Memory Quilt: Graduation Quilt / T-shirt Quilt

There is a lady in our village who I like and admire very much and when she asked me to make a quilt for her son from all of his sports jersey's to celebrate his graduation this May - I could not say no.

The ENTIRE quilt (top and back) is made from the t-shirts and uniforms I was given.

The silver lines are made from his football shorts. The binding is made from his lacrosse shorts.

I took a Yale logo of a very very loved (sweat stained cut off t-shirt) - added it to the quilt ...

... and then turned the remaining material from said overloved t-shirt into a pillow.

I wanted to make a quilt that wasn't a typical t-shirts quilt. I channeled my inner 22 year old male and with the help of my dear husband (who told me if my ideas were too 'patchworky' or 'that could work' or silence which meant no too) I came up with this design.

I tried to keep the quilting motives bigger than I usually do and more masculine. I achieved on bigger but somehow some swirls got in there. Think torrid manly water not pretty swirls.

I quilted flames for the first time (which was kind of liberating!)

No bubbles here - just manly rocks (pebbles). 

Imagine my horror when I presented the quilt only to learn I had missed out one important detail. Being rather English and female I am not accustomed to the difference between sport uniforms and I had unfortunately assumed (due to the material) that the lacrosse shirts and football shirts were the same team/sport. That will teach me to not quadruple check. I seriously hate getting things wrong - I can't tell you how much I check my notes and check them again before cutting, before sewing, before quilting. In fact I'm probably way too uptight about the process!!

I can not tell you how gracious the lady was about the mistake and after we talked we came up with a solution. Can you spot the difference?

I wrapped the quilt in one of his baseball uniform belts.

"If your uniform isn't dirty, you haven't been in the game." (Ben Bernanke)