gingerd

I've made 1 tshirt quilt and love it. It was for my daughter so I wasn't too concerned about the amount of money for it.

I have a friend whose husband died suddenly. I would like to offer to make her a quilt with his shirts, however the cost is overwhelming.

What I did for my daughters is I just purchased a bolt of fabric. It was a little more than 9 yards. It worked out great. I was able to do the sashing and backing with it. I have about a yard or so left over.

How do I calculate how much fabric I need to make another one? I don't have a huge stash of fabric.

What I did on my daughters--mounted the shirts, cut them leaving about an inch on each side of the design. Sashed each square so within a row they were the same size. Then, within a column they were the same width. It worked and like I said I love it and so does my daughter. But the amount of fabric......

Any tips I'd appreciate! I'd be more than willing to have her come with me to purchase the fabric, but how much??? How do I figure that out.

Thanks

PaperPrincess

It's almost impossible to figure out how much fabric you would need without more info. What were the dimensions of your daughter's quilt? Are you aiming for the same size? Or if you could provide the number of shirts you are planning on using, the size you are planning on cutting the shirts and the approximate width of the sashing, we could probably come up with a guestimate. If cost is an issue, you can always use a thrift store cotton sheet for the backing which would cut down on the amount of fabric needed. Maybe your friend has a sheet you could use.

Homespun

If his shirts are all the same size, you could eliminate the sashing.

ManiacQuilter2

What size do you want to make?? You could make her a small size like a wall quilt. See what she would like and feel her out if she could buy the fabric and you would make it at nor cost to your labor.

dunster

You have the right spirit, but you may be getting ahead of yourself. Does your friend want a T-shirt quilt? Did her husband wear T-shirts? (Mine didn't.) A quilt from his dress shirts, or flannel shirts, or even something else might be more appropriate. Perhaps you could make her a quilt from your stash, just to say you care about her. I would visit with her and try to determine what she would like, what materials she has on hand (and what you can afford to make) before planning out a quilt.

gingerd

Thanks for the ideas! It's just what I needed. She does have tshirts that he wore. I haven't brought it up as I just wasn't sure of the expense part of it. I didn't want to get her hopes up and then it be super expensive to make it.

I'll ask her if she is interested, then if she is get the shirts and see how many/size.

I do have some stash that I would most certainly use, just not a lot, but maybe enough that the quilt wouldn't be prohibitive.

Thanks ladies!

bearisgray

Before you even begin - you might want to find out if she is a "quilt person" - and also how she felt about her husband.

Some people don't care for quilts - no matter who made them or the thought behind them.

Some spouses were less than fond of their mates - and have no problem getting rid of any reminders of him/her.

So - I can see your heart is in the right place for considering doing this - and so is your head for thinking of the cost before you start.

How about just keeping the idea to yourself for a while and see how things go? If your friend brings up the idea of a keepsake, perhaps you could offer to do the labor "for free" but be honest about the cost of the materials involved. If she offers to pitch in on the cost, go from there. If she doesn't "get it" - then just drop the subject, or make a small lap type quilt.

quiltingcandy

After my dad died, I suggested making a quilt out of his suits or shirts and my mom thought it was a morbid idea. She did not like it at all, she felt it his clothes were better used given to others that may get use out of them.
When my friend's husband died she had teddy bears made from his shirts, she also donated his other clothes to a shelter.
So I agree with bearisgray - let your friend know that you are able to help out with the labor of a project and leave it at that. Your friend will either pursue it or not.

gingerd

Thanks so very much ladies for your kind words of wisdom! I'll see how things go with her and take my cues from her.