Hooray! A quilt festival. Truth is, I don’t finish quilts often but I love to design. This is one of my creations:
This full-size quilt features 9 12″ T-shirt panels surrounded by coordinating fabric to create a t-shirt shape. Bias rectangles helped me make the sleeves. I used my shirts from my performances in high school.
I tried to take a picture of it on my bed, which didn’t go well because my room at college is tiny! Luckily I found this one in my digital stash:
Much better! This picture was taken last year at the Dyersville Quilt Show where it won second place in it’s category.
Part of the festival is to tell the quilt’s story. This quilt has a very long one…
When I was a senior in high school I planned on going (far, far, away) to study engineering. It was no secret that I would rather design quilts but how do you study “quilt design” anyway? I figured an engineer makes enough money to support my expensive fabric habit, I could put in my 20 years at John Deere and retire early to open a quilt shop funded by my pension. I related Sandy Gervais’s biography. I had one of those counselors in high school who told me I was “too smart” for art and had the potential to make “much, much more money.”
About a month before I was supposed to leave I went to the county 4-H fair where all 10 of my projects went to state fair. Only two of those projects were in industrial technology. One was a welded quilt rack and the other was a math formula to knit the perfect fitting hat.
I decided quilting was my true calling. I was inspired by Heather Mulder Peterson, who started designing at a young age, and made plans to go to a college close by to study business administration. I pulled this design from my portfolio and made the top. About the time the top was finished I chickened out again and enrolled at the community college to get some gen-eds while I made up my mind of what to do.
Two years later I was still spinning my wheels at the community college, basically taking classes to stay on insurance. I decided to take a leap and try my hand at design once again. I bought a nice sewing machine and my first project was to add the border to this quilt. I sent it in to get quilted. I spent a lot of time in the school library on AutoCad developing the pattern. I printed out some copies, and now they sit in my portfolio once again. My hard drive at school was cleared after I graduated, so a digital copy no longer exists.
I took a sememster off to try design again, and ended up here at college anyway. Still no published patterns.
I don’t really like this quilt because it’s too “college-y” for me. This is the kind of quilt that sorority girls and high school track stars keep on their bed. But, alas, I am a college student and therefore have a college quilt. It is on my bed in my tiny bedroom, which is why the pictures pretty much suck. I couldn’t get a full view of my bed because there’s just no room to get around it.
Wow, this post has taken a really depressing turn. Then again life is pretty crappy right now. I know I’m lucky to have an education and blah blah blah, but I feel trapped here. College may just be bad enough that I’m ready to do something to change it. It’s going to take a whole lot of graph paper to make me feel good again. Maybe it’s time to try design once again? There’s no time like the third time. Bear with me folks, I just may have some pattern testing opportunities available soon. Check up soon!
Oh, and here’s my two words on t-shirt quilts. KNIT INTERFACING it will change your life!
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh Kayla I love your honest rambling post. I hate that things like keeping insurance have been such a dictate but you have a good thread of realism which will help you all your life. I hope you will find that unique place where all your skills and gifts can super collide. One great skill…kind of like using the right kind of interfacing, is to not let current circumstances deplete your joy for life…I’ll look forward to you taking whatever that “suck” word represents , split it into some variation of geometric parts and reframe it all with a bit of embroidery…maybe crazy quilts should have been named sanity savers?
Hold on in there, A lot of people goes through thr same way you did. By the way I think the tshirt quilt is a very good idea.
Good luck
I remember college being a hard time….it takes a lot of patience to get through the end of it all and you don’t even know for sure what you want to do. I did end up finishing my teaching degree and so happy I stuck it out. I was able to use that skill and degree over the years and even quilt some too! Hope you can stick it out a little longer and you’ll feel like you’ve really accomplished something. I also hope you’re able to publish a pattern soon….that will sure make you feel good. huh?
What a great idea. I’ve made t-shirt quilts. But I’ve never seen a t-shirt quilts with shirts! Great pattern! Way to go!
Different T-shirt quilt. I like it.
here’s your assignment 
Draw up a plain shirt, play away with the design and see what you come up with. (Hee, hee do I sound like a bossy artsy college professor or what !!!!)
I’m seeing lots of potential for other designs within the shirts
Very cool!
Very beautiful duvet .
I can totally related to your rambling. Although, I went the other way and have two arts degrees and no job and no money
Its a double edged sword and in darker moments we all question our decisions. Following your dreams is harder than it looks in the movies. If only we could see into the future or look back and see where an alternative path would have taken us. Don’t give up though Kayla. There’s got to be something good for you out there. Take a leap.
oh, and on the whole quilting with knits topic, interfacing, interfacing, interfacing. Come on over to my blog and see the quilt I made with baby t-shirts and clothes. I was somewhat selective with my use of interfacing and totally regretted it. What kind did you use specifically?
I love your honesty, and i agree with the idea of getting a good job to afford the fabric addiction
totally need that, just keep on making quilts and this will lift your mood and help you find what you want to do.
Some quilt shops have this interfacing available, but I bought mine at JoAnn’s. Here’s a link to the product:
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat3136&PRODID=prd14641
You iron the interfacing with the knit going in the opposite direction of the knit on the shirt. It is a wonderful product.
This is such a cute idea! I have a t-shirt quilt that I started years back, but I never would have thought to make actual t-shirt cut-outs.
Beautiful job and congrats on the award!
What a FUN and clever quilt! Nice job.
Kayla, I heart you! This was such an honest, sweet post…and you’re just up the road in Ames! I love that you are young and frugal, I learned thriftiness much later than I should have…. I checked out some of your other blog posts, and I’ll keep reading!
Doris in Des Moines
Kayla,
It is hard when you know what you want to do but need to have the papers to do it – I am sure in time you are going to find the perfect combination for you – one that will help you pay the bills financially and still be able to fulfill the need to express yourself creatively. School is part of the process – try not to get discouraged ..
I think your t- shirt quilt is very fun and would be a hit with college and high school kids.
Good luck in the future. Perhaps one day I will be able to say that I remember when their was a young woman with a dream to create quilts and she has become a famous designer. Hold fast to your dreams!
Regards,
Anna
Well, I think your T-shirt quilt is clever. : ) Thanks for sharing. No easy answers about leaping, education, financial security or jobs…it’s ALL a crap shoot, isn’t it?! Then, there’s ALWAYS quilting to soothe.
{ 1 trackback }