it's a wrap

the last t-shirt quilt! two generations of kids and grandkids all have one now, time for retirement!

thanks to Peg Hasbrouck in Jasper for all the beautiful quilting over the years

thanks to all the kids for saving their shirts

and bite your tongue Madison for saying I don't have to make any more until they start having kids... 

moxie

gear for robot programmer and future engineer

georgia mountains - where you are from

bama bound - where you are going

You're off to great places

today is your day

your mountain is waiting

so get on your way.

~Dr. Suess

70 t-shirts collected through the years $500

expert quilting by Peg $100

sewing by granma $0

the look on her face priceless

My quilter lady, Peg, says she always learns a lot about the kids when quilting their t-shirt quilts, and she was impressed with Madison, math, robotics, young life, track, a well-rounded girl. Some people name their quilts, if I was to name this one I think it would be Moxie.

moxie: aggressive energy, initiative, skill, know-how, spirit, courage, vigor, pep, boldness, nerve

Yes, I know, it is not graduation yet, but it was finished and she is already taking college classes all year... so why not JustDoIt!  And one less thing stacked up in my sewing room.

This one was challenging and fun, just one more to go!

LOVE the CYA via Instagram AND Twitter  :)

contrasts

Saturday progress on the current t-shirt quilt, don't you just love how the black sashing makes the colors POP!

All rows together, next stop long sashing between rows, then borders.

Small 1/2" sashing on this one - the size of the sashing is directly related to how many shirts you are working with. This t-shirt quilt has 70 shirts, so thin strips of sashing. Also with so many shirts they are cut pretty close, and it is still going to be a large quilt.

If you only had say 20 shirts you could do a 4 x 5 layout with wider sashing, maybe a print fabric to tie them all together. Hmm... maybe I should do a tutorial on how to make a t-shirt quilt while it is fresh on my mind :)

this is your life

Almost 70 t-shirts come together to represent the life of Madison. She came up on Sunday for final approval and for some last minute additions. She likes it! She pointed out tees from as far back as 2003, smiling with memories, "Look, that is from when we went to Washington, DC with Bobbie and Ed!" 

This will be a t-shirt quilt for high school graduation gift, to take to college - which college you ask? A BIG decision has been made on that front, can you find the clue in the quilt?

Black fabric will outline each tee - kind of like above, just some of granma's visual notes. I take lots of notes and pictures because the next step is to take each of these and iron on the stabilizer backing, cut to size, then start sewing them together in rows with the sashing in between. This picture will be referred to often and hopefully it will all come back together to look like this again.

bloghop

double four patch by Paula the Quilter

One of my blog friends, Paula the Quilter (and knitter), invited me to join in the Around the World Blog Hop, which includes a few questions and answers:


What am I working on? Right now I am making two t-shirt quilts (in my head).

IT IS TIME, time to gather t-shirts and make a quilt for graduation. A family tradition for two generations now, and this year there are two high school seniors in the family.

A little background... In the 80s or 90s, I don't remember exactly when, I read an article in a magazine (remember those glossy soft book-like things where we used to get ideas) about a mom who had saved t-shirts from her child growing up (sports, school, vacation, etc.) and put them together in a quilt for the child to take to college. I loved this idea, so immediately started saving my kids' tees.

Melissa's

Around the turn of the century (2000), I made one for each of my two girls, the design all uniform, in rows, one-directional. Initially I used yarn to tie the quilt sandwich together, but found that did not last, so after much use those two got refurbished and quilted properly.

I thought I was finished making t-shirt quilts, you know - been there, done that!

THEN the grandkids started coming along, and they told me they were saving their t-shirts for their graduation quilt that granma Susan would make for them...

How does my work differ from others of its genre? The actual work of sewing and quilting does not differ from others, but the finished product is very personal and unique and full of granma love.

granddaughter Sarah's - all in rows, one direction, added t-scraps for border

grandson Kyle's - rows again but shirts turned different directions

Why do I create what I do? Tradition, family, memories, rite of passage, milestones, recycling.

NEXT I tried to do one without rows, and came up with this one (below), which was more in sections than rows, a little bit harder. Carrie wanted it more random, even without sashing, but I found that not using sashing at all made it too stretchy. This very minimal strip (1/2" black between the shirts) made the colors really pop out.

daughter Carrie's #2

NOW we are now caught up to present day. I have 2 more grandchildren to make quilts for - in time for graduation next spring. 

