Memory Quilt

Over the past couple of years I have been making T-Shirt Memory quilts for friends and through on line orders [see my Etsy store :)] But I wanted take a different approach to it last month. I wanted to find a way to use my late grandfather's dress shirts to make a quilt for my grandmother for Christmas.

This is what I came up with:

I started with about five of his shirts and cut off the arms so that I had the large back piece and the front panels. I took them to Joann's to find coordinating fabric.

The solid color fabric are my grandfathers dress shirts and the two printed fabrics are quilting fabric from the store.

I figured out how large I wanted to make the quilt and decided with would be easiest to work with 12x12 squares. I cut the fabric into 2", 3", and 4" widths.

Then I sewed them together into the 12" squares then into rows.

And sewed all of the rows together:

Once the quilt was completely pieced together I laid it on that backing with the batting in the middle and pinned it all together:

I decided to do the actual quilting myself and thought it would be simplest to use just straight lines.

I measured diagonally down the middle to create a starting point and guide line:

Using a quilting bar I just slowly made different sized widths at random. I worked from the middle out to help keep everything symmetrical and in place. 

It will take some practice to make it perfect but I was very happy with the final result:

Finally I trimmed all of the excess fabric and batting off around the edges and bound the quilt  by hand.

Here is Mimi with it on Christmas Day:

Isn't she cute?? :)