timberskara Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 I know I don't post much here (although I enjoy the site and lurk a lot), but I thought I'd share my recent project with you. I hope you like it! Oh, and sorry about all the rambling text...if you really aren't interested in knowing how to make a quilt, then just check out the photos. I recently took out a book from the library about 101 things you can do with old t-shirts...I'm not quite sure why other than it looked fun, crafty and interesting. The idea that struck hard was a quilt. Yeah, a t-shirt quilt is probably nothing new to most people, but it was for me as I had never heard of doing such a thing. I will be the very first person to admit that I used to be the biggest coaster nerd that ever walked the planet. While I still LOVE the amusement park industry, my fashion sense has changed in that I probably wouldn't be caught dead in a coaster shirt these days. Don't get me wrong, I have no problems with people who do (heck, it makes you easier to spot to strike up a conversation!), but it's just not for me anymore. I began to make a list of the old coaster t-shirts that are very sentimental to me, but would never make it out of storage to be worn again. When I was home over break, I spent a day going through boxes, drawers, etc. trying to relocate these old treasures. Each one I found made my heart race. I have so many memories of "the good old days" when I was not only at my nerdiest on the coaster spectrum, but also from a time when I was finding out who I really was-- finding a hobby I was passionate about, making amazing friends and traveling the country. Sadly, no matter how hard I searched, I could not find some of the ones that mean the most to me...but if I ever do find them, another row or column will be added. I opted to not use my CP crew shirts because they are far too naughty to display on a quilt . In the end, I did find enough to make a quilt full of happy memories, so I had to be content. Yes, I hate myself for being an ex-ACEr, too . I researched a lot and found out exactly how I wanted to do it and enlisted the help of my Mom, the sewing queen. I decided that, unlike a traditional quilt, I wanted the backside to be shirt material too--the backsides of the shirts to be exact. The process was a big one for us (MUCH bigger than I had imagined), but the hardest step was the first: cutting. I used a 12" x 12" template, a rotary cutter and a cutting mat. Make sure to get any house pets out of the way before using the rotary cutter (even if they are cute and named after the greatest roller coaster ever created): I was somewhat hesitant, but after the first was done the rest were a breeze. I knew that I would enjoy the quilt more than the shirts sitting in boxes, so I began to get excited. In total, 30 shirts out of the 33 got used simply due to the layout of the quilt. I am estimating a rough t-shirt cost of $10 a shirt, because some were more, some were less and some were free...but in reality it was probably more than $300 worth of shirts. After cutting took place, my Mom and I played tetris and layed out the pieces in a shape that we thought would be Kara-sized (not too short!). We spent half an hour or more re-arranging the pieces so no two colors were next to eachother and so on. And then we flipped them all over to make sure the back looked okay and ones with designs weren't all clumped in one area (they were) and did some more re-arranging. This was a crucial step! Next step was ironing on interfacing to the backs of the 60 pieces to make the shirt material more stiff and easier to sew. This took a loooong time as I had to iron the piece flip it over and smooth it out again, line up the interfacing and leave the iron on each spot of the shirt for 10 seconds, cut it out from the interfacing and iron it again. While I was doing so, my Mom began sewing together the pieces. If it was a one woman project it would've taken weeks, for sure. After the interfacing, Mom gave me the sewed together sections to iron open the seams. The process continued and we kept up with one another pretty well. Yes, I ironed for 5 hours straight. This from the girl who doesn't own an iron and swears by wrinkle releaser. Am I done ironing yet? But, the sections started coming together, and I tested them with unsuspecting victims. After each row was done, we'd line them up VERY carefully and pin them together. The front side was starting to take shape. We then tackled the back side, making sure to reverse the order of the shirts so that they would line up appropriately once the two sides were sewn together. The entire process up to this point took a whole day. The next day we layed out the batting, which I chose to be the lightest one possible because I was amazed by how much the shirts alone weighed. It made it soft, but not too heavy. Lining up the front and the backsides was rough. Despite my sweet cutting efforts and my Mom's sweet sewing efforts, it didn't line up perfectly. So, we forced it to line up by pinning in place before sewing. We then quilted each square with a cool stich and did the binding around the outside. The end result: Front: Back: I love it. I am IN love with it. Even though it turned out to be a bigger project than I had imagined, it was a memorable experience with my Mom and the result, I think, is amazing. But no, I will not make you one . THE END ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIP Psyclone Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Wow, that is like the most creative thing I've ever seen. The only question I have is did the ACE shirt deserve to be a part of it? Kidding! This kind of "P:TR" is what TPR is all about. Thanks for sharing, it would have been a crime not to! EDIT: I admit I'm an ex-ACE member myself, but aren't we all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knottslover77 Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 That is sweet! I need to make