This t-shirt quilt was for a friend in memory of her father-in-law. Apparently it was a tradition for him to get her funny shirts from the crawfish shacks he frequented. I’ll admit some of them were pretty funny.
I liked this one for another reason, too. If I’m correct in my thinking, this is the first quilt where we picked out fabric via online; she lives in a different state. I liked the whimsical fabric choice for the backing, and I used a coordinating fabric for the sashing.
It was a nice thematic change of pace for me. I’m in Georgia, so I probably won’t get the chance to make many crawfish quilts.
This is a short update on the sloth t-shirt quilt.
For the fabric around the shirts, my friend likes apple green, among many colors, so I thought it would be a good match. Normally I go for darker colors when making the frames and borders, but since there’s so much room here I think it’ll look nice.
For me, there’s not much else that compliments apple green better than beige. So for the complimentary fabric, I chose an unbleached muslin. I love how it has texture and little flecks in it.
I’ve framed the shirts so far and made most of the blocks for the other parts of the top. I have about four blocks left to make before I can assemble the top.
The sloth quilt is going to be on hold for a bit while I get a more time-sensitive commission taken care of. I’ll post updates on that as well. Stay tuned!
This quilt is a great example of why I tell folks not to worry about not having enough t-shirts for a certain size quilt. I can always add in more blocks. For example, this person had 8 shirts but wanted a twin-sized quilt for her daughter. So I simply went in and added quartered blocks alternating with the shirts. I like the overall look.
I was still waiting for the embroidered patches to get back to me. Hence the hole in the middle.
Also, I had a couple of clients want to know about embroidery. That is one service I do not offer as of yet. Sometimes I think about getting a fancy embroidery machine, but then I remember that I am limited on space and funds and time. I don’t know if I would even have the time to fully learn it. I still have a serger that I am too scared to touch.
One thing about this quilt that I especially love is the backing. It is made from a fabric called “shirting flannel”. So it’s extra soft. Basically, it’s pajama pants material. Can you imagine?! A quilt with pajama pants material on the back?! I keep looking for more ways to incorporate this kind of material into my quilts as it’s just so darned comfy!
I’m at the beginning stages of a sloth t-shirt quilt and thought I’d share. This one isn’t a surprise, so I can post along the way.
I’ve seen some online tutorials and such on t-shirt quilts, but unless the person is an actual quilter they all forget one thing: stabilizer. T-shirts are made of jersey knit fabric, and that stuff likes to curl, shift, and stretch. So you NEED stabilizer to make your shirts look properly flat and keep the picture straight.
I’m cutting these blocks in a smaller one than usual. They’ll be 12″x12″.
I am happy when shirts are such as I don’t have to re-center them or add on fabric at the neck and shoulders so that everything is squared properly. It makes for a quick evening’s work!
One thing I love about the quilting community is that we love to “talk shop”. When I’m at my booth at craft fairs, I always have at least a couple of quilters come up. It feels good when they admire my work, and we chat about patterns, etc.
This past weekend I had a quilter walk up and say hi. She commented to me that I was under-priced. The truth is…she’s right. And I know it. I looked at her and nodded. All I could say was, “You know, those who don’t know about quilts think I’m over-priced. Those who understand quilts know that I’m under-priced. What can you do?” I’ve been lucky for the most part in that most folks will quietly look at a price tag and walk off if it’s too high for their expectations. I’ve only had one person gasp and comment about how high it was. I didn’t even argue. I’ve become very good at shrugging.
Basic economics provides an understanding of price points. You have to find the lowest you can go without sacrificing profits while also going as high as your customer is willing to pay. It’s get tough, though, when store quilts come into the picture. A quick search for “quilts” at Target.com turned up exactly what I mean. Take a look. Some pretty quilts…not a single one above $150 in price. This is the starting price for a t-shirt lap quilt for me. That same lap quilt that other quilters have commented was under-priced. So you see my struggle.
So I’d like to take a moment and let you in on the world of store-bought quilts. I’d like to start off by saying that I have absolutely no issue with owning them. I have one my grandmother gave me for college, and it is precious to me. What I DO have a problem with is folks who expect store prices for handmade quilts. I’ve seen charts and stuff floating around the internet, but I decided to go upstairs to my own store quilt and show you what I mean.
Firstly – quilts are supposed to have 1/4 inch seams. That is standard. And at first glance, you’ll notice that this seam is 1/4 inch. This is a double-wedding ring style quilt, and the 1/4 inch seams were where the multi-colored fabric was joined to the white fabric.
However, if I looked a little closer at other parts, I noticed something different. My ruler is set to 1/4 inch for reference.
Yup, you’re seeing correctly. That is about a 1/8 inch seam. I love this quilt, but I did notice certain parts of it came apart rather quickly. This is one of the biggest differences between the store quilts and the handmade ones. You can see in this picture where my pretty store quilt has come apart at the seams in a couple of places.
1/8 seams don’t hold long – as is evidenced by the gaps you see here.
