Quilts from military camo....advice appreciated!

Looking for advice or experience if anyone has ever done this!

Recently a good friend who teaches with me at our preschool lost her 25 year old son in a tragic accident. He was married, in the service and had safely returned from Afghanistan. Three young children. Tripped getting out of bed in the middle of the night in their home at the base in Seattle, hit his head on the corner of the dresser by the bed, and died from the resulting trauma. Simply unbelieveable and so tragic.

I offered to make the three children a throw each from his tshirts or any other clothing they wanted. I just received a large box of his camo fatigues.

One girl, two boys. I am going to put a picture of the dad with the child on the back. Will use the brown camo for the little girl...combine it with pink. The other camo is green and brown. I'll use that for the boys....combine it with something that is boy looking that compliments the colors. Will use name badges, buttons...everything.

Would appreciate any advice or websites with advice! That first cut into those uniforms is going to be hard!!!!

His wife did shadow box the dress uniform....at first she wanted me to make her a throw from that....I was about to have a heart attack at the request, but someone gave her a shadow box for it, so she changed her mind. Whew.

Help and advice appreciated everyone!

Thats so very sad Nancy, truly sad, my heart goes out to the family and to you - its going to be hard to make those little children quilts from daddys fatigues. The idea of pink with the brown for his daughter is great, a nice dusty pink perhaps? Im wondering for the boys, any way you could add red/white/blue? First thing popped into my head was putting an american flag block in the quilt, simply piecing the camo squares around it. Perhaps a darker brown for sashing on the boys? Just my first thoughts, Im just out of bed and not even sniffed a coffee so ignore away

This is for you though, your going to need them during this project

How very kind of you to do this for your friend and her children. My heart goes out to them.

I'm certain there is at least one book with designs for camo quilts. You can Google it and I'll try looking for it also. My son gave me a set of his fatigues, but I haven't cut into it either.

My heart goes out to the family. That is so sad. Bless your heart for making the quilts. I am sure it won't be easy.

Here is a great picture of one a lady made. Maybe it will help get you started. She put all the patches in the borders.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/120580989.html

Texas, I have no advise, but admiration for what you are doing. What a sad situation, and bless you for taking on such an emotionally difficult project. Think tho of how much those children are going to love those quilts, more and more as time passes. You are helping them thru a very difficult period of your life.
Again, bless you.

What a wonderful thing to do for that family. Norma

TMM - I've known since getting to know you here that you're a very kind and generous person. I'm sorry I don't have any thoughts to share, but I'll be sending lots of caring thoughts your way as you tackle this heart wrenching project.

Ditto what everyone said.... I think that will be a hard quilt to make...

IT will be hard I'm sure and what a wonderful gift.

Thanks everyone.....your support is so so appreciated. I've got a baby quilt to finish and one other one to do and then onto this project, so it will be a couple of weeks before I get there.....got a trip to SC to watch middle son graduate coming up as well.

TXM...that quilt is beautiful. I will be searching the internet for more ideas. Saved that one...liked the patches in the border idea.

Feel free to send me any links or info you stumble across!

I think what Gimpy said sounds good. A flag with just squares of the camo , plus your solid , around that. Simple and it says it all . Perrhaps a border of a plain fabric on which you can sew the badges etc I assume the children are very young so hope that these will be put aside for them as a keepsake of their father for when they are older and can appreciate it. If you have enough fabric perhaps to make just something small , like doll blanket size , that they can cuddle to their faces now as they won't really understand . If the main ones are kept for them safe from damage I could see them treasuring these their whole lives. Of course the mother may just want something for the moment and not be worrying about the future . How very sad that he would return from Afghanistan and die like that.