A few years ago, I stumbled on a YouTuber who suggests using men’s shirts to make quilts. It can be a very economical approach, especially with a yard of fabric being upwards of $15/yard, e.g. Tilda. Many of the shirt makers, especially the more popular brands, use high quality cotton. Some of it is really soft. I strive for 100% cotton but will settle for 95% with 5% spandex.
Three of the four colors (blues, yellows, and greens) are from men’s shirts I purchased at resale shops. All of them were less than $3 each. I’ve even gotten brand names for $1 on occasion. The 3 required 10 ½“ blocks of each color were easily cut from each shirt I used, with plenty left over. I’ve made several quilts using men’s shirts, and unless, you’re told, you would never know the fabric is from recycled clothing.
Together was a really fun quilt to make, and it comes together quickly. In fact, it came together so quickly that I had time to get it quilted and time to bind it before the deadline. I added an additional row as I like my throws a little longer. I also added a 3” (2 ½” finished size) border all the way around.
I showed the finished quilt to someone, and she was so impressed with it that she asked me if I could make her one. She immediately gave me a color palette she would like me to use.
One thing I especially like about this pattern is the three unique sizes are designed so pieces are cut proportionally to the finished size, i.e., it’s not just a matter of adding or removing rows and columns. Although some patterns work fine that way, this is one that lends itself more to proportionality. A baby quilt wouldn’t work out so well with the same block sizes as the bed size quilt.
I love the bright, bright colors the designer used for her quilt. Since I made this for a 20-something year-old guy I selected colors that suggest a more masculine feel. I backed the quilt with a brand new flannel sheet I got from a resale shop...for really cheap. I couldn’t be happier with how this quilt turned out. I would like to keep it for myself, but we can’t keep all the quilts we make.