NLP #2- The t-shirt quilt begins...

After much deliberation I finally settled on the pattern for my t-shirt quilt. While doing research this past week I came across many patterns that I liked and it was very hard to decide. I knew that I did not want to have all of the squares equal size, but there were still so many options to choose from. Below is an image of the pattern I will be using with the measurements. I may add another row to the bottom so that it is not a perfect square (right now the quilt would measure 60in x 60 in). After doing some research I found that a full/queen size quilt should be 60in x 80in and that is the size I am shooting for (or close to it). I also intend to add a border with a fun pattern.

(I may try to add an extra row at the bottom, we'll see how my sewing skills progress)

The other step I took this week was to begin sorting the t-shirts. I put them in piles based on the size of the square they would be cut into. This was extremely helpful because it gave me an idea of what the finished pattern will look like. I intend to have all of the t-shirts cut and laid out in a finalized pattern by the end of the week so that next week I can focus on sewing them together. I am also going to have to start looking for a fabric for the backing and for my border.

                        

                                (#t-shirts for days.....)        (Chart of the blocks I need for the pattern above)

This week I viewed endless youtube videos, but pinterest was my biggest help. Someone had uploaded the pattern I intend to use and they also had pictures of the final product uploaded so that I could look and make sure that is what I wanted to use. I also took some time to look at the user manual for the sewing machine I will be using. I am worried because my mom (it’s her machine) has experienced some problems in the past, mainly having difficulty sewing through a large volume of fabric. In preparation for this I contacted my neighbor who does a lot of quilting and she told me that if my machine does not work, I can go to her house once everything is cut and laid out to use the machine to attach the different blocks.

This will be a busy week for me with this project, but I hope to have all pieces cut by my post on Sunday and laid out with a particular pattern so I can upload a picture!