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Monday, August 5, 2013

Cutting, Cutting, Cutting...

Three hours of cutting...

This, my friends, is a pile of collars, cuffs, snaps, pockets, pleats, and seams from sixteen men's shirts.  Incidentally, this is also the reason why I don't think I'll ever make a living making memory quilts, despite the fact that there is evidently a large market for them.


There isn't really a fast, efficient way to turn shirts into useable fabric that I know of- and if there is, someone please enlighten me, because cutting with scissors for hours on end is not my idea of a great time.

Thankfully, these shirts have yielded plenty of fabric for two throw sized quilts.  There is really a lot of fabric in a shirt!  I also think there are some really nice plaids and stripes in there, so hopefully these final two memory quilts will be as special as Western Kaleidoscope and Bricks and Mortar.


11 comments:

  1. I TOTALLY know the feeling. I make commission t-shirt quilts and sometimes it really kills my sew-jo =/ can't wait to see what you come up with, though!

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  2. I use my Rotary Cutter and cut close to the seems. I loose some fabrics though.
    I saw a film clip where Bonnie Hunter was sitting and cutting shirts
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS-09AYE0fM
    I think the video is more to show how much fabric is in a shirt :-)
    Regards,
    Gunilla

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  3. yeowzas! I once bought a fur from someone that had really been through the ringer. I just wanted a few small pieces for a sculpture I was making and $8 for the whole coat was a better price than $15 for a small piece of synthetic. What a nightmare!! That coat was really well made and took a ton of patience and time to take apart. There was all kinds of lining, fusibles, and double seams. I finally managed to get it done and was left covered in fur and tears (yeah, I don't do well handling dead animals). Interesting experience, interesting indeed.

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  4. If there's no quick & easy way, just put on a good movie and get busy.
    I can't wait to see what patterns you use!
    Ps. The stain did not come out of my churn dash, and since it's all quilted and the binding is nearly finished, I will probably do some appliqué to fix it.

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  5. Of course they will be just as special, YOU are creating them!

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  6. All that hard work will be worth it though! Your memory quilts are beautiful. Looking forward to your progress!

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  7. Well done cutting up the shirts........I've checked out your beautiful quilts and they are amazing. I am sure the next lot will be too! Thanks for sharing! Marie (mlismore@optusnet.com.au)

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  8. I'm anxious to see what you do with these special fabrics. The other two quilts are wonderful!

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  9. I personally love sitting down, watching tv, and deboning shirts. There is something gratifying about hearing and feeling scissors cutting fabric? I know, I am a dork! Not sure if you have seen this or not, but, I am a Bonnie Hunter addict, so I am going to share it with you! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS-09AYE0fM&list=FL5uSUqkBXeo--WuZW6PHE-g&index=12 Enjoy!

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  10. I knew the feeling about cutting up clothing to useable fabric, I made a memory quilt for my friends husband out of her clothes and it seemed to take forever to cut them all up, but I used it wisely in that it gave me time to think of her.

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  11. Your other two were exceptional, so these will be equally so!

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