Georgia quilt maker preserves family memories by transforming treasured clothing

For some people, old clothes can hold powerful memories. A metro Atlanta quilt maker is turning those memories into something families can keep forever.

Remetta Wiggins, who lives in Snellville, found purpose in creating keepsakes families could hold.

"It just makes me feel good that I've been able to make somebody else feel good and to give them something that's long-lasting and that they will have forever," Wiggins said.

Wiggins has been stitching quilts for about 30 years. The first memory quilts she made were personal.

"The first one was of my mom. I made one for all my siblings out of all my mother's clothes," Wiggins said. "I ended up making one for my sister, my seven brothers and myself."

She spends her days transforming clothing from other families into memory quilts, carefully preserving the details that make each one a keepsake.

"I try to keep as much of the article as I can so that you'll know what it is," Wiggins explained.

For Stephanie Evans, that attention to detail made one of her quilts especially meaningful.

"It was like love from heaven and love here on Earth," Evans said.

Evans lost both of her parents in 2024, three weeks apart. Wiggins transformed their clothing, including dresses, pajamas and shirts, into a quilt Evans calls a gift.

Wiggins also makes quilts for athletes, college graduates, fraternities and sororities.

Her customers send clothing from across the country. Most find her through word of mouth.

"From the West Coast to the East Coast, to the North, to the South — I get boxes. I get baskets of clothes," Wiggins said.

She said she has made about a dozen memory quilts and wants to make more.

"That's where I want to get to — the thousands," Wiggins said. "Yes, yes, I want to grow."