Software
Houzz Logo Print
sewsew_quiltr

will trade for sign language letters

18 years ago

I recently fell off my fabric diet and purchased a piece of fabric with sign language letters. I thought it would be perfect to use for the name labels on the I-Spy quilt projects that I'm making for my nieces and a neighbor.

Each square is about 3" with a bright simulated batik background, and has one disembodied white hand forming a sign language letter (with the letter written on the cuff). I bought the orange/purple colorway of this fabric, it also comes in a blue/green/purple colorway. One full repeat of the design was about 5/8 of a yard. I should have thought ahead and bought a bit more to get a few extra vowels.

So I prewashed and pressed, and then snipped apart the letters I needed to spell each child's name. Thankfully I was able to complete a full first name for each of my two nieces: "Emily" and "Zelia". I was also able to set "2007" and "2008"

For the neighbor's kid, my new little seven-year-old quilting buddy, I have just enough to spell out her name: either "Persephone" or her nickname "Sephie". Lotsa "E"s either way. And this kid goes by her full name most of the time.

Without buying more yardage, I would like to gather more fabric letters so that we can spell out these names. I'm especially looking for the letter "P", will take any of "Z" that you've got, and any "E"s would be appreciated.

I have other letters, or LOTSA fun I-Spy squares to trade. Will TRIPLE-TRADE for the letter "E"! Contact me by email, let's swap!

Comments (14)

  • 18 years ago

    I don't have this fabric but my daughter teaches the deaf and I'd love to know where you found yours. With the name of the store, maybe I could find some, too. Also, could you give me the name of fabric and who made it?
    (I wonder if your neighbors know that Persephone was Queen of the Underworld, and the consort of Hades? Her descent into the underworld for 3 months a year was the reason for winter, when nothing will grow, and her Roman name meant something like 'the one who destroys the light'.......seems an odd choice for a child's name, doesn't it.)

  • 18 years ago

    You have my sympathies. I had some - lost it in the fire or I'd send it to you.
    I bought it at a local quilt show, didn't open it until I got home only to discover it was 1/2yd. I was fit to be tied! Didn't even have the full alphabet.

  • 18 years ago

    Here's some on e-bay.

    Here is a link that might be useful: sign language letters.

  • 18 years ago

    Here's a link to an image of the orange sign language fabric. (my first attempt at posting a picture).

    Not sure of the exact name of this design. The selvege reads: TIMELESS TREASURES FABRICS, INC. PATT# LUNN-C9301 and there are 17 colors used.

    I bought mine at a LQS in Madison Wisconsin called Gayfeather Fabrics. I had seen this fabric design there in two colorways over a year ago, and admired it from afar while on my fabric diet. The I-Spy projects gave an ideal excuse to go shopping for this specifically, by then there was only the one color left.

    I'm sure that you could find it at a LQS or online, many places carry the Timeless Treasures line of fabrics.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

  • 18 years ago

    Glassquilt, I've followed your story on the forum. Gotta be frustrating when you remember getting something specific that you liked, and then realize you don't have it any longer. I went through a similar situation, and even years later it can be a bit startling. Let me know what you'd like to spell out and I will send the letters to you.

    Hey, you inspired me to revisit the stack of fabric letters, I can spell "QUILT" with the squares I have left, twice!
    Not quite enough for your forum name though... I can send you "G QUILT" if you're interested.

    Now I'm trying to think of other ways to use up the odd letters, maybe spell a word to make a nice label on the back of a Linus quilt. I can spell an all-purple "FUN" and an all-pink "FUN!" Unfortunately there are not a lot of vowels left.

  • 18 years ago

    I got it for my stash just in case I might need it sometime in the future. Thanks anyway.

  • 18 years ago

    Wish I had some to share, but I don't. I did find this one on line.
    Janice

    Here is a link that might be useful: How about this one???

  • 18 years ago

    I just found the fabric on line, and bought 2 yards... hopefully for a Christmas Quilt for my daughter. Here's where I bought it;
    http://www.jandofabrics.com/

  • 18 years ago

    I just had an email from the fella at jandofabrics.com and they're shipping my fabric today....what great service! I'll sure remember it the next time I look for online fabric!

  • 18 years ago

    Sandra - Yes, the family is totally aware of the Persephone story, including the story of the daughter's abduction and the connection to pomegranates. For as many pomegranate seeds as she ate, the mythological Persephone spends as many months of the year in the underworld.

    My quilting buddy is coming over this afternoon to pick out the sign language letters to use on her quilt. We have the choice of "PERSEPHONE" or "SEPHIE" but not both. If she goes with the shorter version, I'm also going to suggest her initials "PJWB" used as cornerstones on the quilt back or on a pillowcase.

  • 18 years ago

    Hi-Does anyone who where I can get silhouettes of Sign language phrases? On line would be great. Thanks.

  • 18 years ago

    WHEW!
    I am now officially -DONE- with the sign language letter squares on quilts.

    Sephie came over to work on her quilt, and brought a friend Kenisha along, who is now also working on a quilt and would like her name spelled out in sign language too, please. All I could think of was all those vowels!!

    Then Kenisha got the fabulous idea to add her birthdate of 1999, so Sephie of course wanted to add her birthdate of 2000. Lucky they weren't born in the same year or we would have run out of numbers!

    Astonishingly and amazingly, we were able to fully spell out both little quilters' names and birthdates: "PERSEPHONE 1999" and "KENISHA 2000". That's in addition to "EMILY SAPYTA" and "ZELIA 2007" for my nieces' quilts. I have enough to put "FUN" on two Linus quilts and then I don't want to see these sign language letters again!

    When I get home I'll post which fabric letters I have left, free for the asking and a SASE.

  • 18 years ago

    LindyCat: Do you mean phrases spelled out with the sign language letters that are the subject of this thread, but you want the letters as silhouettes of hands? Most words and phrases in sign language would not be spelled out that way (though you can do it), but involve movement of the hands, so I don't know how you could get silhouettes of them. Maybe someone else can help with this.

    But have a look at a couple of American Sign Language sites. You might be able to make up some silhouettes for words from this site, which has still pictures:
    http://www.lifeprint.com/index.htm

    The other link shows the actual motions.

    Here is a link that might be useful: ASL motions

  • 16 years ago

    I just completed a sign language quilt with machine embroidered 'hands' for the entire alphabet. It is for my grand-daughter-in-law who is graduating with a degree in deaf education in May 2009. I hope she will hang it in her class room. To see a picture: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hillmer/Quilts/index.htm

    Here is a link that might be useful: Sign Language Quilt