The clothes that hold your most precious memories, made into a keepsake to treasure forever.
I'm Avril, and from my studio in Crecora, Co. Limerick, I lovingly transform your treasured clothes into beautiful handmade keepsakes.
Explore the pieces I can make from cherished clothing.
Every keepsake can be personalised to your wishes — from clothing and hats for bears to embroidery and other special details.
If there's a teddy bear or animal you would like that isn't listed here, please ask — I may be able to make it for you.
Teddies & Stuffed animals
Cushions & small keepsakes
Quilts
For the stories you want to keep close.
Nationwide came to the studio in Crecora
Nationwide visited my studio to film a feature about the handmade keepsakes I create and the sewing classes I run. They also spoke with a lovely lady who had a memory quilt made from her late husband's clothes, sharing what it meant to her to have something so personal to hold onto. It was very special to show the care, stories and memories that go into every piece.
Keepsake collection
How to order
No forms to print and no measurements to take. The full detail is on .
Ring or message me
We can talk through what you would like made.
Post your box
Post your box, or you are very welcome to call to my studio — Memories Forever by Avril, Little Haven, Fanningstown, Crecora, Co. Limerick V94 DTE5.
Six to eight weeks later
You can either collect your keepsake in person, or I will send it to you via tracked post.
Learn to Sew with Avril
Whether you’re a complete beginner or already sew and would like to build your skills, these classes are for you.
Beginners will learn how to use their own sewing machine — from threading and winding a bobbin to sorting out the occasional jam — while making a project to take home that very day. More experienced sewers can develop their confidence, learn new techniques and take on more ambitious projects.
Don’t have a machine? No problem; machines are available to use in class.
Quilt styles
Priced by size — from €200Memorial quilts
Clothes gather over a lifetime and each one belongs to a different year. A memorial quilt puts them in the same place — work shirts beside the good jacket, a wedding dress beside the jeans.
Quotes, song lines and photographs can go in too, printed or embroidered, so it reads like the person and not just their clothes.
Baby quilts
The babygros you can't throw out and can't store forever. Soft enough to be dragged around the house and sturdy enough to still be there when they have children of their own.
Whatever is left over can become a teddy or a cushion.
Tree of Life & Dresden tie quilts
Two designs that aren't priced by the square. The Tree of Life builds a single trunk and canopy out of your fabrics, so a whole family sits in one image. The Dresden is made from ties — dozens of them, cut into petals and set into plates. Both come in three sizes.
Order one like these.
Everything in this gallery was made from a family’s own clothes. Here is what you can order.
Every teddy and animal
Each one made from the clothes you sendEvery first, kept
First birthdays, first Christmases, first days at school, small moments that become part of a family’s story. A keepsake teddy made from the clothes they wore helps those memories stay close for years to come.
What to send
One or two garments is plenty for a single animal. For a set for brothers and sisters, send a few more and I'll spread the same clothes across all of them so nobody gets the plain bits.
Cushions & small keepsakes
Message me on WhatsApp to orderMade from a cardigan and a shirt
Buttons left where they were, a pocket kept whole, the collar turned into a border. Cushions hold the details a quilt has to simplify, which is why so many families order one for each person after a quilt is finished.
Upcoming dates
Small groups · book a place to hold itWorkshops
Coming soon — dates go up here first, and on Facebook. Message me to go on the waiting list.
What to bring
- +Machine — if you have one
- +Fabrics and any sewing tools you have; we also have plenty here
- +Ideas of what you would like to gain or make during the classes
- +No experience needed — just yourself and a passion to learn, create and sew
What you will make
Throughout the course, we’ll explore a variety of fun sewing projects, from bunting, cushion covers and tote bags to quilts and much more.
You’re also very welcome to bring along your own ideas and projects. Whether there’s something you’ve always wanted to make, or a project sitting at home waiting to be finished, we can work on it together.
Everyone works at their own pace and there’s absolutely no pressure or rush. Projects can be adapted to suit your experience and abilities, and you can choose projects that interest you and challenge you at just the right level.
