My mother was contacted by the quilt shop where she takes her quilt tops to be quilted. A family had a quilt that their mother was working on when she passed. The quilt shop recommended my mother as someone who could finish their mom’s quilt. My mom was 80 at the time, and she agreed to help. She worked so hard to duplicate the lady’s stitches, to match the rest of the quilt. She put countless hours into quilting and binding that quilt. The family was so grateful, and so happy with Mom’s work. My mom was so proud that she could help. She said the lady was so meticulous, her stitching could’ve been done by a machine, it was that precise. I know they were truly grateful for my mom, and for the quilt shop, for putting them in touch with her.
My sister in law, a quilter with our group, had cancer; and prior to her passing away,...she had our quilt group, come to her house, and take anything we wanted from her stash... we all got to choose and take what we wanted... one more thing her kids didn't have to deal with.
People say never read the comment but WOW did that make my day. Karen, your viewers are so lovely! Thank for the opportunity to talk about what we do. Thank you everyone for your kind words.
About 5 years ago I finished a photo quilt for a friend of a friend whose wife had passed. It was his daughters’ quilt. It was to be a surprise for the daughter. I had the most amazing experience while machine quilting it. This warm protective feeling came over me that I can only describe as love. I tried to minimize my influence on the quilt as the mom had hand quilted most of it while she was sick. After binding it, I put a label on the back that was a photo of mom and daughter on the happy day that they went dress shopping for the daughter’s wedding gown. After the quilt left my possession, that warm feeling went with it.. the daughter was thrilled with her quilt and wrote me a beautiful letter. I was able to share my experience with her while sewing her mom’s quilt. ❤
A group in Adelaide received 7 quilt patters with all the fabric from a lady who was unable to continue so once the quilts were finished I received them in the Riverland to distribute to people impacted by the recent floods, it was such a delight to see the receipents faces, we had one left that wasn't allocated and they were still on diplayed and the last lady came in and immediately saw the last quilt and her face lit up and said can I have that one, I jist love birds and that was the last quilt to find a home. It was such a delight to see all their faces.
I am one of the finishers. I am working on 24 quilt blocks that were started by H's mom. H's mom died 14 years ago. It is such an honor to work on these blocks. I am treating this project with the utmost care and love. H wants to sew the blocks together and quilt the quilt. I am simply doing a blanket stitch around the main objects in each block. That's all H wants from me and I am happy to do it. This is her family treasure. Please volunteer! Don't think that you are not skilled enough to be able to help out. You are!!
I don't know if Masey and Jen have thought about writing a book and including pictures of some of these projects, but it seems to me that if they need funding for this that a book would be a great solution. I personally would love to see some of these items and I think that this world and all of it's commercialism needs to see that people do beautiful things for strangers!🥰
That's an amazing idea. I'm in Australia and just watched this story and thought. WOW I would love to read about some of these stories. I was left with a suitcase full of my grandmothers unfinished items. Some I still need doing but don't have the same wool. etc. BUT to read about the story behind the projects found and then completed by a kind and generous person would have to be a best seller.. And as you said a great way of raising funds.. Thank you, Karen, Jenn, Macy and everyone involved in this group, your all amazing.
I love this project and the women behind it. I finished a quilt for a friend when his mother died. When I gave it to him he said it was the best gift he had ever gotten - and he was 66 at the time. It was really a privilege to complete it for him.
Thank you so much for this wonderful interview with these awesome women. Made my heart so happy to hear their stories and realize how many great helpers there are in this world. Yes, write a book to help fund the project. I certainly would buy it.
What an awesome project!!! I know when my Mom passed, I finished a number of her cross-stitch projects and gave them to my sisters. It was both a way for me to work through my grief, and to give my sisters the projects that Mom had started for them. I do more quilting than embroidery work now, but the concept is the same. People will appreciate those very special projects being completed. Thank you for this episode, Karen.
What a truly wonderful idea to finish off projects and give them back to the folk they mean so much to. It is great that so many folk want to finish things-- it is not easy matching the knitting gauge of someone else or sometimes they way they stitch an embroidery. Long may they continue this work.
