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Due to the holiday weekend, Just T-Shirt Quilts will be closed from Saturday through Monday. In the meantime, enjoy the holiday. You may have an opportunity to rummage through some old shirts to make your own custom quilt! Normal business hours will resume Tuesday, so give us a call at 678-324-8084.
It can’t end soon enough. Meanwhile, we are following the guidelines of the CDC and local authorities. We are working and fully available by email or phone during published open hours. There is no need to come in as we are fully equipped to complete your order and keep you fully informed where ever in the world you are. Please mail your items to us using your preferred carrier. We will credit back ground shipping for orders received from the continental U.S. With social distancing we will consider brief visits or drop offs for quilting orders at the door with advanced notice. Most of this we can start with you over the phone. We encourage shipping for all completed orders.
At this point we are all healthy and would like to stay that way. So please stay home and get better if you are showing any signs of illness.
Unless your quilt includes special-care, dry clean only fabrics, your quilt is fully washable. So once received, please machine wash your quilt. Care instructions are provided once your order is completed.
We’re in this together. Together we’ll get through it. Stay safe and don’t forget to wash your hands!
This was made for a retired commercial airline pilot. It includes t-shirts collected from his over his flying career. The center runway numbers are from his first solo flight. We can customize it for you for your favorite pilot or flying enthusiast.
I hope this message finds you safe and well. If you’re thinking about that extra special holiday gift, starting early is a real good idea. The impact for us of Covid-19 with regard to your special projects has been delays in receiving needed materials due to supply shortages. They are coming, just slower than normal by 3 – 6 weeks. So we’re asking you to think ahead and get started early in the event more time is needed to receive materials to complete your special gift. The holidays, Christmas and Hanukkah, are our busiest time. Early orders begin arriving late summer or sooner. Our cutoff last year was December 1 for guaranteed holiday orders. This year, for holiday completion, please aim to have your order in by October 15. This reserves your spot and lets us know to expect you so that we can set aside the time you deserve and the talent needed to complete your project. All of our quilts are custom made to order. There are no rush orders. Early is good! After October 15 orders will be accepted first come first served.
Keep your receipt as we will happily credit your expense for shipping to us from within the U.S. using ground services: USPS, Fed Ex, or UPS. Just give a heads up in advance. Call 678-324-8084 or fill out our online order form. We look forward to serving you.
If you’re considering having a T‑shirt quilt made, one of the decisions to make is which T‑shirts or clothing items to include in your quilt. Here are a few tips:
1) First, make sure you have all of them. Look through all of your drawers and any other places you may have tucked T‑shirts away. Check the closet, laundry room, under the bed, storage in the basement or attic, Mom’s or Grandma’s house, a friend’s house, or a child’s room. Gather them all together. We can work with any quantity.
2) Next, go through them one by one and decide if the T‑shirt is still special. Does it make you smile? Does it transport you back to a special event from the past? Are you reminded of why you tucked it away in the first place and glad you still have it? Is it colorful, does it have your name or team on it, or does it have an interesting picture?
3) Now separate the T‑shirts into three piles. The most special ones that you want to include go into the “yes” pile. On each of those, pin a safety pin to the part of the shirt or clothing item that you want included, such as the front, back, sleeve, or pocket.
Other items can be included, too, such as hats, jackets, lanyards, cloth bags, patches, dresses, or shorts. Pretty much anything that can be sewn down can go into your quilt.
4) Next, separate out the “maybes”—shirts or items that you’ll include only if they’re needed to complete the quilt. These go into the “optional” pile. Bring those along as well. If you would like them included in a certain order, mark that, too, so we’ll know in what order to use them if needed. Be sure to wash anything in the “yes” or “optional” pile. That authentic sports fragrance doesn’t always wash out, so make sure you’ll be happy with any lingering scents.
5) Lastly, those you clearly don’t want to include or no longer want go into the “no” pile.
6) Now, if you haven’t already picked out a look for your quilt, you’ll need to know that to know how many you need for sure. We can do many different styles and your count is going to determine how many shirts or items you need for your quilt. More here!
Count how many items are in the “yes” pile. Do you have enough for the style you want? If so, you’re done. If not, add from the “optional” pile to the “yes” pile until you have enough. Bring them all in a sturdy bag or container. If you are still not sure which style or how many, we can help with that. Meanwhile, for some ideas on styles, check out the pictures in the portfolio. Hope this helps you take the “leap” and get started on creating your special quilt!
This beauty was created in memory of a husband and father. It’s made from his clothing: his t-shirts, ties and monogrammed cuffs from dress shirts. His sweaters made up the borders. He was a attorney and liked sports. Tennessee and the team colors were his favorite and these were all included as part of the design for the finished quilt. Quilts were a part of his growing up years, and his wife wanted to include some elements reminiscent of those old timey, traditional quilts. So the “flying geese”–groups of triangles on the quilt– came to life along with the elaborate stars and other “pieced” quilty elements.
They have 4 children together. I’ve never met them, but I know their names from pictures. I looked through all of them and offer my input as she’s trying to narrow down which ones to include on the big quilt. Which ones to include on 4 smaller quilts for the children. One in particular I liked, he was smiling. He’s sitting behind the wheel of his car, a nice BMW. “What about that one I asked?” She hesitated. Then silence. Then “No”.
He was driving that car on his way home from work when he died. Natural causes. It was sudden.
