Several years ago I worked full time as a manager at a fabrics and crafts store. I worked there for six years and during those six years I purchased a lot of stuff! I probably have enough fabric and scrapbooking supplies accumulated to open my own fabric and crafts store. When I retired, I always planned on using that stuff; after all, now I had all this "free time" to spend in the craft room. But of course, the hours I thought I would have to spend in my craft room everyday was more like one or two hours a day. Between cleaning, gardening, traveling, and home upkeep/remodel projects I really didn't have as much "free time" as I thought I would.
Years went by and I felt so guilty about all these unfinished projects gathering dust in my craft room. I felt so overwhelmed by it all, that the joy of creating was taken away from me. I finally realized I felt overwhelmed because the task was too big, and to make it less overwhelming, I just needed to make my goals smaller and more manageable. At that time I had three quilts that I started but never finished. I decided to make it my goal that I would finish one quilt per year. I started with the simplest quilt of them all, and the one I had the most further along: a T-Shirt Quilt.
Many years ago my daughter gave me all these T-shirts of her husbands. They are all T-shirts of plays and dances my son-in-law was in when he was in high school and college. The T-shirts are packed full of memories, some have the date on them. The fabric on some of the shirts was so old it was fragile; but once you iron on the interfacing it makes the fabric much stronger and stops it from stretching.
My T-Shirt quilt is a little different from most for it has traditional quilting borders. Most are just T-shirt blocks connected together like THIS ONE. That would be the easiest and quickest T-Shirt quilt to make.
I had a lot of T-shirts that had small graphics, so I cut them up to even smaller squares to make one block. I put this block right in the center since it was so different from all the other blocks. I love that my children's names are on these blocks. My son-in-laws name is in the upper left corner and my daughter's name is in the lower right corner. Isn't that awesome? What a memory keepsake!
Now if you are a seamstress, you will probably notice how horrible my sewing is. I will be the first to admit I'm a horrible quilter. I so much more enjoy the process of designing a quilt than sewing one. The mathematical precision of quilting drives me crazy. I often thought I should stop trying to do traditional quilting and just do "Crazy Quilting". I think that would be more my style.
Regardless of my imperfect sewing, I'm proud of myself for FINALLY completing my project; and I did it all myself! I even finished it myself with the "Stitch in the Ditch" method instead of paying a professional several hundred dollars to top stitch it.
T-Shirt quilts are a great way to preserve memories. I've been collecting T-Shirts from every place we ever traveled too, and someday I hope to make a travel T-Shirt for myself. I've also seen people use T-Shirts of sports teams or music concerts. Oh, the memories you can save on a T-Shirt Quilt!
Have A Great Day! Amy
Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!
Amy I love this idea. When my father died his favorite thing was flannel shirts. My mom took all of his shirts to a lady that made a quilt with all of his shirts. I wished I would of known this because I would of love to have some to make me one too. Great inspiration!
ReplyDeletethank you, I do too. That is so sweet that your mom has a quilt of her husbands shirts. A friend of mine made a quilt out of her friend's son's cloths when he tragically died. It was very soothing for her.
DeleteHi Amy. We have the t-shirts that are awaiting the return to life via a quilt. The project is on our lock down list. Yours looks lovely. Thanks for the inspiration to get it done!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great lockdown project!
DeleteWhat a great idea and a great way to preserve all the memories! You are so skilled! I never attempted to sew a quilt! Still need to bring myself to sew some pillow covers from the fabric I recently purchased in Iowa.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Pillow covers are easy, you can do it!
DeleteThat is so very cool. I see that he is a Bay Area local with the San Mateo High shirts. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes he is, but he is a midwestern boy now!
DeleteSo many memories saved in such a useful cozy way!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely!
DeleteLooks great, I like it! I've seen a company online that will do this for you if you can't sew. Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 12, open May 1 to 26. All party entries shared if social media buttons installed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dee! That would be a great business to get into. I'm sure it's expensive though.
DeleteA large throw is $150 but they have various sizes.
DeleteWow! That's a great price.
DeleteWow! This looks awesome! I'm impressed!
ReplyDeletewww.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thank you!
DeleteIt's looking great!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteGood for you for finishing this quilt. I know your SIL and daughter will love it. I've made a couple of t-shirt quilts, both w/o the boarders around them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim, if I made another T-shirt quilt it would just be one simple border around each square and that's it.
DeleteWhat a beautiful idea, Amy! I've seen T-shirt quilts before that friends have made and they hold such neat memories. I love that you were able to take the small print and make a single block out of them and that they have your daughter and son-in-law's names on them! This will definitely be something they can cherish and pass on to the little ones later, when they're old enough to appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteRuth
https://voguefauxreal.com/2020/05/19
Thanks Ruth!
DeleteThis is a fun idea to keep some old tees, how nice there are so many fun memories attached to it! :) I'm not crafty at all but my aunt made some really cute little quilts for the boys when they were little - we still have them!
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a good week :) It's a bit cold here - winter has arrived a week early!
Away From Blue
Thanks Mica!
DeleteWOW! great idea to keep your memories safe and close :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteOh thats like it could be kind of a fun job. And what a good idea! Such a great way to hold on to ones memories and keep old clothes out of the land fill!
ReplyDeleteAllie of
www.allienyc.com
The beginning of making the quilt was fun, but the finishing process was touch. And yes, it's a great way to reduce/reuse too!
DeleteLooks amazing darling Great work xoxo Cris
ReplyDeletehttp://www.photosbycris.com.au/?p=6040
Thanks!
DeleteThis is all amazing! I love how you save these shirts for memories!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Lovely
http://mynameislovely.com
Thanks! My son-in-law and daughter saved them. They thought ahead.
DeleteI love this idea! Thanks for sharing with Encouraging Hearts and Home! Pinned. Please come visit us again, we appreciate it. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteBeautiful. I love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
DeleteOMG what a sweet gift to someone a quilt like this would be! Thank you for sharing with Encouraging Hearts and Home. Your quilt post is one of my features for EHH 05.28.2020, stop and say hello!
ReplyDeletethank you so much! That is so exciting!
DeleteLove it! Look for it to be featured in tomorrow’s Creative Compulsions.
ReplyDeleteMichelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Thanks so much! That's wonderful news!
Delete