Another difference is the batting. For those who don’t speak “quilt”, the batting is the inside of the quilt. It’s sandwiched between the top and bottom fabric. It’s what helps to give the quilt its weight and warmth. Now some folks are picky about their quilts in specific areas. Some only use the highest quality fabric and would most certainly give me the stink-eye for shopping at JoAnn’s fabric store. Some are picky about their binding (the sides of the quilt) and only hand-sew it, disdaining anything done by machines for finishing elements. For me, I’m picky about my batting. I’ve seen some mighty pretty quilts that I felt weren’t quite “right” because they had polyester batting in them. That being said, it’s the quilter’s choice, and I would never criticize someone else’s quilting choices, mine being up for scrutiny in return. It’s simply my personal preference to use cotton batting. In store-bought quilts, you’re almost always getting sub-par batting. My store quilt is nowhere near as heavy or warm as the ones I’ve made for my family or to sell.
Polyester batting – not my personal preference.
For those playing along at home, my preference is the Warm and Natural Company 100% Cotton Batting. It’s warm without being bulky (aka low “loft”). I like my quilts thinner but warm, so cotton batting is ideal. Polyester batting is what you want when you’re going for a puffy look.
As for the process, I documented my steps in making a t-shirt quilt for my cousin. Here’s the link to my Facebook page photo album. In it, you’ll see all of the steps. Here it is.
So if you’re new to the whole quilting deal or are looking to buy one and are getting overwhelmed by the prices, then consider what I’ve told you. If you would like even more insight, take a look at this article. It is a goldmine of information on pricing, etc.
*Side note: the featured image quilt costs chart is not my design. I do not know the original creator of it. I do think it’s a bit of a hyperbole, but I like it as an example of the differing costs that many don’t consider.
Hi everyone! I have updated my Etsy store. I made several quilts to sell at my craft shows in the Spring, and now I’m selling the ones I still have on Etsy. I HAVE sold the Rey and Kylo Ren quilt, wine quilt, and rainbow bargello quilt. The quilts I still have include the dinosaur quilt, Berenstain Bears quilt, and unicorn quilt – among others. I have gone from three items to eleven. So feel free and take a look.
I decided to participate in my first craft show in November of 2016. It was a school show, and I enjoyed myself. That being said, I didn’t have any ready-made items, and I never did receive any orders. I was already full on Christmas orders, and I didn’t have time to take on any more. I figured I would get my orders from that school once graduation season came around.
Nope.
My show set-up has come a long long way since my first show.
But it was so much fun I decided to try again in the Spring at a craft fair that was much closer to home. I did have ready-made items this time – the stadium quilts. Well, it turns out folks don’t want to buy flannel-backed quilts in weather that is in the upper 80’s F. I ended up getting only one order from that show – many months later.
Second show set up. It had rained not long ago – hence the straw.
But the fairs themselves were awesome! It’s an ego boost because I get to hear people gush over my work and talk about my love of quilting for a whole day! This in mind, I decided to give it one more go. There was a huge show in the fall, and I decided to try it. I would use this show as the gauge on whether or not I would keep on doing these. As fun as they were, they weren’t paying off.
Well the fall one was a completely different experience. People bought stuff! I sold three quilts along with wallets and casserole carriers! I. Was. Stoked. I’d also squeezed in another smaller show that fall, and I managed to sell the Braves quilt! So yeah, I was pretty jazzed that the fall ones had paid off after all. And the BEST part was that for both of the fall shows I had a t-shirt quilt order placed within 24 hours of the show.
Putting this quilt facing out was the best choice I ever made!
This past weekend I tried another spring show, and I was floored at how well I did, especially considering the crowd was mostly my fellow church members. I wanted to cry I was so happy and honored and flattered.
Next weekend I’m going to give a craft fair another try – the same one that was so hot the year before. I have new items and am hoping that I do well. Wish me luck!
My family has two cats and a dog. Our orange cat, Jordan, has a personality for days! He’s hysterical, talkative, and a first-class spooning partner.
The Most Interesting Cat in the World
My brother was over helping me with a project one afternoon when Jordan plopped down right in the middle of our picture set up. My brother smiled and muttered, “I love that cat”. Then he snapped a quick picture that was included along with all of the other ones from that day.
Fast forward to around Christmas time – I’m looking for something funny to make for my husband. It was right about then I came across the picture from that day that my brother took. Then I had an idea. The image was so clean and clear that I could use it as a base and draw all sorts of stuff on him. From there, I made a series of pictures using Microsoft Paint. No, it wasn’t supposed to look “professional”. It was meant to look cheesy and goofy. Mission accomplished!
I had a blast making this, and I tee-heed the whole time! Well a few years later, my husband hinted that another pillow of our girl cat, Eleanor, would be a good match. The issue? Well Eleanor is…well…a typical cat. Grumpy. Judgy. A curmudgeon. Doing the same image for her wouldn’t work.
But Eleanor is very good at TWO things: blocking your view and putting her butt in your face. So I decided to go that route.
Can I even begin to explain to you how humiliating it is to chase your cat around a bathroom trying to get a good picture of her butt? Can I also convey how awkward it is to send that picture to your ever-patient brother, asking him to isolate the cat image from the rest of the picture? Well, for love and goofiness, I did both. It isn’t the cleanest image by far, but it’s the best I could get all things considered.
Eleanor Butt
From there, I picked out four images of settings my husband (and most people) would recognize. And I let Eleanor do what she does best – block your view.
Versailles, Pyramids of Giza, Angkor Wat, and Fort Sumter
We have had the dog, Diana, since September, so she hasn’t gotten a pillow made in her honor yet. Stay tuned….
Quest Quilts 
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