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Imagine doing something special with all those T-shirts you have tucked away in the closet or under the bed. You could toss them, but they represent memories, cherished memories … her first recital, his first little league team, special times with a loved one, a family vacation to Disneyland. Don’t throw those memories away. Keep them. Make them into a special and functional, memory quilt for your son, daughter, husband or even yourself. And, for you beginning or “rusty” sewers, this is an easy project that will have a lasting reward.
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Fran Grinels
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Dear Internet Friend,
My name is Fran Grinels, and I'm excited to share my ideas with you about a rewarding and easy sewing project — a T-shirt quilt. Although, I’ve been teaching sewing for over 30 years, here’s why I decided to put together a guide on just how to make T-shirt quilts. One of my daughters had just finished high school and my other one had a couple of years to go. Both were very active in, well … everything. They both had
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My daughters with
their quilts.
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dance recital T-shirts, spirit T-shirts, Indian Princess T-shirts, event T-shirts … stacks and stacks of T-shirts. Instead of tossing all those irreplaceable memories, I made a T-shirt memory quilt for my oldest daughter just after she graduated from high school. It was a success! Now, it is one of her most cherished possessions. Of course her younger sister wanted one too. I made another one and the word was out …all my daughters’ friends and their moms wanted to know how to make one.
What to do?
I decided to teach classes on how to make “memory” quilts from T-shirts. In putting together a class, I realized I needed a reference guide the students could take
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In many instances, the project turned into a bonding experience as mother and daughter worked on the quilt together.
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home with them while they were making their quilts. Some of the moms had been sewing for years, a couple of moms had tried sewing once or twice, and one recent student just purchased a brand new sewing machine — her T-shirt quilt was her first sewing project! I put the guide together so that any level of student could use it if he or she got stuck. The guide covers everything we went over in class with lots of pictures and diagrams (my guide includes over 40 color picture and diagrams). I call it How to Make a Fun Memory Quilt with All Those “Special” T-Shirts.
My quilt is made by sewing stabilized T-shirt squares together
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Click HERE to preview the Table of Contents
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(no complicated frames or borders). The T-shirt face, backing and batting are held by tying the three layers together. The result is a beautiful, simple, functional, quick and easy T-shirt quilt.
I am now on my fourth guide update. I keep adding more pictures to make it as clear as possible. And, since I use the guide when I teach, I have the opportunity to take pictures of students and their actual “works-in-progress.” Of course, the guide incorporates the feedback and suggestions I get
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Click HERE to preview a few of the more than 40 photos and illustrations
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from my students as they create their beautiful quilts of memories. The end result is a solid, easy-to-follow guide to stimulate your imagination and help you assemble your own special memory T-shirt quilt.
Secrets from a “Sewing Doctor”
I say “sewing doctor” because my friends and students have called on me to solve all sorts of sewing problems. I pass that knowledge on to you to make your T-shirt quilt project fun and rewarding. In fact, my approach is to keep it as easy, fun and rewarding as possible.
My memory T-shirt quilt making guide is classroom tested and includes:
- A complete list of the supplies and tools you will need
- Clear and easy pattern guidelines for quilts that can be made from as few as 16, to as many as 36 T-shirts
- Quilt sizes and measurements for quilts using 16, 20, 25, 30 and 36 T-shirts
- Suggestions for how to choose T-shirts for color, contrast and visual interest
- Clear instructions on how to cut and stabilize T-shirts
- Over 40 color photographs and illustrations that cover every step of the assembly process
- Lots of creative ideas to personalize your quilt
And much, much more!
In addition, I’ve put in some new twists, such as:
- An easy way to hold layers together that’s faster and easier then using straight pins
- How to add interest and texture with shorts, sweatshirts, tank tops, jerseys, photographs, texture embroidery, appliqué, and fabric paint
- An easy way to grip and pull a needle through many layers of material
I've compiled these memory T-shirt quilt making secrets in a simple-to-use and easy-to-follow guide that has my students and readers raving about how much fun it was to make such a unique and special gift for their children or themselves.
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“I learned a lot of practical sewing tips from Fran.”
“Even though I’ve been sewing 30 years, I learned a lot of practical sewing trips from Fran”
Sandi Kreft
Cupertino, CA
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Sandi Kreft made her T-shirt
quilt for her daughter.
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Courtney Dean (left) made this quilt with her mother, Laurie (right), before heading off to college.
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“Fran’s instructions are incredibly complete and easy to follow.”
"I did our memory quilt as a project with my high school daughter. It was a great way for us to do something together and come out with a finished product that she could take to college with her. It was wonderful mother-daughter time. Fran’s instructions were incredibly complete and easy to follow.”
Laurie Dean
Cupertino, CA
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Karen with the new T-shirt quilt she made for her daughter.
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“The instructions included everything!”
"The instructions included everything! I loved the color pictures; I referred to them many times. Fran’s guide is very thorough.
Karen Yamamoto
Cupertino, CA
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And since the whole idea behind this guide is a fun, easy and rewarding sewing project of course you won't pay a fortune for it. This complete and easy to follow new guide (in downloadable PDF format) is yours for only $15 .
Use Our Secure Server to Order
How to Make a T-Shirt Quilt with All Those “Special” T-Shirts
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