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Planning a T-shirt Quilt

Holiday T-shirt Quilt Gift Planning - Step-by-Step Timeline

July 26th, 2021

3 min. read

By Andrea Funk

Planning a T-shirt Quilt for a Holiday Gift - Timeline

  • Early Summer: Collect the T-shirts
  • Mid Summer: Line up your T-shirt quilt maker
  • Late Summer: Get your T-shirts to your quilt maker

A Too Cool T-shirt quilt for a giftGiving a T-shirt quilt as a Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa gift is a sure way to give the best gift of the season. It’s a gift that will be used, treasured and remembered each year. Many times it's a gift that is difficult to top!

Below is a timeline to help guide you in planning a holiday T-shirt quilt gift. Within this timeline are links to other resources on specific topics that might be of help to you. Feel free to contact your Too Cool T-shirt Quilt quilter anytime to discuss your quilt and time constraints.

Summer

Ultimately; this is the time to begin planning your quilt. Here are the first two steps:

Begin with Who

Begin by deciding on whom to have a T-shirt Quilt made for. Who is the ideal candidates to receive a T-shirt quilt for a gift? Here are just a few ideas:

  • Young adults who have graduated from high school and have not received a high school graduation T-shirt quilt. The perfect gift for parents or grandparents to give.

  • Runners or other athletes who have too many T-shirts. This is a wonderful quilt for the spouse to give.

  • A Too Cool T-shirt quilt for a gift for dadParents or grandparents. Families gather T-shirts from each family member or from family reunions. Some will gather their parents’ T-shirts and have a quilt made from those T-shirts.

  • Someone who is into a particular theme. For example, you could collect Harley Davidson T-shirts for a Harley enthusiast. Whatever someone is into is his or her theme. 

  • Yourself! The best person of all to give a T-shirt Quilt to is you. You know that you have too many T-shirts and you know which ones you are willing to part with. And you don’t have to wait to open it!

Collect the T-shirts

Here are some suggestions for collecting T-shirts:

  • To make a quilt for your parents or grandparents, collect T-shirts from brothers, sisters, any grandchildren and even friends and extended family.

  • garage_sale_findsTo collect T-shirts for a theme quilt, you could go to thrift shops and garage sales.

  • For an athlete or graduate, use their own T-shirts. You can get them from their family. Or sneak into their closet when you are visiting.

  • The laundry is always a great place to sneak T-shirts from.

If you are missing anything, start looking around for those T-shirts now.

Using Photographs in Quilts

Ready to order your very own Too Cool T-shirt Quilt?
Click here to get started.


Mid Summer

1. Find a Quilt Maker

Sewers line upMake sure you have a T-shirt quilt maker ready to bring your quilt to life.

It's essential to do your research and find a quilt maker who can create the perfect quilt for you. Don't just settle for a friend or a friend of a friend without thoroughly checking their expertise!

Below are four articles about finding the right T-shirt quilt maker for your circumstance. 

One Chance to Have a T-shirt Quilt Made Right
Do You Know Anyone Who Can Make Me a T-shirt Quilt?
Local T-shirt Quilt Makers
How Much Does a T-shirt Quilt Cost?

2. Choose the T-shirts

Too Many T-shirt on a benchNext, decide which T-shirts to put into the quilt. The decision will be based on a number of items:

      1. How many T-shirts you have.
      2. How large of quilt you want or want to afford. Too Cool T-shirt Quilts pricing page.
      3. How the quilt will be used.
      4. Who is making your quilt and the style of T-shirt quilts they make. 6 Types of T-shirt Quilts
      5. The sizes of images on the T-shirts and if the T-shirts are one or two-sided. The more T-shirts you have, the larger your quilt will be. How many T-shirts are needed for a T-shirt Quilt?

Mid to Late August or Very Early September

tape boxYou need to plan to have all your T-shirts sent to your quilter at this time. The exact timing will depend on your quilter’s schedule and when you need your quilt by. Unfortunately, with holiday gifts, most people will need their quilt on the same date. This means that the earlier you get your T-shirts to your quilter, the better chance you will have of getting your quilt back by the date you need it.

How to package your T-shirts to ship. 

Shipping Your T-shirts - Where to Get a Box

The Day the Quilt is Opened

This is when your planning and diligence in finding a great T-shirt quilt maker will pay off. Your T-shirt quilt will be the center of attention at your holiday party or get together.

Christmas quilt 2019

 


Want to learn more about T-shirt quilts? Visit our Learning Center.
We have over 200 articles about all aspects of T-shirt quilts.


 

Andrea Funk

Andrea Funk is the inventor of T-shirt quilts made with multiple blocks sizes. The modern method of making T-shirt quilts. In 1992 she founded Too Cool T-shirt Quilts. Her life has been immersed in T-shirt quilts ever since.