Here are a few photos from our sewing classes. Grown-ups can be a little camera-shy, but I'll be adding more soon.
Everything families ask before they post
If your question isn't here, ring me. I would rather talk it through than have you guessing.
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Pick what you would like made.
Choose a keepsake, message me on WhatsApp, then post your box. Prices below are what you pay.
Six sizes, drawn to scale
Each marker is drawn to scale against the others, so you can see what you are choosing between.
Teddies & stuffed animals
Cushions & small keepsakes
Two special constructions
Both are pieced differently to a standard patchwork quilt, so they carry their own three-size pricing.
Included in every quilt
- ✓Cotton backing, chosen by me or by you
- ✓All cutting, piecing, quilting and binding
- ✓A layout agreed with you before anything is cut
- ✓Photographs of the finished piece
- ✓Every unused offcut, posted home with it
Quoted with your order
- +Embroidered names, dates and poems
- +Heat-transfer vinyl lettering
- +Photographs printed onto cotton panels
- +Fleece backing instead of cotton
- +Photo and art quilts in non-standard sizes
All of these depend on the size of the piece and the amount of lettering, which is why I quote rather than list them. Other designs can be discussed when you book.
Want a figure for your own box of clothes?
Tell me how many garments you have and I will tell you the size it will fill, the price and the month it would be ready.
Sewing keepsakes since
Weeks, box to finished quilt
Featured on Nationwide
Pair of hands, every piece
What Avril makes.
Made by one pair of hands in Crecora, from the clothes you post to me.
Tell me what you have and what you'd like made.
You don't need to have decided anything yet. A rough idea of the clothes and who they belonged to is enough to start.
Thank you — that's with me.
I read everything myself, so give me a day or two. If it's urgent, ring me on 083 171 1622 and we'll sort it faster.
Little Haven, Fanningstown
Crecora, Co. Limerick V94 DTE5
Booking a class
Use the same form and say which you're after — children's holiday classes or adult evenings. I'll come back with the next available dates.
The quickest way is a WhatsApp message or a phone call
Send me a photo of the clothes and I will tell you what they can make. You can still ring me, or come to the studio in Crecora and bring the clothes with you.
Everything, priced.
Every keepsake I make, what it costs and what it needs from you. Message me on WhatsApp and I will tell you exactly what to post.
How much clothing this needs
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Sizes and prices
Options
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Lettering and photo panels are quoted with your order, because it depends on the size of the piece and how much there is to stitch.
What to send, and what not to cut
Wash everything first, then send the garments whole. Please do not cut or trim anything — I need to see the full piece to decide what to keep.
Tell me what has to survive. A collar, a crest, a name tape, a pocket, the buttons. Those go in the finished piece where you can find them.
Nothing is wasted. Every item I do not use is posted home with your keepsake.
I message you the day your box lands, again when I start, and I send photographs before it goes out by tracked post.
Rather talk to me?
You are very welcome at the studio in Crecora, and I would rather talk it through than have you guessing. Bring the clothes if you have them.
083 171 1622Looking after it
Cold wash on a gentle cycle, inside a duvet cover if you have one, and dry it flat rather than in a tumble dryer. Old fabric lasts far longer that way. Anything embroidered should be ironed on the back.
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How it works
- 1Send me your logo or crest, in png or jpeg.
- 2I digitise it once for stitching. That setup is a one-off, then it is repeatable forever.
- 3You approve a stitched sample before the rest of the order runs.
- 4Repeat orders just reference the same file — no setup a second time.
Good to know
No minimum order. One school jumper is as welcome as a full team kit.
Bring your own garments or ask me to source them. Both work.
Turnaround is usually one to two weeks.
Pricing depends on stitch count and quantity, so everything is quoted rather than listed. Setup for a new logo is charged once.
Tell me what you'd like embroidered and I'll send you a quote this week.
Whether it's a school crest, team kit or gift, simply send over the details along with your crest or logo in png or jpeg format.
Prefer to chat? Call 083 171 1622.
Got it — I'll price it this week.
If it's for a school start date, say so when I ring you and I'll put it to the top of the pile.