MissSongbird

The next quilt I plan on making is one made of mens' dress shirts/ cotton shirts. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on making it. Some tips that would help me make the most out of this quilt.

My biggest worry is how different a quilt of mens' shirts will hold up (when being made and after) compared to quilters cotton.

My plan is to ask my male friends if they have any dress shirts that they no longer need, etc. Most of them are engineering students so they have nice clothes for co-ops...but they are still college student, but I bet their shirts don't last as long as others haha. But we'll have to see. Then once I've exhausted that resource, I'll probably head over to Savers/ Goodwill to see what I can find.

And I've already named it. It's the boyfriend quilt. Hopefully you guys get why I've named it so.

Tartan

Go to www.quiltville.com for Bonnie Hunter's video on the quickest way to de-bone a shirt for quilting cotton. She uses recycled shirts in her quilting and there are great free patterns on her site as well.

#1piecemaker

I saw one one time that was made to showcase men's ties. So, if you can talk those friends out of thier ties too, you should have one humdinger of a quilt. Good luck!

AuntieD

Sounds like a great idea. Please post a photo when you have completed your quilt.

Holice

Here is a quilt a friend made from his shirts.

MaryMo

I buy a lot of men's shirts at thrift store when they've been marked down .... usually down to $.25 to $.50 each .... almost always a good selection but it takes several months to gather all I need for a quilt. I usually search out plaids or stripes in cottons or cotton blends .... flannel takes longer to gather. Have fun! they make exciting quilts.

PaperPrincess

Here are some I made:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t153884.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...t-t209062.html

I got most of mine from the Salvation Army. The SAs in this area are great for culling out shirts with problems (stains, rips etc.) so mine were all in pretty good shape. If long sleeved, look at the elbows for wear. If the fabric looks thin, don't use this portion. Also, look at the underarm area. If it looks discolored at all, cut it out. It's my understanding that deodorant can weaken the fibers. I think I've made 3 more quilts that I didn't post. Cutting everything into charm squares really simplified things for me. The shirts were different weights, and all played nicely together. They were all 100% cotton, or a linen cotton blend. no Poly. I know some have been washed a couple of times and are still in good shape.

zzmom

Your quilts are fantastic looking. I hope to make a shirt quilt one day too. Love the look of them.

hopetoquilt

Here are ones I posted recently

TanyaL

The cotton fabric may not last as long as the cotton/poly fabric but the quilt as a whole will probably last 50-100 years. How long do you need it to last?