Here it is – almost 10 pm and I’m just now writing this post! Guess it will be your Good Morning Thursday post. This is mostly a show and tell post.
This is the red and white quilt that several of you asked about.
I hang this up at Christmas every year and this year decided to leave it up because I love it. This is Saw Blade or Feathered Circles from this book.
Several readers drafted it for themselves – it’s actually a log cabin block and triangle squares.
Here is Vicki’s Bullseye. Such pretty little girl colors!
And I have finally finished the second of Jim’s shirt quilts. Becky and I are taking our sister in law, Barb, out to lunch on the day before Jim’s birthday and I will give her the quilts then.
I have more shirts and intend to make a couple more quilts but I am ready to do something else. When you work with old shirts, the fabric is very soft which is hard to work with. I am happy to start something new.
I am still organizing fabric and stuff in general – I am so immersed in it that it’s hard now to stop. I did stop and finish that Rectangle Wrangle quilt I just showed you but I’m back at it tomorrow. Soon I’ll be able to rake and start spring clean up.
This was our high today.
Here is my overseer tonite – Tammy on my sewing table.
I love the shirt quilts ! What a nice tribute . I wish I had some of my dad’s shirts to make a quilt with . Love the red and white quilt too ! I am busy cutting up scraps also but I got squirreled and made a new throw pillow cover out of 2 1/2” squares . Bear’s Paw on one side and a 4 patch on the other . I just had to sew those newly cut squares ! My husband already claimed the pillow as his 🙂
I love the shirt quilt!
Is the cat trying to tell you it is time to go to bed? And that Recrangle Wrangle looks really sharp. There probably has never been one like it before?
Betty Klosterman – yes, she probably is telling me to go to bed and I guess I will! Haha!
I love the saw blade quilts. They are beautiful!!! Are the patterns in the boook Round two?
The sawblades are wonderful. Jim’s quilt is very, very nice. That red/maroon border really sets it off.
It looks like you have a good helper.
I agree the burgundy border made the diamonds POP!
I’m making quilts for my grands from my husband’s shirts. This is encouragement to get moving. I think your friend will be touched.
Love the quilts. Perhaps you could explain hiw you and Becky have the same sister-in law. Thanks.
“The Banker’s Wife” can be added to your reading list. Great!
Mary – sure, I’ll be happy to explain how we have the same sister in law. Becky is my younger sister and Barb was married to our older half brother, Jim who died last fall.
Mary I think your timing for the gifting of the quilt will be perfect. When I lost my husband of 40 years to cancer his birthday was the hardest. I guess because it is all about them. I know she will love and value your beautiful quilt made from his shirts.
Thanks for the update!
I love those plaid quilts! And the cat looks like she is overseeing your to-do list! LOL!
What pattern did you use? Even with all the blues, the diamond shapes still stand out nicely. I have a lot of men’s shirts and want to start on a quilt/twin-size bedspread. Do you think it would help to wash and starch the shirts? I know what you mean by the fabric becoming very soft and a bit more difficult to work with.
Pam from Waterloo – Both shirt quilts were made from a Bonnie Hunter book and I will post it in today’s blog entry. Yes, the starch would probably help – I’m going to try that!
Pam from Waterloo – pattern was called Rectangle Wrangle but can’t remember which book it’s from at this moment.
I absolutely love your shirt quilts. I don’t know how you get so much done in a day!! Lol
I have a baby quilt to get started. I’m not making anything fancy this time. Just simple blocks.
I started to clean off my patio this week. Needs to be a little warmer before I hook up the hose and wash it or scrub it all down.
Kate – I am very anxious to get outside and work in the yard. I don’t ever sit and watch TV but always have it on when I’m sewing or cutting and I don’t go anywhere really except church and grocery store – I am looking forward to taking Reed for more adventures when the weather gets nice.
The shirt quilt is really beautiful. I have made several memory quilts from men’s shirts for customers, and the cutting is always the most tedious part for me. I plan to make one like yours the next time I have the opportunity. The little girl bullseye is sweet! The bunny is the perfect touch. We finally broke the 60 degree mark here in north Georgia, but the nights are still wonderfully cool for sleeping.
Susan – I notice you have a blog address. Would you like to share it and tell us about your business?
Pretty Bulls Eye! Love your Rectangle Wrangle. It’s subtle but not overly busy. How would the red and white look in a variety of reds? So striking!
Ellie – if I made that red and white quilt today I would use assorted reds and I’d love it!
It will be a very touching moment when your SIL receives the quilts. It’s what makes our time sewing quilts special to them and to us to know they will be long enjoyed and loved. Thanks for sharing.
