We Are Champions -- Handmade Stadium Blankets and T-Shirt Memory Throws: February 2009

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Quilt: Little Birdie

Once upon 7 p.m. on a Wednesday night I heard a little bird calling to me from the fabric bin. It said, make a quilt and make it fast and hand deliver it in -- another state -- on Friday morning.

And, so I did.

So, to recap. I started hand stitching the blocks with embroidery on Wednesday as I listened to Twilight on the iPod. On Thursday I packed, chased my boys, and cut all the blocks. Then -- with the boys -- I arranged the blocks to our liking. About 7 p.m. on Thursday I started chain stitching those bad boys together. Then came the layering and quilting. I used an undulating pattern of trace and space with 1/2 inch, 1 inch, and 2 inch distances. By 1 a.m. (on Friday) I gave up on the binding with only 1/4 of it finished. I packed a needle and thread and a handful of buttons.

My flight departed at 6 a.m. and I landed with quilt in bag at 8:15. Throughout the next 24 hours I sticked a bit more on the binding and sewed the buttons on just before midnight on Saturday night. Phew! and Voila!

Order a T-Shirt Quilt Instructions

1. Gather up your collectible and clean t-shirts, favorite jeans, even your old jerseys. You need at least 20.

2. Write me a comment, send me an e-mail, or visit my Etsy shop requesting a custom quilt questionnaire. This e-mail form I return to you will help you select the size, backing, and trim of your blanket.

3. Ship your t-shirts directly to me.

4. I take care of the rest: drafting the pattern, preparing the clothing to be panels, sewing the panels together, finishing the blanket, and shipping it back to you ready to love. It's about a 2-week process.