Ella Quilt Made Great Memory Wedding Heirloom

Memory quilts tell the history of a person or family in ways that bring heartfelt joy to the receiver of such a work of art. I made this piece for a wedding gift for a young cousin.
The central character is her great grandmother, Ella, who is centered in the large photo. She is surrounded by her loved ones from early marriage, first child, first grandchild, great grandchildren, and last days of life. This piece is embellished with her own costume jewelry, pictures and beads, and appliques that depict her love of sewing, and gardening. When my cousin received this piece in the mail she called me in tears. They were tears of joy and she was overwhelmed by the feelings this quilt brought to her. I added to the back of the piece a printed cloth with the story of Ella told by the quilt so it could be passed down to generations to come and be preserved as a true family heirloom. Double clicking on photo allows you to see more detail.