About Me
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Hi! I'm Linda Wycoff: wife, recent empty nester, and a woman who sews...a lot! It is my therapy, and my most excellent excuse to do minimal housework. I come from a long line of quilters (think "homesteading in a covered wagon") whose DNA has recently come to life.
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The beginning of my love for memory quilts started a few years ago when a recently widowed friend came to me with four trash bags full of her husband's clothing. "I can't bear to throw any of this away, but it's breaking my heart seeing it hanging in our...my closet. Can you do something with them?" Four double sided quilts and six throw pillows later, I found my passion.
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Growing up, I created my first quilt out of fabrics straight from my mother's scrap basket by her sewing machine. I remember my mother pointing to a specific square on that quilt and saying, "I made a dress for your grandmother out of this. She was so lovely. Did I ever tell you about the time when she...?"
I believe it's important to honor those we love and to remember events in our lives that make us who we are; whether it be the high school athlete we were 20 years ago, the baby our teenager once was, or a loved one who is no longer with us.
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Contact me to get started on bringing out the memories from boxes in the closet into your life everyday!
Giving Back
"You truly have a talent for this and I believe your work serves as a ministry." ~Kathy A.
I believe in paying it forward, giving back, and sharing one's gifts with others. Over the years, I have been gifted with literally hundreds of yards of fabric. I am your go-to gal when you're cleaning out a closet and you find a stash of fabric you don't know what to do with. Occasionally, boxes magically appear on my doorstep filled with all kinds of quilting goodies. But what to do with all of it? Not to turn away presents, I create quilts for charities. Below are organizations that have been kind enough to accept my gifts to them. To find out more about them, links have been provided.
“WCC is dedicated to the empowerment of victim’s of domestic/sexual abuse. We believe that this type of extreme force is used to achieve and maintain control over those in intimate relationships, leading itself to societal abuses of power and domination in the forms of sex, race, class, age and other oppressions; these abuses of power in society foster battering by perpetuating conditions which condone violent crimes.”
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
“CASA volunteers are men and women who want to help the abused and neglected children in their community. The CASA “works” for the juvenile judge, alongside the attorney ad litem (attorney for the child, and the Department of Human Services Social Workers, as appointed officers of the court.”
"When a CASA volunteer is appointed to a child’s case, he or she is responsible for taking the time to find out as much as possible about the child. They review records, interview parents, talk to teachers and neighbors, and most importantly, get to know the child. These volunteers then provide a fact based report with sound recommendations regarding that child’s best interests, needs, and wants to the court.”
“OCMC Hospice is a charitable (not for profit) 501 (c)(3) organization with the sole purpose of providing comfortable, compassionate care for the terminally ill. We provide care to all in need of our services regardless of age, sex, race, color, creed, marital status, sexual preference, national origin, religion, citizenship status, veteran status, handicap/disability, or ability to pay.”
“Joseph’s House is a non-profit organization that supports foster families and the children they care for through a number of programs and services. We provide for simple basic needs and offer expanded services at no cost to the families or children. It’s location is undisclosed for the protection and privacy of the families and children.”
"MARVA Workshop's mission is to excel at serving
individuals with developmental disabilities. They provide meaningful work for adults with disabilities and truly care for their workers and customers.”
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When I have left over fabric I will come to MARVA for
it to be recycled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you only use t-shirts in these quilts? Do all of the materials I send to you need to be cotton?
No! And no! I have yet to come across a material I cannot incorporate into a quilt. Sweaters, silk, ties, leather vests, windbreakers, scouting patches, you name it. I enjoy the challenge of creating with different and unusual materials! Memories and experiences can come in all textiles and textures, and I want your quilt to reflect all of them!
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a sweater!
How do I order a custom quilt from you? What is the process?
The easiest way to begin is to contact me. Call, text, email, Facebook...you chose! There are two contact forms under the (you guessed it!) "Contact" menu tab. Let me know what you have in mind! If you're not exactly sure, I am happy to help you figure that out.
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Then, simply box up any and all items you would like incorporatated into your quilt with a deposit of $100 and send it to me via your favorite service (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.). Before you know it, I'll send your completed quilt back to you. Easy peasy!
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How long does it take for you to make a memory quilt?
The very short and basic answer is around 40 hours. Of course, how big, how intricate, and the like all factor into it. A customized block alone can take two to three hours to create. But when you love what you do, your job becomes playtime...and I love my job!
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Wow! I can buy a quilt from a big box store for a lot less!
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That is technically true. However, it really is comparing apples to oranges.
Your quilt will be an absolute one-of-a-kind, created with only quality supplies that - with the proper care- will last for many, many, many years.
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The fabric I use for the backing, binding, and any sashing (filler fabric in between the blocks) is quality 100% cotton. What is the difference? Think of bed sheet thread counts...the higher the count, the higher the quality, which equates to more coziness and durability.
The batting is the middle part of the quilt. Like fabrics, you get what you pay for. I prefer the Hobbs 80/20 batting. It's very cozy, and extremely durable. I could use the cheaper, thinner polyester batting, but it tends to shrink, break apart, and bunch up into clumps.
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The quilting (the stitching that keeps the quilt sandwich together) is done by me using a sit-down long arm machine. This is not your typical domestic model! It allows me to make patterns a normal sewing machine cannot. It makes the quilt more sturdy and decorative. And it does take skill and practice to operate this kind of machine; not all quilters can use one.
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How many shirts will I need to send you?
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Because I don't create your quilt in uniformed sized block (unless that is what you want, of course!) there is not an exact number. That being said, a lap quilt will need at least 15-20 shirts...or more! I ask for color and theme preferences in your order form so I can fill in any gaps in the design with fabric you will like; so there is no need to stress over exact numbers. A good rule of thumb is: send me EVERYTHING you want included, even the items you may not be sure about. It's better to have too much than not enough.
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How should I prepare my items for you? Should I cut them up?
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Please wash all items WITHOUT fabric softener before sending them to me.
Pretty please, allow me to do all the cutting! Quilting typically is done using 1/4 inch seams, so even the smallest miscalculation of the scissors can be a big issue.
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How do I care for my quilt?
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The quilts I create are designed to be used. Everytime a quilt is stored away, not to be enjoyed, a bobbin runs out of thread. Like the t-shirts, demin jeans, chambray work shirts, etc. from which they are created, quilts become more comfortable through use. For the most part, these quilts can be washed and dried as you would the individual clothing items. However, if there is an item on the quilt that - in its former life as clothing - could only be washed in happy unicorn tears, that is how the entire quilt should be washed. I would, then, recommend spot cleaning...unicorns are awfully hard to find nowadays.
What do you do with the leftovers?
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I will hold onto any leftovers for a month. That way, if you decide to have me create additional items, or if you want any leftovers returned to you, I can do so. After that time, I donate them to a local charity that can then receive money per pound from a fabric recycling company.