With all these past experiences and pictures to build on, I asked my last two granddaughters what design, color theme, and backing they wanted for their t-shirt quilts. I showed them pictures of my past quilts and lots of links to ideas on Pinterest.

Madison: "I like Kyle's and Carrie's where they're not all just laid out in squares but instead rotated to fit and has the rectangles and squares. Maybe, if there's enough, use the squares from fronts of shirts as the border (like Sarah's)...just a thought. I'm gonna stick with basic black background. Flannel on the back! Don't know color yet..."

How does my creating process work? The creative process includes input from the person who will be receiving the quilt, time spent with that person, trial and error, and again lots of love!

Tee time table:

Save t-shirts forever

Give t-shirts to Granma by 11th grade

Last call for t-shirts mid 12th grade

Wash t-shirts

Cut out designs to be used

First draft laid out on floor

Decide on layout and sizes

Iron on fusible backing

Cut out squares

Decide on color for strips

Sew together top

Get fabric for backing

Take to quilter

Pick up from quilter

Make label

Finish binding

Voila!

SO, it is that time, time to start sewing on these quilts. 

BUT, I am on the road, 1500 miles away from home and hearth and sewing machine. 

When are you coming home to make my quilt, granma?

Soon! Don't worry, it will get done. I am working on it right now.

In my head :)



here are a couple of blogs where I get great inspiration:
Linda at life, quilts, and a cat too (great t-shirt quilt inspiration)
Wanda at Exuberant Color

oh the places you've been

another grandchild is arranging her t-shirts on my living room floor - Madison is choosing which ones will make the final cut, and saving room for a few last minute additions

time to start the process once again, I know, it is almost a year until graduation 2015, but with two graduates in the same year I better get a jump on it

the rite of passage here in our family, a quilt made of t-shirts collected over the years of school and sport and summer camps etc. 

it is fun seeing all the bright colors, oh the places you have been...

all moved in

the quilt

the view

life happens here!

the first meal

"well official have been moved out for an entire day and can say that i have survived and even cooked a great dinner last night. Then braved ramen noodles for lunch"

thanks mom

followup - Kyle's moving day went great! 

a grand graduation

Graduation 2013

What did I take away from graduation day 2013? I know it is not all about me, but… watching your grandkids graduate turns out to be a very emotional experience!

First we had to hurry and leave 2 hours before the ceremony that was 15 minutes away, so we could get a parking place and a seat, it seems high school graduation is pretty popular 'round these parts. Then since it was in the 40s that morning we wore warm clothes and 'bout near burned up sitting there in the sun on the bleachers at the football field. But it was a beautiful day, blue sky, green grass, purple graduation gowns.

Even though there were 246 graduates, we only had eyes for Kyle 

(awesome photo by Madison - Kyle's sister)

Our clan gathered together and beamed with pride when grandson Kyle walked by in the procession and just had to do a shout-out even though we were warned against such disrespect, but hey it is a celebration, right! At least we didn’t bring an air horn like that one family… lol. I could hardly see through my camera lens when they started playing the graduation march, maybe it was the music, or just watching all those kids march in, so many we had watched grow up over the years. Kyle was in the first group - the HONOR students, awesome job!

Madison and Shelby with 2 grandpas in the background

The week leading up to the ceremony was loaded with preparations, mostly for the party! Lots of cooking and planning came together on Saturday afternoon with a yard full of friends and family for a celebratory cookout! It was awesome to see everyone and catch up on all the news. So many burgers and dogs and cupcakes and HUGS! 

graduation t-shirt quilt

I finally unveiled the t-shirt quilt made especially for this milestone, it was sad to see it go, but the smile on his face made it worth it. Its future may include being kicked off a college dorm bed, have beer coke spilled on it, or dragged through the sand at the beach, and all that is OKAY!  The more it is washed and the older it gets the softer it becomes, kinda like granmas…

the tassel is worth the hassle

Among the souvenirs of the day, Kyle has some cash (new tires)… has his cap and gown and honor sash… which will probably be packed away, but the lasting keepsake of this momentous day is the rear-view mirror bling in the form of the coveted TASSEL!  Way to go Kyle, so proud!

woohoo! hats off!