one. --Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 That's a nice looking quilt and it looks comfy. A great weekend project and a great way to make use of old shirts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCFreak Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Dude, Kara, that's freakin' AWESOME! I've never thought (or heard) of making a quilt out of old shirts. I've never been to into the whole Coaster shirt thing, most of the shirts I do have are not that nerdy, but this is something I may have to keep in mind when killing time at parks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socalMAN123 Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Wow... I'm jealous. ---Bremt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnage Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 That's quite the creative project, and a good use of old t-shirts. Do I spot a Thrillride shirt in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kraken613 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 You did a really good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRapidsNerd Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 That's a great idea. Well done! That would also make a killer wall hanging/tapestry thing. Glad it didn't come out just so-so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberskara Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 Thanks guys ! I should also mention that there are numerous businesses on the web where you can send your shirts and they will make it for you. It's a little pricy, but it you don't have the tools to do it yourself it may be worth considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekRx Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 This is a great idea! Years ago I thought it'd be cool to save some of my coaster shirts with cool logos or designs and make them into wall hangings, but they mostly all just became dirty old rags for cleaning my car with. Oh well, some of those coaster shirts probably deserve nothing less *cough* Son of Beast, Hercules, Drachen Fire *cough* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 ^Pfft! BGE is my home park, and I wouldn't touch my car with an old Drachen Fire shirt. The quilt looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollocoast Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Nice work! I'd say it's most definitely the off season Go Green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Somewhere in the country, an ACEr just killed himself. How dare you desecrate those shirts! That's actually really cool. Way to be a Jew and get the maximum return on your investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Coaster Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Cool idea... well done!! Turned out well. I have a dream that one day on beds worldwide, with their coaster enthusiast owners on them, their bodies plump with fat from excess churro consumption - one day right around the world XXXXXL ACEr shirts and XL TPR shirts will be able to join hands as sister and brother patches. I have a dream today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 You've just gotten yourself a job as the official TPR quilt maker! --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Very cool and very impressive sewing skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_teisco_delrey Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 This is a great idea! Years ago I thought it'd be cool to save some of my coaster shirts with cool logos or designs and make them into wall hangings, but they mostly all just became dirty old rags for cleaning my car with. Oh well, some of those coaster shirts probably deserve nothing less *cough* Son of Beast, Hercules, Drachen Fire *cough* I think a beer quilt would be more your style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrider06 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 awesome job on the quilt. I know that must of taken a lot patience. Something I really don’t have lol but anyways nice job it came out really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 That is really cool. Awesome job! dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COASTER FREAK 11 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Thats a perfect use for those shirts! Good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorBoyASU Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I would have lost my patience with that before I had them all cut out. Awesome IDEA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exit english Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 That's pretty awesome. All of my old coaster shirts are now rags, except the Demon Drop shirt I just bought on ebay, but it's a Youth size L and it's more for comedy purposes than anything else. -Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Palooza Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 This is really great. I have been wanting to do this with my old T-Shirts of Hard Rock Cafes and amusement parks. Nice job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberskara Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 That's actually really cool. Way to be a Jew and get the maximum return on your investment. That is such a compliment from you, thanks! Haha. I have a dream that one day on beds worldwide, with their coaster enthusiast owners on them, their bodies plump with fat from excess churro consumption - one day right around the world XXXXXL ACEr shirts and XL TPR shirts will be able to join hands as sister and brother patches. I have a dream today! Okay, that's pretty much the funniest thing I have ever read! Awesome. And thanks everyone else for all the comments! I'm kind of shocked at how nice everyone is on this board...I love you all . I guess there are still cool coaster people out there, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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