A perfect way to preserve the memories of their first years

By the time my twins were around two years old I had so many adorable outfits and didn’t have the heart to get rid of them so I boxed them up and put them in storage knowing that at some point I would have to deal with them. By the time they were four I could open a child’s clothing store I had so many sweet items, and by the time they were six I had dozens of storage boxes and I realized that desperate measures had to be taken. So I decided that I would go thru the clothing and make three piles: one pile for the worn or stained to be disposed of, a second pile to donate to good will, and a third to keep as heirlooms.

When I started going thru the outfits, memories came flooding back: their first preemie sleepers, the pajama’s they wore while I read umpteen bedtime stories, the jeans they learned to crawl around in, the dress she took her first steps in, the outfits for their first, second, third … birthday parties, their swaddling blankets. So many of the clothing felt too precious to dispose of, so I decided I would make a nostalgia quilt to give to them at a later date – I would cut out uniform squares of fabric [10 cm x 10 cm] from the cutest and most treasured outfits to create this quilt. As I had also saved their well-loved and worn crib duvet cover I used this as the underside of the quilt. I stuck with 100% natural fabrics [cottons and linens are best] and included areas from the outfits that had appealing and interesting embellishments, such as ribbons, bows, embroidery and smocking. When the quilt was complete I had affixed a short verse:

By your mothers hands with her devotion and prayers this loving blanket is built
From your baby clothes little bits of fabric cut to make a snug and warm quilt
And when you seek peace and comfort in the quiet of the night
Remember the love that it was made as it’ll keep you warm until the morning light
My heart is yours forever my little one, Mommy

A Nostalgia Quilt is a thoughtful and loving gift for your children, whether you give it to them when they are still young or for a specific milestone: sweet sixteen, graduation, wedding, birth of their first child, it will have great significance to them.