T-Shirt Quilt

This is not my original idea; I got it from a mom at a high school graduation reception, where she had displayed the quilt she made for her son. So I began saving shirts for the day when my boys would graduate. This particular quilt is made from t-shirts that belong to my nephew, as a gift for his 16th birthday. My sister sent me his shirts (she saved them over the years), which are from elementary through high school years. My first quilts like this I made for my two sons. On one of my son's quilts I had a photo of him and his friends put on a shirt, then cut that out for one of the squares. I use the front of a vinyl album cover for the pattern, but any large square will do. I cut out the fronts of the shirts, trying to center the design, and use the backs of the shirts for plain color squares. If the back has a design, that becomes a square as well. If there are patches or designs on the sleeves, I cut them out and applique them onto a plain colored square. (again, from the back of one of the shirts). This quilt has 42 squares, most have 48, depending on the number of shirts provided. I quilt by hand, and place a simple border around the edge, with no border between squares. This type of quilt can be made in so many different ways, from favorite  t-shirts, baby quilt from favorite baby clothes, pieces of clothing from a relative who has passed on as a remembrance, etc., and can be full size or lap size. The quilts I made for my sons were for their high school graduation, and I included a square "Class of ..." as well.