2 memory quilts to make - suggestions?
 

I have been asked to make 2 memory quilts. Haven't seen the shirts yet but I do know it is a mix of tshirts and "cowboy" dress shirts. Quilts will be lap size or baby quilt size - something big enough to use on a couch for snuggling in.

Cowboy shirts - I'm thinking about cutting large sections out of the fronts - complete with the snaps and/or pockets; if they have designs on the back yoke - I'll cut blocks out of them. Does this sound like a workable idea or would it be better to make pieced blocks?

The tshirts will be cut as big blocks to use the designs on the fronts and/or backs.

Would you mix the tshirt blocks with the cowboy shirt blocks? Or is it better to make a t shirt quilt and then a cowboy shirt quilt?

I'm hoping to make sashings for the t shirt quilt out of some of the cowboy shirts. Not sure about sashings for the cowboy shirts until I see exactly what I have to work with but may have to add in fabrics for that.

Would you make the quilt backs out of leftovers from the shirts? I'm thinking maybe flannel (or fleece) for the backing since they want to snuggle with them.

There is also 1 pair of flannel pajamas in the mix that have been put in the"favorites" pile that they'd really like used.

Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions? I'd love to hear any and all of them.

Thanks for reading and Happy Friday!

You can mix the fabrics if you stabilize the knits and the flannel with an iron on stabilizer. If you use any new fabrics for sashing etc. be sure and wash it to make sure it doesn't shrink or bleed. It is going to be hard enough to put this together without trying to make a specific pattern. Start with the largest motif etc. that you want to include and size everything else to go with it. It would be nice if you could photo tranfer a picture or pictures of the deceased on to a block in the quilt. It would be nice if it was the center. Such a project can be frustrating but it is a labor of love for most of us.

I think these would work wonderfully!
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2012/12/...uilt.html#more

http://www.modabakeshop.com/2012/10/...uilt.html#more

http://www.modabakeshop.com/2012/06/...aby-quilt.html

There's another in particular that I'm thinking of too - I'll post it when I find it!
Certainly you can use the shirts on the back - just make sure you use stabilizer on any that need it.

Enjoy this! Memory quilts are a lot of fun :)

wow that sounds really neat. have a great time sewing

Thanks for the info. I really like the idea of the photo. The girl who wants the quilts is a friend of my daughter and it was her dad that died. I'll get my daughter to talk to her about a photo as they are both living in Texas. If nothing else, I will embroider his name, birth date, etc on the quilt somewhere.

WTxRed - Thanks for the links. Nice quilts. I especially like the 3rd one with the baby quilt. We have a new grandson - I may try that pattern for a quilt for him after these others are done.

Thanks. I hope it is fun making them. The thought of cutting up someone's special clothes is a little scary. I've already agreed to make the quilts so I will proceed - probably with lots of caution. LOL.

u will do fine....quilters have the best creativity....amd the recipient is always in awe

I have found that dress shirt fabric is slightly harder to work with and I try to cut bigger pieces. A shadow box is a great way to showcase busy fabric or t-shirts. You can do squares or triangles.

I would take the cowboy shirts and make a crazy quilt with them- most of the time all the colors really work well like that. I actually am doing one with my mother in laws old clothes and I even added a few pics of her to the mix!