Kyle and mom

Kyle's mom - big grin - huge - maybe she is she thinking… 2 down, 2 to go!!!

lines

Dropped off Kyle's quilt with the quilter last week. I told her it was for a guy, and asked if she had any pattern that was not so girly, no curlicues or flowers. She assured me the all-over meandering pattern was what she used for guys, it was fine. I asked her about maybe geometric or even straight lines, she said that would be too boring. So I told her I trusted her judgement, and figured the t-shirts would be the focus anyway, not the quilting.

But then she called and said she thought about what I said and tried some new things, she was excited about the way it turned out. I picked it up and she was right, there are straight lines and diagonal lines and squares triangles and double lines - all put together to make a great overall pattern that is not girly at all! Each square has a different design, this made a lot more work for her, a lot of starting and stopping and fastening off thread and trimming all those little threads. She said that her grandson has never paid much attention to the quilts she works on, but he even stopped and said he liked that one!

So one more step behind me, now to the next, and for me the hardest - the label. I know, it's just a little thing, right? But it is going to be there for a long time and I want it to say something well, profound… {smile}. 

When looking for ideas for sayings for Kyle's quilt label, I discovered myself passing by the lighthearted sayings like Follow Your Dream or things along that line (like Sarah's), and focusing on the motivational ones about being successful - what is this … gender bias? 

lines on the flip side

Which goes along with the quilting design, I see a theme here - lines, straight lines, straight and narrow, tow the line, line up, direction, paths --- do you think I am making this way harder than it should be? 

For example, this is a great life quote, but I wouldn't tell an 18 year old boy this:

“Life is short, Break the Rules.

Forgive quickly, Kiss SLOWLY.

Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably

And never regret ANYTHING

That makes you smile.” 

~ Mark Twain

I can imagine him taking it very literally, I can hear him now, but Granma Susan said…

And I don't want to be too stern like this:

The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price.  ~Vince Lombardi

Maybe something from Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, but not about them being college dropouts…

I have to keep up my image of being a fun Granma but still want to send a message, so I may just have to go with Dr. Seuss, with his fun but subtle life lessons:

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

Time will tell what I finally decide, but no doubt it will take me longer to make the label than the whole quilt!

seamless

Did you know that your local Wal-Mart has quilt backing fabric in a wide variety of solid colors (and some prints), in standard bed sizes, no seams, you can get a 90 x 102 for about $15!

The recent quilt I made was 80 x 90, so I needed backing fabric 88 x 98 (4" bigger on all sides for the quilting machine). I did my figuring and would need about 7 yards of fabric, which runs from about $4.95 to $11.95 a yard at a fabric shop, then I would have to cut and sew it together to reach backing size.

Or I could just get a sheet. Hmmm, let's see... 

The front of a quilt deserves the good stuff, all that work and pieces and time, but the back? And the problem with the recent quilt I was working on, it was for a guy and most of the fabrics I looked at were girly. So I was already leaning toward a solid color anyway. And the quilting will show up very nicely on the solid. So, no-brainer - just get a sheet, wash it, trim to size, and send it along with the quilt top to the quilter. Voila!

waste not want not

When Buddy saw me crocheting strips of t-shirt, he said, "What is this, waste not want not?"

Waste not want not: If we are not wasteful of our resources that we currently have, we will still have them in the future.

You can call it recycling, reusing, re-gifting  whatever, but bottom line if it doesn't end up in the landfill it is a good thing.

Using up t-shirt scraps, byproducts of t-shirt quilt.

yay!

tools of the trade

For any project you need the right tools before you start. For making a quilt, it is essential to have a cutting mat and cutting ruler, a rotary cutter, and of course some old school stuff like scissors and pins.

I found that the tool I used most on this project was my iPhone, for shopping, looking up stuff, taking pictures of the layout on the floor so when I pick up the blocks to move to the sewing machine I can just look at the picture for correct placement. 

Kyle wanted to use the colors of his school, SPSU (Southern Polytechnic State University) so I looked up the colors online and got this nice palette to take shopping for the green and gray I wanted for the strips.

I took pictures of possible backing fabrics to think about (sleep on) look at later, like this one:

And don't forget other tools like coffee and background music, and a valuable one for me - input. Carrie is a good resource for opinion because she will tell it like it is and hold nothing back.

