T-Shirt Quilt for Sarah

Last fall, my friend Danielle asked if I knew how to make a t-shirt quilt, and if I might be able to make one for her daughter as a high school graduation gift.  I love when quilt deadlines are very far away -- I had close to 8 months so how could I say no?

 

This quilt is pretty big -- 72" x 90". My husband had to stand on a ladder in order for me to get the picture. I decided not to crop him out :-).

 

Danielle's daughter is an athlete, she plays soccer, basketball and runs (among other things).  Danielle mailed me a box of t-shirts that she had "borrowed" from Sarah's drawers without her knowing.  As you can probably guess, her school colors are black and red.

 

 

Each square finished at 15" and I used a light-weight fusible interfacing on the back.  The blocks were sashed in black with red cornerstones.  (There are prints on the black & red, but they don't show in these photos.)

 

 

I quilted this with straight lines (stitch in the ditch) along both sides of each sashing strip (vertically and horizontally) then added some meandering squiggles within each block, being careful not to stitch over any of the printing on the shirt.  The thread color on the block matches the background color of the shirt.  I really wanted the shirts - not the stitching - to be prominent.

 

All of the shirts were cotton except one.  The red shirt with the white "2" on it was a tech shirt, but it worked out just fine and I didn't have to do anything differently on that block.

The back is black and the binding is red.  I also made a quilt tag with red stitching on white fabric.  I asked Danielle to write a "note" to Sarah in her own handwriting, then I stitched exactly that, making the quilt tag look like a hand written note from Mom & Dad.  Of course I don't have a picture, but this is the method I used.  The only differences from my original post are that the words were hand written (vs printed on a computer) and I used tissue paper in place of regular paper. 

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

 

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Baby Clothes Quilt for Jack

What is it with me and memory quilts? I love saying "yes" when friends ask me to make them, but I can't seem to get my act together to actually finish them for years. Yes, years. Shame on me!

 

 

Shannon sent me a box full of her son's baby clothes well over 2 years ago (probably closer to 3). I put them into my craft closet and you know what they say --- out of sight, out of mind. This quilt only took 8 or 10 hours to complete (once I finally got started).... it's getting started I can't seem to get very good at!

 

The clothes she sent ranged in size from newborn to about 24 months, so the sizes varied greatly.  She also included a few burp clothes (which were great for filling in "blank" spaces) and one itty bitty little bib.  There were t-shirts, sweatshirts, terrycloth, fleece and nylon items.  They all got a layer of fusible interfacing on the back (Pellon lightweight) before I cut them to size.  The size and layout of the quilt was dictated completely by the clothes!

 

Here are a few of my favorites:

 

This happy little crab was on the side of some nylon swim trunks.

 

 

I saved the Harley Davidson tag from the inside of a little fleece jacket and sewed it in the upper left corner of the gray block.  A cute little 3-D effect, I think.

 

 

The center part of this block was a tiny little bib, round at the bottom.  I had to improvise (with pieces from a matching onesie) to bring it up to a block size.

 

 

I really wanted to use the Calvin Klein logo from this shirt, but it was in an odd spot to cut out, so I just used the shirt with the buttons, pockets and all.  I sewed the main opening closed (down the middle), but it still looks functional.

 

 

Here's another little shirt I left in tact (right).  I was short by one block so I added a "J" (made from the Calvin Klein shirt, above) to a gray square cut from the back of another onesie.

 

 

This was from a tiny little swim shirt that went with the itty bitty swim trunks.  So adorable!

 

 

I was so excited to have this completed and (finally) in the mail that I didn't take any pictures of the back.  You're not missing much, though... I just used plain black fleece.  I stitched in the ditch on every seam between all the blocks.  I used cotton batting in the middle, because I don't think I could have gotten it through my machine (fleece + thicker batting + sweatshirts in some of the top blocks + interfacing) otherwise.  I sewed the entire thing (piecing and quilting) with my walking foot.  What a difference that made in the assembly!  On all the previous t-shirt quilts I've made, I just used a regular foot for piecing.  Never again --- the walking foot makes a night and day difference!

 

This little guy measures 54"x32" after washing.

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

 

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Forever has arrived!

I was sure the day would never come, but FOREVER has arrived!  What started as a giant box of t-shirts and 4 pair of pants.... over 2 1/2 years ago.... has finally become THIS quilt.  I couldn't be happier!

It measures 85" x 67" and is made entirely of my friend Shaun's clothes (mostly t-shirts) on both the front and the back.  The only exceptions are a few song lyrics he asked me to embroider for him, which I did on a white cotton fabric.

Though not a "traditional" quilt (and certainly not "traditional" construction methods!), this may just be one of my all-time favorite quilts.

Each and every block holds a memory and tells a story for Shaun.  I really can't think of a more special quilt than a memory quilt.

Can you spot the hidden ladybug, hand stitched into the block above?

