Monday, February 25, 2013

T-Shirt Quilt

I've been working on a quilt for my boss.  He ran marathons and 2K runs a lot when he was younger.  He had to have his hip replaced in 2005 and he ran for one more year and then decided the hip and running just didn't work out so well.  Anyway...long story short, he wanted me to turn all of his t-shirts from the runs into a t-shirt quilt.  I'd never done a T-shirt quilt before but I was sure that I probably could do it.  I'm not one to give up on a challenge.  :)

It is one thing to make a quilt out of material that you could easily replace...kinda scary when you are doing it with non-replaceable t-shirts.  In fact, I had kind of a scary moment when I accidentally cut off a corner of one of the t-shirt squares.  I repaired it and it is hardly noticeable now (I doubt he will ever see it) but at the time I had a few choice words to say about the error.  (Note to self: keep the table cleaned off when cutting.  ARGHHHH.)

I found the secret to making a t-shirt quilt is in the interfacing that you back the t-shirt squares in.  The interfacing keeps the squares from stretching all out of shape when you are sewing them together or quilting them.

Here is a picture of the quilt without the binding.  I'll be binding it next weekend.

We are heading Friday to find Tom a new truck.  This will be his retirement vehicle. He had a red truck before this gray one that he has.  He says he wants another red one.  The Tacoma comes in a very pretty Barcelona Red.  I'm trying to decide whether to trade in my car and his truck when we go to pick it out.  He drives me everywhere but I hate to give up the independence in case I want or need to drive.

Here is some Max for today:

"Whispering Thoughts
by Max Lucado

Reporter Dan Rather once asked Mother Teresa. “What do you say to God when you pray?” Mother Teresa answered quietly, “I listen.” Taken aback, Rather tried again, “Well then, what does God say?” Mother Teresa smiled, “He listens.”

Why don’t you give God your listening thoughts. Just whisper to him, “Am I in your will, Lord?” “Am I pleasing you, Lord?” By the time your life is over, you’ll have spent six months at stoplights, a year and half looking for lost stuff—double that in my case, and a whopping five years standing in lines. Why don’t you give these moments to God? By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as, “Thank you, Father,” and “You are my resting place, Jesus,” can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn’t leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Give God your whispering thoughts."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa