A friend would like me to use her sons boxer shorts to make a quilt for him for graduation. She brought over 3 big bags all sizes. Any suggestions of a pattern. Almost need to put something behind the material, pretty flimsy.

:shock: I hope they were laundered! :lol:

Sorry, couldn't resist...

I guess you could use a fine iron-on interfacing. :D

I never would have thought about using boxer shorts....but why not??? LOL
I would use a light weight interfacing like k3n suggested, too.
Cut off the elastic and make a block out of the fronts of them?
Do any of them have sayings on the back or animals on them?
If so you could put them in a snowball block, sash them, use them as a center of a modified log cabin block...or parts of them to go around the centers for the logs...

same question i asked when she brought them to me.

I hope they don't have any skid marks. :lol: :oops:

It seems like you could just treat the project pretty much like a T-shirt quilt. Most of them have sayings and pictures just like T-shirts.

You have to wonder how on Earth he accumulated 3 big bags of boxers, though.

That's too funny. I can't imagine saving my son's outgrown boxer shorts for eternity!
Can't you see that son's face when mom gives him that quit! :D

Bet your friend has never made a quilt in her life - or even a potholder.

Interesting idea for a quilt top..... I kind of like the snowball idea. They're easy and you can display much of the boxer's pattern. Will you use a sashing? Cornerstones could be from the boxers too.

Are most of the boxer shorts printed with an overall design or do they have logo/sayings instead? I think the pattern used would depend on this. If it is an overall pattern, any type of tessilations, 4-patch, or 9-patch patterns should work great.

Since this is for a friend, here is something that will be special for her. Make sure to take pictures of the process as you go. Start with the packages & you opening them up and spilling those fresh fabrics everywhere. You can take pictures of you at the sewing machine making a block, you cutting up the fabric, and basically making a historical journal of the making of this quilt from beginning to the end. You can easily pick up a small photo album from a local dollar store (or WalMart). When you are done with the quilt, it will go to the son but the photo journal will go to your friend (or into your personal quilting journal).

Of course, it wouldn't hurt to take my own advice! :roll: :lol:

I would recommend using fusible tricot because it leaves the hand of the fabric fairly soft, unlike most non-woven fusibles. I bought mine for about $2/yd (60" wide) from http://www.bblackandsons.com -- much less expensive than JoAnn's!

Why not sew them to a backing like you would making a crazy quilt? then you have a double thick fabric your working with on each square? Interesting idea to be sure.. the boy must love his drawers!

I would go scrappy with backing... like crazy quilt but scrappy too!

its a cute idea! boxers :oops:

Could you make it an "I spy" quilt? Back the flap front with some fun prints.

This actully gave me a good idea for what to do withteh boxers that my MIL keeps giving DH that he doesn't like! I'm going to cut them up to use the fabric! I hate donating underwear, I just feel weird about it. So thanks again ladies!!!!!

As far as I know, it gets tossed by the agencies.

My Mom, the frugal one, uses old underwear for dusting rags. :oops: Not the funnest things to handle.

go to http://www.cedarcreekquiltdesigns.co...ns/boxers.html - they have the cutest pattern for a boxer short quilt. Don't know if the kid would actually like seeing his shorts on display like that, but I think the quilt is adorable. It's on my list of quilts to make and will be for my grandson if I ever get to it. Never thought, though to save his outgrown boxers for it. Just figured I'd use odds and ends of fabric.

Redquilter, what a great idea - not a wall hanging but a quilt made out
of the boxer fabric and shaped like boxer shorts!!!!! What a conversation starter. Whodathunk??? Well, obviously somebody thunk, but.......
they could be paper pieced or appliqued. This is so exciting!!!
Guess it wouldn't be quite the same using whitietighties, right? Oh well..

