psychonurse

I have shirts, some cotton and some are knits, that I plan to make a lap quilt for my aunt. These belonged to her deceased adult son. I had asked for t shirts, and had my plan in mind. I got no T shirts.

I have started cutting the backs of the shirts in 15 inch squares to get started on the project.
I do not have any pattern in mind as yet. I have made a few lap size quilts before but nothing complex.
What ideas do any of you have? All I know for the middle block I plan to Machine Embroidery a saw and hammer as that is what she put on his memorial stone, related to his trade as a carpenter.
I also received a couple of pairs of jeans as I wanted the pockets to use in this somehow.
also on the knit shirts, don't I need to back those with fusible interfacing?

any suggestions are appreciated. thank you Juanita

tesspug

My friend made a quilt using a second friend's husbands knit polo shirts. She cut the front of the shirt off at the shoulder seams and made squares. Each square had a little of the button pocket left on and if they had any logo or design she left it too. Then she added a small triangle of fabric at the neck and stitched it closed. She ironed on interfacing and added a sashing. Some of the shirts were cotton so she left on the pockets.

Kat Sews

Bless you for your kindness, this will be so special to your aunt. When I have made memory quilts using knits it has been easier for me to handle if I press a light weight fusible interfacing to the back if the fabric before cutting to the size/shape I plan on using. One quilt with mixed fabrics I made disappearing nine patch. The woven fabric around the knit helped keep everything smooth and straight. Have you thought about using a carpenters for the center block then working around that to get the size you want?

QuiltE

Carpenter's Star or Wheel would be so appropriate, being that he was a carpenter!

You can make it with one central star or could make it with several smaller stars in the quilt. That could work well with your shirts, by making each block in a different colourway.

Don't forget the sleeves of those shirts ... there's lots of fabric in them.

Here's a Bonnie Hunter video that might help ... How to De-Bone a Shirt!
http://quiltville.blogspot.ca/2012/0...irt-movie.html

psychonurse

Thank y'all for the advice and suggestions. I have watched the video now, and have trolled a little to find carpenters star/wheel. I must find a pattern with exact directions, I could not do it otherwise. Besides that, usually hubby cuts out my fabric for me, and I have to give him something to go on.
Now I have a beginning point, thank y'all sew much.

QuiltE

I know there is a pattern online with instructions ... so perhaps some more googling?
Also, there were some listed here on the QB ... not sure though, how much detail, other than the layout.

The nice thing is, that it is a pattern that is flexible, in that you can decide what size you want to make your finished star/wheel and size your squares accordingly as it is all squares sewing together.sewing are squares. (make HSTs first which are the same square size.

Kat Sews

Quilters Cache has an easy carpenter's star in either 24 inch or 12 inch. Their patterns are free and have cutting and assembly instructions.

tessagin

A good site to go to for many patterns.

oldtnquiltinglady

Good luck as you tackle this awesome task. I'll be watching, post pictures as soon as you can. I am in the middle of doing a "subject" quilt for my GGD, and am having a time getting all the stuff together to make it (think pictures here); I have the idea and picture of it in my mind, but can't seem to get all the right stuff going in the same direction (I get turned back everywhere I turn), plus I have been putting this little project off for way too long in the mind of a 10-year-old. You post yours, and I'll post mine.....

charsuewilson

I would probably do the carpenter's star as a large center medallion. You could put the embroidery inside instead of another star, or in the center of the other star. Then probably squares or rectangles surrounding it, maybe with a border or two in between and borders outside the row of squares/rectangles.