Memory Throw

I saw on Facebook recently a post about how to do an easier version of a T-shirt blanket. This is where you take old t-shirts from events or schools or other things and put them together as squares for a quilt.

Because t-shirts are made of a knit fabric that stretches, putting them together to make a quilt can be tricky. You pretty much have to stabilize them in some way and even attach them to some cotton squares so they don't stretch on you.

While I have wanted to do a t-shirt quilt and have been saving the kids old t-shirts from things to that end, I never actually worked up to it.

This one seemed pretty easy though because it was a 'rag' blanket using flannel or fleece (I used fleece). And since Chick's shirts were only enough to make a throw blanket, that's what I did. A throw is actually more useful to us than a large blanket would be anyway. We keep throws around to snuggle in while watching tv and carry them in the car when we travel.

This actually came together in about a 24 hour period stretched over an evening (when I cut out everything and laid it out while watching tv) and the next morning/afternoon while I put it all together. What do you think?

On the back I used some of the t-shirt backs that didn't have much of interest but most of them went on the front. I also put on the back some of her favorite shirts from when she was a child with a couple of her favorite characters. Most of them were plain or solid colored. The back is actually fairly boring.

If I had made it a full sized blanket, I probably would have added another day or so just so I wouldn't stress too much to my time frame.  But as I said, throw blankets are a lot more useful to us.

Also, the throw is fairly heavy so I can't imagine what it would be like dealing with a larger blanket.

I will say that having a rotary cutter/mat and a walking foot for my sewing machine probably made this go faster if not easier too. But I don't think you would really have to have either. They are just helpful.

If you want to make one of your own, the website is here. It is a lot of fun looking at all the shirt blocks and skipping down memory lane. Even Rugrat was pretty intrigued by all the squares.

And this made some space for other things, both in Chick's closet and on my craft table.