For Jack

While I consider every project that comes through my workshop special, every once in a while, I get the opportunity to do something totally  unique. And recently, I was given the enjoyable task of creating a gift for Jack.  

Jack is an 8 year old that has a birthday coming up and his grandmother is a friend of mine. I connected with her to do this one of a kind project for her special boy.

Jack loves the Tin Tin  series of children's books just like his father did before him. When his dad was a child, his folks bought him t-shirts with graphics from different Tin Tin editions. Now it was time to do something with them just for Jack!

He is about to get his very own t-shirt quilt!

The quilt started with the delivery of 9 t-shirts, 

freshly laundered and full of promise.

The first task was to mount them on some stabilizer and cut them to size. I'll admit that these types of projects come with just a bit of nervousness on my part. It's not like I could run to the nearest fabric store to buy a new shirt if I made a boo boo. 

They truly are one of a kind!

So after getting the scariest part out of the way, (cutting up all of those t-shirts!) it was time to choose some contemporary boy loving fabric to fill it out. The backing was a no brainer. Flannel would make it snuggle worthy. And since he loves old cars and old airplanes, that would go on the front surrounding the tshirt squares. 

I was actually looking for old airplanes because that would be my favorite too, but cars and motorcycles jumped off the shelf, so I brought it home.

And a fun buffalo plaid would be great for the binding!

I always love to use my favorite power tool for these projects! 

Granny Fanny's 1936 Singer.

And since I needed one more square to round things out, I saved the tags from the back of the shirts. 

Many of them had interesting graphics 

and there were also family initials on them.  

So no question, they had to be included. 

The next step called for spreading it all out to pin it for quilting. I rarely do hand quilting anymore... old hands! And diagonal machine quilting would make it extra durable for a growing boy. The only space big enough to do such a thing is in the sunroom on the floor.

It's good exercise crab walking all over to get it pulled nice and tight! 

The buffalo plaid binding finished it off nicely. 

And I actually really enjoy this type of monotonous detailed sewing. 

Even with a relatively brief lead time, I was able to not only finish 

Jack's special present, but take a vacation as well! 

I'm always so thankful when people trust me enough to do such a thing,

and enable me to say 'no' if I feel it's out of my skill set. 

Now it's just waiting for Jack!!

A very happy birthday, little man,

and God bless you a bunch!

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature,

and in favor with God and man.

Luke 2:52

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