He is gone; but when two are in love, the relationship doesn’t die with death. It lives, hovering in the air. It’s like an aura surrounding those left. I’ve felt it before. Hard to explain, but he’s still here.
Her arms are full of bags of his clothes. I’ve been selected to pull all of the memories together in to a new creation. From her ideas and her vision it’s a technical challenge, yet spiritual undertaking that brings comfort. This is why I do this.
The predators are everywhere. Even where you least expect them. In a gym. At a competition. At practice. At away competitions. Around our children. Even dressed up like a coach. With his uniform off he’s a predator, and one child had the courage to report him. He was arrested and ended up on the news.
All I can do is shake my head and hope there are no more victims.
The quilt was gifted before all of this happened. This masterpiece was made for a Rockstar cheerleader. We crafted it as a birthday present for her from her parents. It represents success and a lot of hard work. It represents important values that we get from sports. Teamwork. The right move at the right time. Trust in your team members. She was the lightest and therefore would end up at the top of the pyramid looking down at those holding her up by her ankles. Trust so that she doesn’t fall and skill. Just how did she climb up there and wind up with her body in a contorted “L” position then dismount on cue? Oh to be 15 again.
This masterpiece represents achievement. Take him away. The achievements stay. It represents a lot of parents’ hard earned money to pay for all of the uniforms. Take him away. The achievements and sacrifices stay.
I remember trying out for cheer leading my senior year in high school. I practiced hard. I spent a lot of time on my routine. I kept staring in the mirror trying not to find fault. Was I too fat? Does my hair look all right? Are they going to like me? Will I make it? The competition was intimidating. They were all beautiful. Most had experience. I didn’t. I was fit though. I was an all star on the basketball team. I didn’t worry about the athleticism. Yet I worried about fat. Is that girl fatter than me?
The day of tryouts came around and I was very nervous. My name was called. It was my turn. I started my routine then forgot my words. I froze. I wanted to disappear. Melt in to the wall. I could see people politely whispering and waiting to see if I’d remember and recover. I didn’t. All I kept thinking was people were looking at me and I wasn’t doing my routine and they were talking about me. I was so embarassed. I’d practiced so hard. I left in disgrace and cried my eyes out. I wanted to be a cheerleader.
It wasn’t meant to be. I got over it and put my energy in to basketball. I was the center and pretty good at it. I made the all star team. Despite my public cheer leading failure, this made me feel like a rock star. I finished high school and tried out for the college basketball team as a freshman. I’m 5’8″. The girls were all much taller than me. I was literally looking up to them. They were much faster and accurate. I was cut the first day.
It takes a lot to be a Rockstar. Not everyone makes it. Those in a position of leadership and authority fail often. It’s pretty much a part of success that’s tolerated if not expected and accepted unless and until it involves the misuse of trust with a child.
He’s away. The achievements stay.
Covid-19, the new coronavirus, has infiltrated all aspects of our lives. I hope you and your family are ok, and I wanted to let you know the steps that we have taken to keep customers and staff safe during these uncertain times.
Other thoughts
Earlier this month, my husband had the option to work from home or go into the office. He preferred to go in to the office. “After all, they have free coffee and toilet paper”. Well, that didn’t last long as the very next day his entire work campus closed. Coffee he could still find. Toilet paper not so much. Believe it or not I saw a post on making re-usable, washable toilet paper. Really? I mean, really? I did see paper products in the aisle at my grocery store today. So, fortunately, we don’t have to go there…yet.
Hats off to customers and colleagues in health care that are on the front lines during this crisis. Thank you. Two pictures just added to the Portfolio for medical providers were completed and shipped this week. One to a hospital RN, one for a hospital MD, both directly in the line of fire. Two weeks ago, I became concerned after not hearing from her on decisions regarding her quilt through our “usual” channels. It’s a graduation quilt for her son. I texted and finally received a response. “It looks great” in response to a picture sent, and “Sorry, for being out of touch” she texted . “It’s crazy here”.
Due to Covid-19 the graduation date was pushed back for one of the t-shirt quilts we’re creating for a May graduation. These are so important as even if there’s no ceremony, the fabulous gift will still be there. Plus, she came across a Graduation Quarantine 2020 t-shirt that her son is not expecting. Just food for thought. If you need 1 more shirt, they’re out there.
This crazy pandemic can’t be over soon enough so that we can all resume our normal lives. It’s so serious and we’re all in this together. Stay safe and take care of one another.
Rubicon Global is a dynamic Atlanta area company on a mission to end waste. It was thrilling to be selected to create a t-shirt quilt masterpiece for CEO Nate Morris; and, I’m happy to say we now also have a 2nd quilt project in the works. I had the pleasure of recently being interviewed for their corporate blog. Working with them greatly raised my awareness about reuse and recycling in the context of textile waste that results from making t-shirt quilts. https://www.rubiconglobal.com/blog/kyle-offermann-interview/
If you teach or are curious about what you can do, there is also a host of educational material on the site such as Circular Economy 101 https://www.rubiconglobal.com/circular-economy-101/ Check it out!
Starting somewhere, no matter how small, we can all contribute toward creating a more efficient and effective society.
If you’re a runner, you may just have a lot of shirts. We can turn them in to something fabulous. Like this. This was made for a couple that runs together. They needed it specifically to fit an available wall space and to go with their decor. Done. This look is Freestyle. What’s your vision? We can do it. Not sure? Let’s talk. 678-324-8084