Auld Lang Syne

This is a king-size t-shirt quilt I made for a police officer who travelled from Tennessee to New York City after the tragedy on 9-11. He collected t-shirts that memorialized the heroes from that day as well as t-shirts from his career as a police officer.  

Close-up of king-size quilt

Happy New Year! I thought it fitting to show a few t-shirt quilts as we close 2011. The meaning of Auld Lang Syne is "for the sake of old times". That's one of the main reasons I love making t-shirt quilts. They are a comfy "scrapbook" to remember good times, lifetime accomplishments, and memories of loved ones. I love seeing what people pick out for their quilts and listening to what they tell me about the t-shirts. Stories and memories, like photographs, that are sewn into something that can be treasured and passed on to the next generation. I guess I'm just nostalgic and sentimental like that. As much as I like sewing home decor, I love seeing clients' reactions at the final quilt.

Baby quilt: dad is a hunter (thus the camo back) and the plaid flannel squares are from a grandfather who passed before the baby was born. The camo square and Screaming Eagle patch are from the other grandfather.

Memorial quilt made for a mother who lost a beloved son too soon. These are some of his favorite t-shirts and some that reminds the family so much of him. His sister said it even smelled like him.   

A different kind of memorial quilt. This was for an auction at a school fundraiser. Each child in the pre-k class made handprint animals for the squares. The theme was Noah's Ark. The quilt sold for over $2000.