Karen, thank you so much for sharing this interview. Masey & Jen, what you and Loose Ends Project are doing, is such a beautiful thing. Melts my heart to know that this goes on all around the world. Thank you
Love this! Been coordinating for past 8 years with my artist mom in completing her unfinished projects. Our list of finishes is about 6 pages long. I do a Zoom show and tell on progress every week. So I suggest that this process is rewarding for those who can no longer sew but still enjoy seeing their vision fulfilled. And I’ve learned so much along the way. ❤️❤️❤️
Brilliant Karen, thank you for introducing us to these lovely ladies. I completed a knitted blanket for a stranger who posted an appeal on a local group which was seen by my neighbour. A very convoluted way of getting a project but I so enjoyed it and the recipient was thrilled. Her mother had died 8 years before and she was desperate to see this blanket finished. The great thing for me is that it was not something I would have chosen to do but it was beautiful. I have added my name to The Loose End’s list of finishers - I’m in the uk. Vonney x
Such an interesting interview and charitable idea they put into action. Impressive number of Finishers around the world. For me, a memory quilt can be sad. But the idea of finishing a good memory of a dear quilter, stitcher, crafter makes me happy. The thought the finishers give as to finish the entire project, part of it, or explain to another willing to do that step was inspirational. I love the idea of framing the needle. For the same reason I treasure someone's handwriting, unique to them and perhaps on a card sent with love, a needle that they used with joy perhaps for a gift for the family is so touching.
While I have been sewing for many years, I didn't discover sewing and quilting on youtube until COVID. Prior to that I subscribed to musician's chanels. There was a comment made about sewers being generous with sharing information and that is so true, while the musical community rarely acknowledge there supporters. I love the sewing chanels and never Ms Brown's 'Just get it done'. Many thanks to all youtuber who share their valuable time, knowledge and passion.😊
How lovely! My mom taught me everything, but I was never the crocheter she was. There is an unfinished Irish knit afghan that has been haunting my peace for 12 years and I may have found the answer.❤️
Going through this right now. My mother passed 2 years ago and when going through her sewing room I found 23 quilt tops in various stages of production! I am not really a quilter but have made a couple of very, very simple quilts. Mom would decide on a quilt pattern or design one, get all of her fabric together (top and backing). If she wasn't going to start right away, she would bundle everything together tied with a ribbon. She would even put the pattern and all her notes with it. But the last quilt top she made she had to use her stash of fabric, she couldn't leave the house because of Covid. She wasn't able to choose a backing fabric but I am determined to do this quilt. My vision is to be sitting under this quilt with a good book and a cup of tea, and remembering my mom.
A great interview with two amazing angels. Such an inspiring venture helping people through their grief and connecting amazing finishers with these projects. Great job ladies.👏♥️🇦🇺
This is great. When a friend of ours in our quilt group passed away her family gave us her fabrics and kits. We sew care quilts for people in the community. So it all went to great projects. The quilts she had started for her family or was planning to make for her family we made those for the family. It felt so good.
I finished hand quilting a baby quilt that Deborah's Aunt started before she died. Deborah tried to finish the hand quilting; but, her MS kept her from doing so. I found the perfect match for a binding at our local Walmart to make the binding. The little quilt is now finished, washed, and ready to be given to Project Linus. Whoever gets this little quilt will be receiving a well loved project.
Its a great idea....but i wonder if the projects that people don't want back.....could be taken and put up on a website for people to bid for, so they have the fun of finishing and can then keep for themselves or donate to a good cause?
I was tasked to make some quilts for a coworker out of her father's clothes. Her mom had started but passed away before she could get it going. Now I an hoping to make a patchwork bear with some of the leftover fabric. It feels absolutely wonderful to complete this.
What an inspiring interview! It has can said that our loved ones live on as long as the memories live on. These women and their finishers help people to connect to the tangible items that were made with love and care. Something to hold on to and to live on. It puts an enormous amount of positive into the people who give and recieve. I think that makers are a pretty special bunch. Great interview Karen!
