Quilt for the Teardrop

[PubUltraStar]

Still cold in Wisconsin, and another weekend where I haven't been able to get outside to work on the build. Sitting inside watching Wisconsin beat up Oregon in the NCAA Basketball tourney, I came up with the idea of a National Park t-Shirt Quilt. My wife made me a T-Shirt quilt a few years ago out of some of my old shirts, and I use it all the time on the couch. I have some pretty cool shirts from some of my travels, and thought maybe I could use that for my bedding in the teardrop. Here is a mockup.



Obviously, this makes for a pretty pricey quilt if I were to buy all new T-Shirts, but I really like the idea. Maybe if I wait until the online sites that sell these have a major sale, it might make more sense. The other option is to finish the teardrop, and start visiting all these places in person and building a t-shirt collection until I have enough to make a quilt. Just thought I'd post and see what others think.

[bonnie]

I like it. My daughter has been collecting state t shirts to do the same thing.

[wagondude]

That is an excellent idea. You could look around thrift shops and garage sales for "experienced" shirts.

[doug hodder]

As the owner of a quilting shop, the purpose of a T-shirt quilt is for it to be a memory quilt. It's the last place to use the T-shirts from those places and events that you've experienced in your life so that each one has a story behind it. The experience behind an online buy is that you used your password on pay pal. Also, the worn ones will be much softer than a freshly screened one. If you are going to do it, be sure to stabilize the T shirt panel prior to sewing it in, or you will have a real challenge, and may not be able to find anyone to quilt it. FWIW. Doug

[robfisher]

Doug, Totally agree with your memory thought and I've been thinking of doing this with all my gathering T's.

Question: How do you stabilize the T shirts? Is that an iron on product?

Rob

[bonnie]

As the owner of a quilting shop, the purpose of a T-shirt quilt is for it to be a memory quilt. It's the last place to use the T-shirts from those places and events that you've experienced in your life so that each one has a story behind it. The experience behind an online buy is that you used your password on pay pal. Also, the worn ones will be much softer than a freshly screened one. If you are going to do it, be sure to stabilize the T shirt panel prior to sewing it in, or you will have a real challenge, and may not be able to find anyone to quilt it. FWIW. Doug

Doug, have you tried the wash out stabilizers in this sort of project? Just wondering.

[Racquetman]

My Wife made two big quilts for my kids a few years ago using school, sports, activities, work related items with fond memories for my kids, it came out great and they both cherish their quilts to this day, it's a great idea!

[doug hodder]

Pellon 931TD fusible stabilizer works great for it. It keeps all the T-shirt knit type fabrics from stretching and pulling. Rough cut the T to the approximate size, fuse the stabilizer to the entire back of it with a hot iron, square up the piece and sew it in. I wouldn't think a wash away stabilizer would work well since the T fabric will still move around after it's washed out. Doug

[PubUltraStar]

This is the one my wife already made me, and I love it. I am torn between the fact that it's a cool idea, and the tradition of a T-shirt quilt being something that you've experienced, and now want to make it into something new. I also see it as a checklist. I've already been to 13 of the destinations on the "mock-up" above, so I could just eliminate the places I haven't been to. Since it will take us probably another 20 years to get the rest of the shirts, I don't know if I'm willing to wait that long. Again, it was just an idea, and I still have a long time until my teardrop is finished, so I have plenty of chances to ponder the traditions of quilt making.

[KCStudly]

I like it. Look at it this way, if you walked into a gift shop at one of those destinations and saw that for sale, would you buy it even if you hadn't been to all of the locations? I say you have a good enough head start to validate the purchase, and it will give you the motivation to see the rest. Good bucket list there.

[rebapuck]

I've got a collection of VW tees. Been thinking of doing a quilt, but I just can't get up the nerve to cut them up. I still wear them.

[PubUltraStar]

I've got a collection of VW tees. Been thinking of doing a quilt, but I just can't get up the nerve to cut them up. I still wear them.

I was like that with some of my t-shirts, but definitely glad that I did it. Love the quilt my wife made me, and probably less wear and tear. Just do it!

[kayakdlk]

Just my opinion but I think you will appreciate it more if you visit each place that you collect a T Shirt. You will then have memories for each square that you look at. I buy all my T shirts from the national parks and other areas that I have visited. Each time I wear one it brings back memories.

Dan

[tac422]

My lovely wife surprised me with this quilt made from her fathers old jeans during our first outing of The Big Pink.
He passed away last year, and it was a total and awesome surprise.