Redquilter, what a great idea - not a wall hanging but a quilt made out
of the boxer fabric and shaped like boxer shorts!!!!! What a conversation starter. Whodathunk??? Well, obviously somebody thunk, but.......
they could be paper pieced or appliqued. This is so exciting!!!
Guess it wouldn't be quite the same using whitietighties, right? Oh well.. :oops:

As the mother of quite "feral" male offspring I doubt if I would ever make a quilt out of their underwear....I can't even salvage bits of their jeans! I think using a light foundation fabric would be the go. Would love to see what you come up with!

really interesting why would anyone like to use used boxers? sounds kind of gross to me :oops: I would never bring my underwer to someone and tell them make me a quilt Yuk :( :shock:

LOL :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I would make a biscuit or puff quilt especially if the fabric is thin since the puff gets sewed onto other fabric. The are easy to make and honestly I like them better without a pattern just all different colored puffs.

Could someone Please get oxiclean or a stain stick to clean those up.

Pal - no, somehow I don't think whitietighties would have the same effect! :roll:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

When my step-son was at university, he would bring his laundry home to do in our big front loader. If he ran out of underwear, socks, t-shirts, etc., before the next trip home, he would simply buy more. So 3 bags full? Easy!!!! LOL

I can't wait to see what you do with this quilt. Keep us posted.

Maybe the thought behind quilt full of used underwear is to keep the girls out of the dorm room. A guy might hesitate to invite a girl back if he knows his bed is covered in the undies he wore to sixth grade.

really cute idea on recycling clothing. Even boxers...lol... Just be sure that there aren't any silky ones there...I know my sons love the really silky ones...Good luck and please post some pics of your work please??

what is a puff quilt, do you have pictures, I told dk to use the backing fabric, but I like the snowball idea and she could use yellow and brown for the sashing colors. I "Spy" under the flaps might be embarassing to the boy. Dk did she say if she wanted the quilt to be recognized as boxers? And the other one could you do that as progressing from young to his age now?. Maybe u could leave the elastic on and make a wall hanging one for his dorm and he can put letters and papers in the boxer instead of a bulletin board. hmmm so many things to think about. I am going to bed and sleep on it...........

I would make a flip n sew quilt! The one where you use an old sheet cut into 12 in or larger squares. Then cut the boxers onto strips and sew on the sheet. If your interested PM me for more instructions! Terry

yes what is a puff quilt. mom wants a quilt also out of the leftovers so she has something to remember him with. her sister usually quilts for her but she has a bad back and did not want to this time. have until next may to get it done. thanks for the ideas.

you must post a picture when you get done!!!

with a puff or biscuit quilt you essentially cut rectangles, stitch into squares leaving open to put batting inside then stitch closed, then stitch the squares together.. when you finish putting the blocks together the quilt is done.. That is oversimplified, but the basic idea.

You took the words out of my mouth.

The bonus is they are fast to make as they are tied not quilted. The top square is cut larger then the bottom. You pleat the top square on all 4 sides. Sew 3 sides, stuff with polyfill (batting works but is lumpy) and then sew the 4th side. Take 2 squares and sew together the raw edge will be the back. When all squares are sewed together pin it to a backing. For a puff quilt you tie in in the center of each square and it looks like little puff. For a bisquit quilt you tie it at the corner of the square and the quilt looks like a pan of biscuits. They make real cute quilts and for some reason they remind me of Christmas. You know the pictures of mice sleeping in a match box waiting for Santa they always are covered with a quilt and it is usually a biscuit quilt all nice an puffy looking.

This is a new one! I have never heard of using underwear. What's next, making a quilt out of thongs?? Maybe for someone living in a warm climate! Please post a picture of the finished project.

I saw a quilt pattern in a shop one day that had boxer shorts appliqued to a 12 1/2 inch block. They were all cut from fabric of golf, fishing, and any other type of fabric. The band, as I remember, were plain colors. This was a darling pattern, but I had no boys to sew for so I did not get the pattern. Sorry, I can't be of more help1

i am getting ready to tackle the boxer quilt. here is a sample what do you think?