My best friend passed away in May. She was a quilter and was in the middle of a heavily embroidered quilt for a relative. Myself and another friend decided we needed to finish the quilt in memory of our friend. My friend has a long arm machine, so did the quilting. I have almost finished the Prairie Points and binding. I cannot wait to give it back to the family. Xxx By the way, we are in PLYMOUTH. ENGLAND. I watch all of your demos and have learned a lot. Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas. I have taken a lot of them on board and are doing them xxx
One of my fears is the excess of fabric that I would one day be leaving behind for my kids to deal with makes me feel ill. To think that there are quilter who would make use of my leftovers make me happy. I tell myself I have enough fabrics and don’t need to buy anymore, then come a day and out of left field I need this certain fabric. 😫, kudos to these two ladies for sharing with us their venture into helping other people deal with their unfinished products bravo. Thanks Karen a excellent video many thanks. 👍❤️😊
What a wonderful service they are providing! I wish I had time to get involved as a finisher. I finished a project for my daughter -in-law, and it's hanging in her entryway. Seeing the joy she has and seeing how it turned out is heartwarming.
Their idea and endeavors are the best thing I've heard of in a long time. I've been a "finisher" in my own family. Thank you, ladies, for your compassionate work.
Brilliant interview, thank you. I had the daunting job of finishing my Daughter’s mystery quilt after she died suddenly. Oh my goodness that quilt soaked up so many tears, but I finished it and gave it back to my son-in-law. Then there were all the hand embroidery projects my daughter had bought so I never want for some craft to work on. It has also been a joy to finish off part done quilting projects by other people and give it back or pass it on to where it will be loved and appreciated .
Hand needle turn applique / hand quilting is my favorite. Lately I've been mostly machine piecing / machine quilting hoping to burn through my stash faster. I was gifted yarn, knitting / crocheting scarves and baby blankets with it for charity. I was also gifted a bunch of crochet cotton that I have made a bunch of doilies with.
What a beautiful idea. It breaks my heart when I see or hear about items that were unfinished and just tossed because family members don’t know how to complete them. I personally have quilt pieces and crochet items from my mom that I’m hoping to finish.
I find this story amazing. It is very sad when these unfinished pieces don't get done, I often see UFO's in my local charity shops. I too was left many unfinished projects by my family after my grandmother passed (a suitcase full of UFO's) some I've completed some are still there in that same old suitcase that will never be finished. One I tried to finish but found it too emotional to work on. This story has made me feel like having another go at it.. My grandmother has been gone since the early 1980's also, she was a crafter of many kinds, the project I can't seem to get done is a massive cross stitch. A craft I've never really been into, but this story has made me re-think getting it done. Possibly for one of my granddaughters..
I did that: finishing two quilts a lady started in 1985. I did it for her now 80 year old widower. The first was nearly complete, he was happy. The second is a desaster. I got a bunch of pink silk hexie flowers. No design, and a very difficult material. I appliqued them on cream upholstery fabric, added a pink-green rose fabric and added green sashing. The quilter did a great job, too. - And he is disappointed as "it isn't original". I'll never do that again.
Thank you for a wonderful positive interview to start off the weekend :) It's great to hear how many people are involved from coast to coast :) Really is a heart warmer !
This is awesome, how about connecting with guilds accross the country and beyond. I bet you will find more volunteers. This is the first I ever heard of this.
YIKES! Karen, I have so many unfinished projects, I just had a surge of guilt thinking how on earth would my children/grandchildren finish any of it? Crochet, Knitting, Quilting and who knows what? Needless to say, I'm much better at starting stuff than finishing it. I was hoping this podcast would be about THAT. It was interesting. But, where do I go from here? I can't afford to send my quilts to a long armer, nor can I afford a long arm machine. Any suggestions? I wish I had realized this before I started quilting! Now I can machine quilt small things like baby quilts, pillows, tote bags, etc. But bed sized stuff? LOL I don't feel as bad about a bag with a half finished something or another crocheted or knitted in it. But somehow quilt tops seem worse?
I pieced for 20 years and still have tops from that time. During covid I started quilting again, and after about a year of practice, I was pretty good. Some of your quilt tops can be given to a guild for community projects. I suggest learning to machine quilt and finish your favorite few. I practiced on community quilts and place mats for about a year before I was happy with my efforts. I am 70 years old and working through my projects so that my children will not have to deal with my hoard. Let go of any perfectionism. I had to let go of mine. If you practice you will get better. It is like handwriting or riding a bike. I now shop in my stash.
Have they considered asking the family requesting the project to be done for a small donation? They could also consider approaching fabric, yarn and craft supply manufacturers for a donation in lieu of some website advertising?
