Some thoughts and reflections from sewing.
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Beyond Function: A History of Quilt Making
Months before I wrote this post, I searched for an example of quilt making that incorporated old clothes in a similar way to the t-shirt quilts I made. I found one article that describes how Siddi (African Indian) make quilts from saris and old clothes. Though my research satisfied my initial curiosity, I had so many other questions about the history of quilts and their makers. My initial research has only scratched the surface on the writing that exists around quilts but this post broadly explores the meaning and value of quilts. Artists and projects mentioned include: Harriet Powers, Bisa Butler, and the women of Gee's Bend, and the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
A Step by Step Guide to Making a T-Shirt Quilt
This post summarizes the 13 steps I took to re-make my t-shirt quilt. It breaks the process down into phases: deconstruction, preparing materials, designing, quilting, and finishing. I include tips for preserving graphics and dealing with less than square blocks. It took me six weeks from start to finish, and although there were some struggles, I took a lot from the process. I end this post with some reflections.
What I Learned My First Time Improv Quilting
Four years after completing my first sewing project ever - a small quilt made from old t-shirts - I decided to redo it. I spent spent a lot of time using scrap fabric to quilt improvise (aka crumb quilt aka improv piece) patches. This post shows step-by-step clips and photos, some of my favourite patches, and concludes with how I think improv quilting will make be a better quilt maker overall.
What I Learned From Making T-Shirt Quilts
I decided to make my first quilt using the graphics from old t-shirts having never sewn anything before. Since then I have made three t-shirt quilts and here I share some things I've learned along the way - from preparation, to construction, and finishing.
