by Jenny Scott from Always Quilting

Do you remember the Autograph Albums from your childhood?
Well translate this to fabric and the Autograph Quilt becomes a fun patchwork celebration, or farewell, gift.
I collected the autographs in the quilt below when I moved from South Australia. I now have a permanent memory of the people with whom I began my love of patchwork, the friends in my first Patchwork Group.

Instructions for making your own Autograph Quilt

Collecting the Autographs or Signatures:

• Prewash a piece of Quilters muslin, homespun or calico.
  
• Press the fabric to a sheet of Freezer Paper.
  
• Rule up the blank squares for the autographs. (I used 3 1/2" squares with the corners marked off to allow me to make a snowball block)
  
• It is a good idea to mark off the stitching lines so that the writing is not lost in the seams when the blocks are joined to make the quilt top.
  
• You now have the "pages" ready for the autographs.
  
• Use a pigma pen, or other fabric safe permanent pen with a medium fine nib, to write messages on the fabric. The
• Freezer paper will stabilise the fabric and make it easier for people to write their message.
  
• Press the writing with a hot iron to set the ink when all the messages have been collected, and before the "pages" are cut apart.
  

Hint:
When passing the fabric around amongst the group of people involved, suggest that they write their message on paper first to test if it will fit on the fabric. If they are not confident of writing on the fabric the message can be traced into place.

Making the the Quilt Top:
Visit Jennys website http://www.alwaysquilting.com.au/autograph_quilt.htm