needing some advice

[Texas]

Hello all of you wonderful ladies! I am a beginner quilter, and have asked questions here and all of you have been so helpful. I am looking for an easy pattern for a lady in our Volunteer fire Department. She has given 35 years to the department as secretary and just retired last year. Her house burned down a few months ago and her new home will be ready to move into soon. The Fire Department bought her a quilt with "Fire Mom" on it and photos through the years, for her retirement. It was burned also, she lost everything. I am giving her a house warming soon before she moves into her new home, she is in her 80's. I have looked and looked for a pattern and can't seem to find anything to suit the situation, just kids fireman patterns I want to put maltese cross patches with the department's logos and name and hopefully do some transfers of photos through the years, which I have no clue how to do. Her retirement quit had the photos on it. I want to make it a lap quilt but good sized one not child size. If anyone knows of a pattern that I might can do with these things on it, I would be eternally grateful for your help. I have looked and looked and can't seem to find anything that looks like the idea I have. It would have blocks of course, with the maltese cross patches worked into it, strategically placed. I have the patches, they are not real big like 3" down and 3" across.
Thank you for any ideas.
Judy

[purrfect-lady]

There are various products to use to transfer photos to fabric using your computer printer. Check out Joann's or another sewing supply store or go on-line. But the products vary so be sure you read the directions before making your choice. You want it to be washable I would think. also, I haven't tried this, but I've heard that if you iron fabric (perhaps white Kona cotton) to freezer paper and cut it to size, it will go through your printer.

If you want a simple pattern for a pieced quilt block, friendship stars are the simplest of all stars, you can make them any size, and they represent friendship - something it sounds as if your friend needs right now.

finally, there are several fireman-themed fabrics out there, but different shops carry different prints. One shop close to us, Rochelle's Fine Fabrics in Port Orchard, WA, specializes in novelty fabrics and they might be able to help you out if you want fireman fabric and can't find any. I believe they are on-line, but if you come down to needing their help and can't find them, PM me and I'll get their number for you.

Good luck! And God bless your project. A few of us here have lost our homes to fire and we feel for your friend.

[QIAD-Linda]

Judy, you might consider an "autograph" quilt for her and have the firemen all sign it. You could make a Rail Fence Quilt with some of the "Rails" in white fabric. Use a permanent, fine point marking pen for the firemen to sign the quilt. Rail Fence is a quick and easy pattern. Here is a link to it on the QIAD website:

http://www.quiltinaday.com/shoponline/b ... .asp?i=635

[Texas]

Thanks all of you for your suggestions. And it is a project very close to my heart. God Bless all of you that have lost your homes to a fire. We in the volunteer fire department see this so often, then it hits one of our own and all we could do to try and save it was to no avail, just thank God she got out with her life! She had some bad burns which are healing. None of the firemen were injured, they worked for a long time trying to save anything they could. What kind of printer do most use for copying the photos. I have an HP all in one, but I think I am going to buy one that will copy better on fabric any suggestions will be appreciated.

Judy

[Marilynsgrammy]

I think any ink jet printer would work.. just make sure you have new ink cartridges... and after the printing is done heat set the ink with your iron... heat will help the ink stay and not fade as badly after washing...

there is a product called bubble jet set and it may have some directions to help you.. it is used to make your own fabric printable sheets...

Mary has a good idea about the freezer paper and Kona fabric...Kona can be found in Joann's or Hobby Lobby... just about everywhere... the freezer paper will be a great help... it's in the grocery store near the plastic wrap and foil...

here is a link to search for fabric.. it may be helpful.

http://search.myquiltshops.com/cgi-serv ... humbnails=

[Irene1]

I use a Lexmark inkjet printer. I ordered it from HP and it was not too expensive. It prints very good pictures. I sure like the idea of Purrfect-lady. A friendship star would be purrfect with a white center in it for the pictures. I have used "Inkjet Printable Fabric Sew-on Printed Treasures". Just follow the directions and all will go well. You do not need to buy any white fabric as the fabric you need will be in your package of "Inkjet Printable Fabric"
I think nice soothing blue and soft yellow fabrics would be beautifu. Or how about a nice soothing green and soft yellow fabrics.
One of my quilting friends made a beautiful quilt using green and lavender and purple. It was an outstanding quilt. You could begin choosing fabrics by laying a bolt of a blue print that you like and then choosing the yellow to go with it. Then the same with a green print and yellow and the a green print and some lavender and purple. I made a memory quilt for the wife and family of a seriously injured police man. I went to the police dept. where he worked from and asked if I could have a fabric badge (sorry I'm not sure of the exact name of it) that the officers sew to their sleeves so that I could add it to the wall hanging I was making. They were so nice and gave me their newest design and the older design. Then I left with them a small box of small rectangles of muslin with freeze paper ironed to the backs and a and a permanent marking pen for writting on abric. The rectangles were large enough to allow someone to write a message. I used a dark blue fabric with not to visible star in it. I looked beautifl with the fabric badges and the muslin fabric. The family love their memory quilt and when their dear husband/father was in a coma they hung it in his hosp. room so he could see it since sometimes he woke up for short amount of times. They would read to him all the messages his fellow officers and police chief had written. The mayor even called me and asked if he and his wife could come to my house to sign and write a message. He and his wife were arriving in an airport near me and on the way home and it would be convenient for them and they wanted to meet me. Well that was a wonderful surprise for me and they were such nice sweet people. Sorry this is so long I just got carried away. I wish you the best of luck with the lap quilt for "Fire Mom". She will be soooo happy.