I spent several weeks cleaning my sewing areas and really prioritize ‘ng what I want to create with this huge accumulation of fabrics and kits I spent money on thru the years. Donated some, moved others to the front of my list that I want to make soon in my lifetime. It felt good to look at old fat quarter bundles and still think of what I will do with them. It’s my joy to play around with all of it so I feel blessed I am happiest doing that rather than out clothes shopping or spending my money on something else.
Kathy in western NY – it is my joy as well and like I said in a previous post – “it keeps me out of the pool hall”. We could have worse pastimes, couldn’t we?
Kathy and Mary, I have found that when I am given a price of something, I figure up how many yards of fabric it would be!! My friend’s husband got three tickets for not wearing his seat belt and it cost $142.00. I thought, “That’s a lot of fabric!”
We made 5 lap sized memory quilts from my Dad’s plaid shirts and white hankies (he had over a 100 white hankies). Each of us 4 sisters and my mother got a quilt. It is my most prized quilt. When someone asks me what is the one thing I would grab if the house was on fire, it is that quilt – with out a doubt.
Deb in SW MN – that is very sweet that you love that quilt the most! I’m not really sure what I would grab after the cats and dogs.
Thanks for the picture of the red and white buzz saw quilt. Amazon lists the Round Two book at $199.99 used so, I will wait to purchase. However, I noticed in your blog post about the quilt in December 2017 that you were trying to contact the author to see if you could get permission to print the directions. Do you know if you ever heard back with permission. Thanks so much.
Connie R – at that time I believe she ran out of books but could you draft it yourself if I took a closeup?
Yes, that may work. There were some tips in the comments in your December 2017 blog post so, together, I may be able to give it a try. Thanks!
Connie R – could you email me?
The shirt quilt is fabulous!!! She is going to love it!!! Gives me some inspiration on using some of my mom’s shirts. Thanks for sharing Mary!
I’m so glad I was there when April and Bailey stopped by last week. It was good to see them.
Kathy Zuehl – yes, wasn’t that a nice coincidence that I was waiting for April and Bailey? I have lots more shirts to work with but need a break and what I’d really like to be doing is raking outside!
The shirt quilt is fabulous( but that Buzz Saw quilt is amazing!! I will try to draft a block myself, fingers crossed.
Mrs. Goodneedle – could you please email me?
I have sent you an email.
Love the shirt quilt!!! Tammy is soooooo cute!!
Ann in NC
Great picture of Tammy. For years I’ve wanted to make a quilt from some of my old dresses. Some from the 40’s and 50’s. Great memories (I think).
So- you want to know more about your readers. I live in the Adirondacks where we still have plenty of snow and ice.
Tomorrow we are heading down to Florida to visit family for a week. I decided to order a new summer dress, as one does. When it came it seemed oddly familiar- I know, I ordered it, but it seemed more familiar than that. Today when I looked at your blog I realized it’s the same striped dress you are wearing in your photo!
Donnie Brownsey – haha! That’s pretty funny! It’s a great summer dress – linen – so nice and cool,
I looked up the book Round Two also and nearly fell off my computer chair. $199.00. WOW. I will also try to draft it.
About the shirt fabrics. I have a new recipe to make my own spray light starch fabric stiffener. It doesn’t stiffen too much and it doesn’t clog the iron or the spray bottle. We were given a spray bottle of it at retreat along with the recipe to make a gallon of it. I have been using it steadily since then and love it. It would really help steady those old shirt fabrics, I am quite sure. So, I will pass it along to you.
1 gallon distilled water….This probably for the iron but the new ones don’t need distilled anymore.
1 cup vodka…the cheapest you can find
1/4 cup liquid starch ….They said Stay Flow is a good brand
Pour into a gallon container and the rest into a good spray bottle.
I have been saving up old shirts too. Just something about those great mens plaids. My husband only wears plaid shirts, but so many are flannel. I wonder how the flannels would work?
I love Vickie’s Bulls Eye quilt. Such pretty colors for a little girl and the Bunny is the perfect touch.
Sue – my friend Gloria makes this all the time and loves it. Guess I need to go shopping for Vodka!
All of those quilts pictured today are wonderful. Barb will be so touched by the beautiful shirt quilts.
The Red Buzz Saw is stunning and the little girl Bulls eye is perfect. Mary, you inspire us:) Thanks!
I thought the price for the book in Connie R’s post was a typo until Sue mentioned it also as $199. I think that is a bit pricey for most of us. Like Diane, my thought was that it would buy a lot of fabric!
LOVE the shirt quilt!! Bullseye quilt is very colorful for a little girl!!
Have you tried using a little starch on the shirts to firm them up? I find it helps a lot.