We don’t know about you, but we’ve been in a serious reading slump recently and we definitely need to fix it. While we love reading, it just seems like things keep getting in the way and we keep putting it off. We read constantly growing up, though, so whenever we see any of those old, familiar titles, all the memories of our time spent reading come rushing back to us.

In fact, it was seeing one of our very favorite childhood books the other day that inspired this post (To Kill A Mockingbird, anyone?)! As we thought about how much joy we get from reading and the various ways books shape us, we thought: what better way to keep those memories and inspiration alive than to create a memory quilt of our favorite books?

Below, we’ve linked to a pattern you can use and included some great tips for ways to customize your memory quilt so that it’s particularly meaningful to you. Whether it’s as a gift for someone you love, or a gift just for you, this quilt will never fail to bring back those memories for you and keep your love of reading alive. Check it out!

Quilt made by Patsy Nayback Galer / Via Schuler Books

TIPS AND TRICKS

For inspiration and a little help to get you started, you can check out these awesome patterns (here and here)!

Once you know what direction you’re going to take to get started, here are a few of our favorite ways to add a personal touch and help you stitch your memories into your quilt!

Free Motion

  • Using the technique of free motion quilting (which you can find here), you can stitch the names of your favorite works onto the spines of your books.

Quotations

  • Stitching a favorite quote onto the border of the quilt, such as, “A book is a dream that you hold in your hand” from Neil Gaiman. You can even make up your own quote!

Fabrics

  • Selecting fabrics that are personal to you and remind you of said books (as seen in this article about memory quilts).

Do you love quilting as much as you love books?

Check out our friends at 24 Blocks!