Shannon had been bugging me to start a new project (oh, just find a diy stuff website and pick something!) so I decided to get back to work on one that we’d started in June 2007 and put away indefinitely. The quilt. Remember? Me either, almost. Until we moved and all those bags (I think 6) of old t shirts that haven’t even been cut yet appeared. This was started so long ago I didn’t even have a blog then. So!
I laid out all the blocks onto a duvet cover in some sort of order and started pinning them all together. It’s very haphazard and crooked, but when I sew the strips of patches together, I am hoping it sort of looks ok. I’m not even doing proper seams, just lots of raw edges, the black fabric always on top.
Picture taken from the loft, which is why the perspective is off. I don’t know what’s going to happen on the back, but I can decide when the time comes. I also ended up switching a bunch of blocks after I took this picture. My sewing machine is going to have quite a workout!
Other good news? Donna, the white fish that survived, seems to have become good pals with the little red fish that survived. They swim side by side a lot and seem to hold hands. Well, maybe not that cute, but it’s still good to see them both relaxed and happy.
In not so good news, Ashley’s dog Puppers has gone missing. He’s a little weiner and he needs his meds. Not that I expect that this will help his trek, but if anyone that reads my blog lives in her area, please, PLEASE keep your eyes peeled for a little white scruff ball.
well you might as well finish it up and get something useful out of the company Shannon created eh?
You know, I don’t even look at them as being…that. When they’re cut out and all lined up together it just looks like pictures Shannon designed or drew (not all, I KNOW, thanks) and one of mine.
It will look so sweet on our bed, I want to get it done for the weekend!
I’ve wanted to take old t-shirts and make a blanket for some time, but wasn’t sure how to go about it. Did you cut the images out of the shirts, or just fold them so just the pictures are showing?
We cut them. We made a template that approximated the average size of the screen print (and there were 3 different sizes, the wide ones I put across the top and bottom) and chalked it onto the shirts, then cut them. We had 2 pair of scissors, one was good, one was crap and it was a lot of work, especially because it just sat for 2 years and might have turned into an extremely wasteful waste of time.
If kids weren’t so messy and stain attracting, I’d want to do this with baby stuff, to make a commemorative blankie.
Haha, I guess if I was more observant, I whould have seen all of the cut shirts to the side of the blanket.
I’d just feel bad about all of that extra cloth. I’m sure you could come up with something to do with it, but I’m not very crafty. It does look really great, though.
We both started making rag rugs-he finished his, sort of. We wound up throwing out a TON of rags. Which is kind of hard, but it’s better than throwing out triple that in grotty t shirts.
you could do it as a rag quilt. you sew the batting and such in the middle of two squares (top fabric, bottom fabric) and then sew them with the raw edges up on the top, so when you wash it, it’ll ruffle up and such. i think they are neat. here’s an example of one:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14099987
just a thought. i’m interested to see how it turns out. i hate sewing with jersey materials of any kind. i can quilt like a mofo with quilter’s cottons and flannels but jerseys just confound me.. lol. i can never get the tension right on my sewing machine.
Hi. Never posted here before but wanted to tell you about a new thing I saw on youtube.
Plarn.
Useing plastic bags to make yarn. You might have heard of it but if not check it out.
Sounds intriguing, I will check that plarn out, thanks Heather!
WOW, that plarn business is brilliant, for sure. We don’t have ANY plastic bags to speak of here-we use boxes normally at the grocery store, or tote bags.
I did try to crochet using VHS tape before, that was interesting. I think cassette tapes would be better…
i have a plarn stash…. i’ve never heard of it called ‘plarn’ before… my sis started using it to make knitted laundry baskets… i crochet a few… they are awesome. seriously. i have some bags to cut up and use…
how do you do your connecting? the tutorial i have takes the bags, lays them out flat, folds them up into a roll, cut into like strips that open up into rings, and then you knot the rings together in a fancy pants sort of manner… just curious if there is another way or easier way you’ve stumbled upon?
Nope, we have seen the same tutorial.
I actually lied, I DO have a stash of bags, but I’ve been saving them to make fused plastic tote bags with. I even bought an iron specifically for that task, but haven’t gotten around to it. And they’re mostly Target bags-I love the white and red-which we don’t have in Canadialand, so they’re special here. People see a Target bag and say “Oooh, Tar-jay!” in jealous tones.
ha ha.. we say “tar-jay” too! but only because we have a target and going there to shop for stuff like designer look-a-like knock off handbags is pretty silly.. so we say tar-jay to sound sophisticated.. ha ha ha. and since i live literally like 3 miles from a tar-jay – if you want more bags… lmk. i’ll save them for you.