A friend from high school who now lives in Wales asked me to do two lap quilts for her out of T-shirts and pjs belonging to her late mother. One is for her dad and one is for her.

Today I got the package... two t-shirts, a piece of pjs maybe 12 inches square and a pair of plaid sleep pants. She also sent me two packages of fat quarters with 16 fat quarters total. The fat quarters are bright colours, red green, yellow, orange, blue. One T-shirt is lavender with a bird house screen print and the other is aqua with darker coloured dragonflies. The pants are peach plaid. And the piece of pjs is yellow with blue cows on them.

I knew I'd have to add fabric that's not a problem... but I am absolutely stumped. I was thinking she'd send maybe a half dozen T-shirts and several pairs of PJs.

Does anyone have ideas? I am OK with doing one for her... I am sure it will work but lavender, peach and aqua in a quilt for a man?

HELPPPPPP!!! :roll: :( :shock:

Use one t-shirt per quilt and let it be the center block and work your way around it - filling in as you can. Maybe add a row of blocks (some kind you make up) to make it longer than wider... If I were doing it - I'd do what I could with what she sent - adding manly for his, feminine for hers - the husband will not care what color it is - it represents his wife!!

You are proof positive that no good deed goes unpunished. Can you write your friend and see if she has more T-shirts and more scrappy left-overs?

Thismomquilts, good idea... I am thinking.

Mad Quilter, she lives in Wales and went back there right after her mom's funeral. I think she maybe took only a few things across the pond with her.

Maybe you can use more than the picture on the front of the T-shirt. Could you use the back for pieces?

I think you should call her and explain the need for more fabric or t-shirts and get a better idea of what she wants. I went through the same for a co-worker who lost her two-year-old granddaughter. I made one quilt for her and one for her son and dil. We talked several times during the initial stage and she looked at the blocks as I worked along and made changes/additions to the fabrics (I think she changed the border five times). I needed to keep talking with her, I just couldn't be responsible for that personal a project on my own. I know anything I did would have been loved and I don't mind the work, it's just that (for lack of a better expression) I am NOT the decider, that is what I would tell her, anyway, hee-hee.

So sorry, I am sitting here laughing as i read the colors!!
It is true, no deed goes unpunished. LOL

Thanks Ninnie!

I am hoping she sees this project as a crazy quilt kind of thing... cuz it ain't gonna be my best work that's for sure!

I would ask her what her moms favorite colors were and see if you can add them in somehow. Or maybe see if you can find some fabric with items that were special to her mom. I know when I made my dad a quilt with my moms shirts, I added a ladybug to the back as she always thought the meant good luck. As someone who has lost her mom I think your friend will cherish the quilt no matter if it has one block with her moms things or ten. That one block will still feel like her mom is holding her when she is wrapped up in it.

Also maybe with the 12" square you could divide that up for both quilts and make the label out of that.

I can't wait to see the pictures of the finish results - I wouldn't worry too much about the colour scheme for a man, it's not like he's going to be taking it down the pub with him, and in the privacy of his home he's going to be really happy with the memory that you are giving him.

I think it's a lovely thing to do.

Hi Lori - could you go with the aqua for the Dad's one and maybe pick up on the colours in the dragonflies? Then use the peach and lavender for the lady's one? Could you maybe post a pic of them? What a wonderful thing to do! Sending you supportive hugs! :D

Can you possibly do one side for the tshirt and the other side for the pjs? I did a tshirt quilt, one side representing the deceased husband using muscle car fabric and tshirts, and the other side for the grieving wife who wanted Noah's ark on her side. I found a Noah's ark panel on her side and coordinating fabric.
Just a thought.

I just had another bright idea. Since this is going to be a memory quilt, and actual meaningful fabric might be in short supply, have your friend send you some pictures. You can transfer them to muslin and add frame them in the lovely shades of whatever there is.

Smart lady! Why did it take so long for us to think of that? Maybe even a picture of the mom wearing the T-shirt!

Birdhouses for the lady and dragonflys for the gentleman. Then build around them accordingly.

Mamagus, This is a lovely idea. I really like MadQuilter's idea of making a memory quilt with photos. I lost my Mom about a year ago. Some times I curl up with one of her old shirts and try to sleep. Trust me the love you put into this and the idea of Mom's hugs will be greatly appreciated.
Possibly add a fabric with some of Mom's favourite flowers or additional dragonfly or birdhouse prints. She has a good friend! Good luck!