The quilt was the first thing that she packed when she prepared to leave for the dorm her freshman year in college, and the first thing she unpacked when she arrived. Filled with t-shirts from her high school activities, the custom t-shirt quilt is going to be a reminder of the great times that she had with both families and friends. Made by her grandmother, the quilt will help keep her warm at night, as well as help her remember the times that she enjoyed during her high school years.
Handmade quilts always carry many special memories, but memory quilt patterns are a new trend that are growing increasingly popular. As more and more teenagers find themselves collecting t-shirts from their clubs, their athletic contests, and their favorite places to shops, it should come as no surprise that memory quilts are a perfect way to keep some of those events.
Custom Memory Quilt Makers Create Keepsakes That Families Treasure Forever
From bereavement quilts to high school memory quilts, there are a number of options when it comes to custom t-shirt quilts. Some families create a keepsake for a 50th wedding anniversary and others create a quilt for a church confirmation. No matter what your choice, however, timing is often very important. If you are planning to present the quilt to someone as a graduation gift, for instance, you want to make sure that you have the quilt in time. For this reason, many customers decide that working with a professional quilting company is a better choice than trusting your work to a neighbor or a friend.
The craft of quilting is an age old tradition that dates as far back as 3400 BC. The oldest quilt still around today, however, is The Tristan Quilt dated somewhere between 1360 and 1400. And while quilts of the past were made from scraps of fabric that were left over after making clothes, today’s quilters tend to focus on new fabrics. By selecting a certain color scheme or a certain type of fabric, in fact, today’s quilters can create nearly any design that they want.
Within the las two decades, one type of quilting project that has gained in popularity is the custom t-shirt quilt. Still available in any color that is desired, these memory quilts help children, teenagers, and adults all keep track of shirts that hold special memories for them.
Studies from 2014 indicate that quilting in the U.S. is a $3.7 billion industry, and that as many as 21 million people quilt. If you want to find a way to give a gift that will still hold a place of prominence when you arrive at your new destination, a custom memory quilt may be a perfect option.
Traditional Quilters Continue to Find New Techniques and Materials
As the tradition of quilting continues, it may come as no surprise that there are still new methods, fabrics, and techniques that are still being developed. Even when it comes to making custom t-shirt quilts, there are several approaches. Some quilters simply cut the t-shirts according to a predetermined grid and sew them together. Others take the time to iron on fabric stabilizers before the fit the t-shirts into rows. Still others incorporate their love of fabrics and frame every t-shirt with one of four or five carefully selected pieced of fabric.
Once the top is pieced together, there are still a couple of options for having the actual quilting is completed. Some simply tie the three layers or quilt top, batting, and backing together with a thick cotton thread, while others spend money to pay a professional to machine quilt an elaborate overall pattern across the entire quilt.
From the selection of the t-shirts themselves to the accompanying fabrics to the method of quilting, there are many ways custom t-shirt quilts can be made. In almost all of these cases, however, it is important to make sure the project is started early so that the final product is completed on time. Whether it is handmade by a relative or crafted by a professional mail in company, a custom t-shirt quilt will be a keepsake that is treasured forever. A keepsake that will be the first thing packed at departure and the first thing unpacked at arrival.