Quilting this was quilt a workout... it was HEAVY and THICK!  It was equal parts sewing and wrestling, for sure.

For the most part, I quilted along each seam with a wave line and some loops.  I added loops to each intersection, and did a little FMQ in some of the plain filler blocks.

I didn't want to detract from any of the t-shirt designs, so I did not quilt inside any of those blocks.  I also didn't want this quilt to "crinkle" (and distort the shirt designs) so I used a polyester batting, rather than the cotton I typically use.

It is even bound with t-shirt fabric, which was not an easy task!  (Note: Spray starch is my new best friend!)

This quilt is far from perfect in terms of sewing, but it is still a "perfect" quilt --- full of love, warmth and memories for a very special friend.  After all, isn't that what quilt making is all about?

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

The Forever Project - Part 1

I am a very bad friend.  Well, not usually, but in this specific instance.  I am a bad friend to Shaun.

Over a year ago (yeesh, a year?!?), I offered to make him a t-shirt quilt.  He is a huge music fan and over the years has amassed a huge collection of band and concert t-shirts.  Some were too small, some were getting too worn out, but all were special and deserved a place of honor.  

He sent me his box of t-shirts (I'd guess 25+ of them) in April 2011.  Yes, FOREVER ago.  I promptly ironed fusible onto the back of each design and cut it out.  Some are big, some are small, and no two are the same size.  His one request was that this didn't end up looking like a giant checkerboard, so I cut the blocks according to the size of the design.  You'll see the giant pile of blocks at the bottom of this photo.

I'm afraid to count how many there are, but when I lay them all out next to each other, they completely cover the top of my king size bed.


After cutting the blocks, I realized I had absolutely *no* assembly plan in place.  I put the blocks in a bag and moved on to the next project.  Then the next.  Then the next.  Then.... well, you get the point.


How long will it take me to finish this quilt?  Quite possibly FOREVER.  I want to.  I *really* want to.  And I have some ideas... I'm just afraid to dive in.


To show Shaun that I haven't forgotten about him completely, I did add two smaller projects (related to this quilt) to my May Small Project Sew Along list, and I'm happy to say that I have finally completed them.  Woo Hoo!!!


First, I embroidered a few quotes he asked me to include in the quilt

I don't know what that black mark is before the "S" but I need to get rid of it!

Should have cropped this picture.  Whoops!

:

Second, I made an appliqued Buddhist "Om" symbol that will go into the mix:

Next?  Not a clue.  I think it's time to put on my big girl pants, dive in a little deeper, come up with a plan and actually DO something with this.  Sometime before FOREVER actually arrives.


Any ideas???  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's my current list for the May Small Project Sew Along:

Completed items:

1. Complete H2H quilt - link here

2. Complete Laura's quilt - link here

3. Make pillow to match Laura's quilt - link here
5. Make 3 small memory (t-shirt) wall hangings (1 done, 2 not started) - link here
6. Make 3 small memory (t-shirt) Mickey pillows - link here

7. Make a green mug rug in time for Mother's Day  - link here

9. Finish April Seasonal Skinny (flimsy is complete) - link here
10. Complete 2 ladybug Seasonal Skinnies for May - link here

12. Make a portable sewing kit / bag / holder / something-or-other - link here

13. Start (and finish) embroidery for "The Forever Project" - DONE!
14. Complete "Om" block for "The Forever Project" - DONE!

18. Make a birthday gift for kindergartener's BFF - link here

Not started or in progress:

4. Finish quilt for Sujay (flimsy is complete)

8. Make a pink mug rug just because I want to
11. Cut fabric for summer hexie project
15. Make or find a simple pattern for a tote / beach bag
16. Make a year-end gift for my kindergartener's teacher
17. Make a year-end gift for my 3rd grader's teacher
19. Make a "surprise" for my 11 running partners + myself
20. Make an Unruly letters pillow for Kim
21. Update my running scrapbook (no sewing involved!)
22. Figure out a plan of attack for the "Unless" quilt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edit: Linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Made with Love for Bella

Last week I posted about a memory quilt I had made for the family of a little boy named Ryan, who passed away last year when he was only 8 years old.  That was actually the second memory quilt I had made.  Today I wanted to share the first one I made, back in June 2011.

Jon was one of my sister's best friends.  He was only 24 when he was killed in an automobile accident in August 2009.  His funeral was on my sister's birthday.

His younger sister had a baby girl (Bella) the following year, who would never have the chance to know her Uncle Jon.  Bella's mom asked if I could make a small quilt for Bella, using some of Jon's clothes.  

I started with 2 t-shirts and a pair of blue jeans.

Bella's mom also asked me to include this terrycloth sleeper, which belonged to a cousin of Bella's who passed away when he was still a young baby.

Here's what I put together.  I don't recall the exact measurement,

but I'd guess it to be about 35 x 50 or so.

