140 Days to Go: Kelly’s NDAD Creation

Jun 2, 2012 | 18 Comments

I loved this DIY that got sent in to me by Kelly.

There was a project in my book that got axed that had a slightly similar vibe to this – I’ll save it and post closer to when the book comes out – but in the deep clean/donation/organization mode that I’m in right now at home, I thought this would be perfect to show!!

I wanted to share with you the pics I have from making a t-shirt quilt.  I teach in a small rural district, and our booster club decided they wanted to raffle off quilts made from team t-shirts, however they needed someone who could create the quilt.  I would never have even tried if I hadn’t been reading your blog.  My grandmother and great-grandmother both quilted but I had never tried it, however I knew I could cut a square and sew those together.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Dress - T Shirt Quilt11 - 140

The shirts before...

Then once I got started I got a bit more ambitious!  Let’s see how ambitious Kelly got…

I created borders between the blocks using scraps from the shirts.  The test pattern with just the blocks laid out looked like this…

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Dress - T Shirt Quilt1 - 140

Trimmed & laid out!

…and the finished quilt top.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Dress - T Shirt Quilt3 - 140

All sewn!

The booster club has taken them elsewhere to get them quilted as I don’t have the equipment to do that at home, but I wanted to thank you for your inspiration!

I love this Kelly – what an awesome way to repurpose those shirts and make some money at the same time for your school.  I love it and hope the raffle garnered lots of entries!

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  • Sistermidget

    My mother made two tee shirt quilts for my husband and me; one used shirts from our honeymoon cruise destinations and the other used car show tee shirts from various events. She sewed the squares together using strips from a pretty floral bedsheet and made borders and backing from the same sheet. Really beautiful. Each quilt had five squares per five rows.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=714924743 Kelly Cary Davis

    OMG my jaw just dropped when I saw my creation here! I have to tell you I wish I had a pic of the finished quilt, they used a paw print material for the backing, and the quilter did the stitches in a bone pattern it was so neat.  

    • Janelle

      Kelly, that is AWESOME! You did a great job.   Do you have a tutorial posted somewhere? 

  • Kridcutie

    I have been saving t-shirts since high school with the hope to someday make a t-shirt quilt. It has been 12 years and I am still collecting t-shirts but no quilt yet. After seeing this I think I might finally try it this summer. Thanks for the inspiration, Kelly, and thanks Marisa for posting this!

  • Leslie K

    So cool!  Definitely gives new meaning to repurpose!

  • Margold13

    Wow this came out awesome!!!

  • Maureen

    Really cool way to use team shirts!

  • Letsbike

    I made a t-shirt quilt for my son from t-shirts my late husband received from the many bike races he attended.  Being that my son was only 3 when Eric passed away I thought this would be a perfect way for my son to get “know” who his father was and what he enjoyed.  Even in the summer heat of Las Vegas B sleeps beneath Daddy Eric blanket.

    • Donah1007

      I have been planning to do the same thing with my late husband’s racing t-shirts.  Unfortunately, I’m not gifted enough to do the sewing myself.  Our daughter was 16 when her we lost her father.  She’s 19 now and can’t wait to get her blanket.  She misses her daddy. 

  • Gamarho

    I made a T-shirt quilt for my son-in-law, Kyle, a couple years ago with his college baseball T’s from MSU. He loved it and I loved doing it for him! More projects rolling aroung in my head…old jeans and flannel!

    • DinaB

      I started to make a flannel shirt quilt for a wedding gift for an ex-boyfriend (I hooked them up) but when they left me off the guest list the quilt never got finished.Their loss, it would have been perfect for their camper!
       I really should finish it and donate it to the local VA Hospitol for a veteran.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mary-Garrett/1163771137 Mary Garrett

    Well done!!  This will be a lovely permanent reminder!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mary-Garrett/1163771137 Mary Garrett

    Storytellers in St. Louis did three quilts with shirts from our Storytelling Festival as an anniversary commemoration . . . such fun!

  • Melissag915

    I have made three t-shirt quilts: one for my husband of his old college tees, one from my college and sorority tees, and one from figure skating events. I love this solution to cleaning out dresser drawers and being able to retain the memories.

  • Tennie75

    I have made a lot of tshirt quilts – probably more than twenty. I would advise using a lightweight fusible interfacing to stabilize the tshirt material before you cut it out. After that – just go to town and have fun!

  • Dawn

    My boyfriend of 13 years recently passed away and he saved just about every t-shirt he ever owned, though since he was a big Pittsburgh sports fan, who came blame him. In going through everything and trying to figure out what to do with all the shirts I remembered my aunts and grandmother quilt, and what a perfect way to use the shirts, I hoped. I have never successfully quilted before but I am hopeful to be able to have help turning his shirts into quilts for everyone to remember him. This post makes me think my idea really is possible.

    • Lovestosew

      What a beautiful way to celebrate his life.

  • Rbrogan

    I have t-shirt quilts made by my mother for both of my children.  They cherish those quilts and have slept with them every night since receiving them!  Great memories there!!  Well done!