So once you have all your tools in place, the project is much easier!

quilt engineering

Kyle's tee squares

Engineering a T-shirt quilt

Save t-shirts forever

Give t-shirts to Granma by 11th grade

Last call for t-shirts mid 12th grade

Wash t-shirts

Cut out designs to be used

First draft laid out on floor

Decide on layout and sizes

Iron on fusible backing

Cut out squares

Decide on color for strips

Sew together top

Get fabric for backing

Take to quilter

Kyle's t-shirt quilt first draft

Kyle's t-shirt quilt, started!

I have the squares cut, and am looking for fabric for the strips and backing. I have been looking for a while now at different colors and designs. Kyle wants to use SPSU colors so green and/or gray will be the strips. As far as the backing, the only stipulation is NO flannel, so I figured there would be a plethora of choices in quilting cotton colors and designs. I have been looking for a while now, just casually perusing fabrics as I shop for other stuff. So far nothing has jumped out at me. Actually did you know that most fabrics out there look girly, with flowers etc.? It is a challenge to find something for an 18-year-old guy who will be going to college majoring in engineering. But I have a 50% off coupon from Joann's in hand, maybe today will be the day!

Just like fabric, a lot of machine quilting designs look girly too, but I am sure my quilter lady will have something that will work, something geometric or maybe just straight lines.

T-shirt quilts... the premise is to save tees over the life of the child, tees that have a special meaning or memory, even stained and worn out ones. The grandkids have been saving tees for a long time, and sometimes they will get a tee just for the quilt, bypassing a big step - actually wearing the shirt, but it still represents a momentous day or time in their life whether they wear it or not.

There is no pattern for a t-shirt quilt, each one is unique and individual, just like the person it is for. There is a lot of engineering, design, and construction that goes into this project. Like a woodworking project, the tools include a drawing board and calculator, rotary cutter like a saw, pins instead of nails, and in the end there are fabric scraps covering the floor like sawdust.

Each of the grandkids will get a t-shirt quilt at high school graduation, Sarah's last spring, Kyle this year, Racheal and Madison in 2015. The hard part used to be the ironing on all that fusible backing, but this time it was getting up and down off the floor for the layout J, maybe by next time I can get a BIG table?  Something to look forward to, keeps granma busy.  

past t-shirt quilts

moving day

the nest next door is emptying

the family gathered last night to share in the last supper… wonderful home made chicken pot pie, comfort food

Sarah is moving to college - her suppers now will consist of Ramen noodles and microwave popcorn and poptarts.

She has been packing, what to take? Everything? Leave some things behind to make sure it says 'your room' and dad doesn’t make it into his nekkid room?

Will her mom suffer from empty nest syndrome? Online advice for this includes getting a pet, redecorating your house, starting a hobby, traveling... GET REAL folks! After moving the 18-year-old college freshman out today, let's see what to do? How about taking the 15-year-old for her learners license and then taking the two upcoming sophomores to open house at high school, and getting the 17-year-old ready for college/commute starting tomorrow, and then mom starting back to college herself on Friday, and that is just this week!

Kids can't wait to get out of their parents' house, and of course we want them to go, experience life, get an education and a good job and all that, but then we also worry about them and sometimes wish they were little again and at home so we could keep them safe.

Starting college is like starting kindergarten, all the things you learned, like standing in line and taking turns, now learning to be independent and self sufficient and resourceful and confident. Of course, Robert Fulghum pretty much covers both kindergarten and college in his poem:


All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten
by Robert Fulghum

Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.



Sarah's moving day, sad and happy all at once. I think I am getting empty nest syndrome already.

I didn't teach you all the things I should have as a granma, like sewing and knitting and granma stuff - so come back often, maybe we could even do some fun stuff like climbing mountains and hiking long trails!

Bye Sarah! Enjoy your new life. Be sweet and act smart and have fun!

Love, Granma Susan



all moved in! love the quilt!

the club

The t-shirt quilt has become a family tradition. A life size scrapbook of saved t-shirts sewn together into a cuddly security blanket for leaving the nest.

Sarah saw her t-shirt quilt at different stages, helped with the layout. I started in January 2011 and went as far as I could, but had to hold spots for Senior tees.



Completed in March 2012, but Sarah didn’t see the finished project until graduation.



She opened it up and wrapped it around her and said, "Yay I'm part of the club now! This is the best graduation present I got!"