I didn't have a clear plan in mind when I started making this quilt.  I found some fabric in my stash that matched the colors in the clothes but might help "girl them up" a bit.  I basically just made blocks from the clothes, then fit them together like a puzzle, filling in with strips of fabric.

One of Jon's t-shirts.

The hearts are made from the sleeves of a t-shirt.  The green letters are made from another shirt and are appliqued on to a piece of blue jeans.

I've mentioned before how important ladybugs are in my family and as a result, to many of our close friends.  This quilt wasn't going to be complete without one!  The red and green are from Jon's t-shirts, and they are appliqued to a piece of his denim.

Another t-shirt.

I made this appliqued teddy bear out of the terrycloth sleeper.  I started with one big shape and used satin stitching to define the features, arms, feet, etc.  Those blue hearts are appliqued to a piece of Jon's gray t-shirt.

This might be my favorite block.  Those flowers are 3-dimensional.  I made them from the arm bands of the t-shirts.  The green stems are from the waist band of the other t-shirt.

The flowers are in a "pot" made from the pocket of Jon's jeans.

Of course, ladybugs for the back.

I think the Beautiful Ms. Bella likes it!

Have you ever made a memory quilt, or a quilt using t-shirts or other clothing?  If so, please leave me a comment or a link, I'd love to see what you've done!  I've got one other one in progress... a GIANT t-shirt quilt for a friend of mine.  I've dubbed it "The Forever Project" because "forever" is about how long it might take me to finish it.  I am a little bit stuck on how to proceed with it, so any and all ideas are helpful!




~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

In Memory of Ryan

Ryan was only 8 years old when he passed away last June.  I did not know him or his family.  I was "introduced" to them last fall, when a childhood friend of mine asked if I would be be willing to make a quilt for Ryan's family using some of his favorite clothes.

My friend, Joan, lost her own beautiful daughter a few years back.  Since that time, she and her husband have founded the Gabby Rocco Let It Shine Foundation, a "Christ-centered not-for-profit organization that is committed to supporting the physical and spiritual needs of families grieving the loss of a child."

(Not necessarily the best pictures... but I was in a hurry to get them in the mail and I wasn't thinking "blog worthy photos" back then.)

I was so honored to work on this quilt for Ryan.  His mom sent me Disney-themed t-shirts and jackets and sweatshirts and PJs, and I learned the story behind many of them.  I grew to love Ryan and his family with every stitch.  This was the hardest quilt I've ever made (for many reasons), but it is far and away one of my favorites. I added some appliques (made from his clothes) and some hand-stitched words, requested by his mother:

Ryan loved to ride horses on the weekends.

Butterflies were released at his funeral.

"Loved with a love beyond all feeling.  Missed with a grief beyond all tears."

Ryan was a shooting star.

We also included a shirt with his hand prints and a photo of Ryan with his dog.

Using some of the leftover clothing (and a few more items his mom sent), I also made pillow cases for his older sister and brother.

16 inch square pillow case with zipper closure in the bottom.

The reverse of the square pillow case.

This is a standard size pillow case.  The opening is on the right side.

This is the reverse side of the standard pillow case.

All this brings me to my recent finishes, which were on my May Small Project Sew Along list.  Using more of Ryan's fabric, I made (at the request of his mom) four small wall hangings that can be given to some supportive family friends.  These finish at 4" square and are made of his t-shirts and PJs.

I also made 3 stuffed "Mickey heads" for his mom, brother and sister.  His name is embroidered onto the front of each one.

None of these items would win any beauty contest or sewing awards, but I know they all mean the world to his mom.  I pray every day that their family will find peace and comfort and strength in warm memories these small reminders of the beautiful life Ryan lived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's my updated list for the May Small Project Sew Along:


1. Complete H2H quilt - link here
2. Complete Laura's quilt - link here

3. Make pillow to match Laura's quilt - link here
4. Finish quilt for Sujay (flimsy is complete)
5. Make 3 small memory (t-shirt) wall hangings (1 done, 2 not started) - DONE!
6. Make 3 small memory (t-shirt) Mickey pillows - DONE!

7. Make a green mug rug in time for Mother's Day  

8. Make a pink mug rug just because I want to
9. Finish April Seasonal Skinny (flimsy is complete)
10. Complete 2 ladybug Seasonal Skinnies for May
11. Cut fabric for summer hexie project
12. Make a portable sewing kit / bag / holder / something-or-other - link here
13. Start (and finish) embroidery for "The Forever Project"
14. Complete "Om" block for "The Forever Project"
15. Make or find a simple pattern for a tote / beach bag
16. Make a year-end gift for my kindergartener's teacher
17. Make a year-end gift for my 3rd grader's teacher
18. Make a birthday gift for kindergartener's BFF
19. Make a "surprise" for my 11 running partners + myself
20. Make an Unruly letters pillow for Kim
21. Update my running scrapbook (no sewing involved!)
22. Figure out a plan of attack for the "Unless" quilt

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~