something for future generations to enjoy. I hope to help others heirloom their special fabrics from loved ones grown or passed, in their own UniQuilt. For now, I share my family's UniQuilts with others.