Agreed. And rectangles aren’t interesting enough, visually, even if they have logos and writing on them. Hasn’t anyone figured out a way to make a pretty t-shirt quilt?
Agreed. To the OP, tell your momma if she’s hellbent on making quilts out of mementoes that she should take digital photos of them and have them rendered onto fabric.
I’m very much of the ‘you do not mess with anybody else’s stuff’ school of thought. One ex caught no end of fury when, after I specifically asked him not to make changes to my computer, he changed the desktop and downloaded software I didn’t want (he had his own machine). His disrespect for others’ property was just one of his many flaws, but it definitely didn’t go a long way to endear him to me.
I afford others’ property due respect and expect the same in return.
I would probably fly into a hulk-esque rage of destruction. My T-shirts are one of the only things that hold significance for me, as they represent most memories in my life. Today I’m wearing my “Death of Kenny” t-shirt, and that is from eighth grade.
I guess what I’m saying is that it would have to be one damn good quilt.
I’d be infuriated. I would consider it unauthorized destruction of personal property. I’m a T-shirt freak and my collection is a personal history of my life.
Your mother is destined to be hated by one of her victims.
If she pulled that stunt with me I would pour ink over every quilt she was working on.
I think it is a bad idea. People get attached to stuff like that.
Having said that, I don’t have any shirts that I would miss. I don’t wear shirts with logos or stuff on - unless they were in the bargan bin and I got them really cheap.
If you really want her to stop, just take that wedding dress out of the closet and tell her you are giving it to anyone who complains about her taking their shirts. That should bring it home without your actually having to go through with it.
Another thing she seems to be ignoring - a lot of people hate handmade stuff.
I would never use a quilt, and any hand knitted scarves and caps I’ve gotten as gifts all went straight into the trash. They just look like things the homeless tote around in their carts.
I’d be pissed - like most people not for the destruction (though if it was a shirt I loved, that would come in there somewhere too), but for the destruction of something that is mine.
Luckily my mum isn’t that kind of person. Nor is my grandmother.
But I still live in fear of coming home one day and finding my blankie gone to the laundry-room in the sky (or the bin, whichever’s easiest for them to get it to).
Don’t laugh. What about making it a pillow? Sew up the neck and arm holes. Stuff it and sew it closed – then you could see both sides…
To the OP: Even though I have been considering making one myself out of my saved t shirts, if someone else did it and I wasn’t asked, I’d be upset about it.
Personally, this would have freaked me out. My dad didn’t wear t-shirts, but he had several jackets that I kept. I would be beyond pissed if anyone had even suggested making a quilt out of them. (As I type this, I’m remembering an old jacket he kept out in one of his worksheds…I’m not sure if this was packed up, or taken by the same cousin who decided it would be a good idea to make pillows out of Dad’s denim shorts.)
[judgmental hijack]
Speaking from the point of view of a knitter, that’s heartbreaking. I hope you at least gave them to Goodwill so someone else could use them. And I hope you realize how much care and effort went into those presents that you scorned and tossed in the trash. A scarf costs at minimum about $10 in raw materials for cheap cheap acrylic, but more typically around $30 for a nicer yarn, and I would estimate it takes somewhere from 6 hours (for a fast knitter) to… 40 hours? to knit an average-sized garter stitch scarf. Even if the knitter were being paid at minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, each one of those scarves would cost at least $40 in time and materials… and it’s skilled labor, so really should be worth more.
[/judgmental hijack]
I would be pissed. It doesn’t matter if I’m not using them anymore, they are my property. No one else has the right to destroy my property without my permission.
I’d be kinda pissed, but I’d get over it since the intentions were good. Who knows? It’s quite possible I’d never do anything with my old t-shirts. If they got turned into a quilt they may actually get used and even become a quirky family hand-me-down item which would last longer after my death than a box of my old t-shirts would.
You know what I want turned into a duvet cover? My old Army BDUs. I always thought that would make a cool cover, with one side made of panels from my old BDU’s, and the other side made with some complimentary color. I’ve got a big duffel bag filled with my old uniforms stored back east. I’ll probably never use them for anything, but I’ve got some nice memories attached to those old things. It’s pretty sturdy fabric too.
My thoughts exactly. There are tasteful crafts that are made to be mementos, and then there are tacky, ugly mementos that could have been made better. I don’t have anything against quilts, other than that they should either be made as art pieces or as somewhat attractive functional pieces. (The second, IMO, should have a wee bit more substance than the art pieces. A paper thin “functional” quilt is not going to keep anyone warm.) I like crafting, but I’m kind of picky about the aesthetic aspect of it. I rarely can find patterns, ideas, or kits that suit my own tastes and need of functionality in the pieces, so I often end up making simple things on the fly. I have some plans in the future to make my own duvet covers if I can find the right materials for reasonably cheap.
I’m not particularly attached to any of my t-shirts, as I’m growing into a phase where I want to dress in a nicer fashion on a regular basis. My mom has a few keepsakes from my childhood, but I’m not really that into mementos of my childhood or of fond memories, as I have the memories themselves. I would, however, be a little bothered if someone just decided to take something of mine without any consideration as to whether I still wanted it (as is or not) first.
Sounds like a neat concept. How soft/scratchy are the BDUs? If they’re not soft enough to want to sleep under all the time, maybe they’d make good bedding if you like to go camping. You could easily make them the “heavy duty” duvet cover for occasions where the sleeping stuff goes outdoors. (I don’t use sleeping bags to go camping, but we do bring at least four or five comforters so we’ve got enough padding underneath us in the tent. Then again, we almost always camp when it’s useful to have two blankets above and three below.) You could even possibly do a cool looking quilt with the BDUs, depending upon what the pattern looks like. Patches of the pattern mixed with complimentary solid patches may look really cool and could be a great way to display a memento of your time in the Army.
The military has recently changed their uniforms to new materials and patterns but in my day, which isn’t all that long ago BDU’s came in winter weight, which is thicker, sturdier and mostly polyester, and lasts virtually forever. But after years of wear & washing, it’s not that stiff. I’d say it’s softer than denim jeans. That’s the only comparison I can think of.
I was thinking the duvet would be reversible (or turn over-able, whatever it’s called), with maybe softer material on the other side.
There’s also summer weight BDU’s, which IIRC, are all cotton. Again, it’s fairly sturdy material but gets fairly soft over time. Softer and thinner than denim, IMO.
If you use your duvet German style and sleep right under the duvet, you might want one side to be softer, but if you do it American style and use a top sheet, then I’d think the heavier material of the BDUs wouldn’t be that bad.
I think you may have completely explained my aversion to top sheets. I must’ve never gotten used to them as a child, as we didn’t use them if we had a duvet on the bed.
Sounds like your BDUs might be a good base fabric for the project. If you sew or know someone who sews and is willing, this could be a fun project to do.
I do know a couple people who sew, but I haven’t come up with the right bribe yet. I have gotten a couple sweaters and shorts made. But no duvet yet. They keep saying, “well I’ll teach you.”
And to be honest, I actually am willing to learn. I always thought basic sewing machine use might be a handy skill. Just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
They’ll make me a duvet if I buy two large sheets, but that’s not what I want. 
Oh, and I’m totally with you. I much prefer German style. Top sheets are icky somehow.
Thanks for all the replies everyone! Actually it’s kind of heartbreaking reading the thread, because I’m hoping for my mom’s sake that none of the people she made a quilt for were as furious as most of you would have been!! Next time I get wind of her planning to make one, I might show some select quotes from your responses – reading the whole thread would probably make her cry. 