Jennifer Baker, a retiredbrspecial education teacher at Carroll Senior High, has long had a knack with abrneedle and thread; she's been sewing for 45 years. Now, she's sharing her creativebrskills with the community through her custom T-shirt quilts—school spirit itemsbryou can display, give as gifts and most definitely snuggle. To anyone with stacksbrof old Dragon T-shirts you don't dare part with, imagine them repurposed into abrone-of-a-kind keepsake quilt.
Why do you enjoy making T-shirt quilts?
I like having an idea ofbrwhat I want to make and then seeing it come together, bit by bit. This projectbris especially fun because I am creating something special and meaningful. Hopefullybr[each quilt] will be treasured for many years.
Tell us a little about the creative process.
I begin by cutting thebrsquares and working on a layout. I pin and sew each row of squares together, thenbrsew the rows together. After ironing the seams out, I carefully lay the wholebrthing on top of the fabric that serves as the back of the quilt and pin it. Ibrcut, sew and iron the binding that goes around the outside. The last step is tobruse embroidery floss to tack and knot each corner of the squares to hold allbrthe layers together in the middle of the quilt. Then it's ready to be reunitedbrwith the owner!
How many T-shirts are needed? And how long does itbrtake to create a quilt?
Thirty shirts make a five-by-six-footbrsize. Twenty shirts make a four-by-five-foot size. Both are good sizes for abrcouch. It takes about 18 to 20 hours for a quilt made from 30 shirts.
What's the most challenging part of the process?
The trickiest part isbrmaking sure the squares meet exactly at each corner. It requires lots of pins.brFinishing the binding by hand is challenging because it takes so long and I getbreager to return it to the owner.
Have you made a quilt that was especially meaningful?
My first quilt, forbrmyself, which is made from some of my shirts from my 18 years at Carroll. Ibrloved working at the senior high. All these shirts hold a special meaning andbrbring back wonderful memories.
Why do people most often order your quilts?
I have many people whobrwant them for Christmas or graduation presents. Mostly they are using schoolbrand/or sports shirts, college shirts and shirts from traveling. One person isbrplanning to make a quilt for her dad's birthday out of shirts from hisbrbusiness.
Your post lit up the Southlake Moms' Facebook page lastbryear. How did it feel to see such a huge interest from the community?
It was crazy! I posted itbron my personal Facebook page first and got a lot of encouragement to make thebrquilts for others. When I posted on the Southlake Moms' page, I was surprisedbrthat it got so big, but excited and flattered with the response.
How do you handle the overwhelming response?
I am thankful andbrappreciative for everyone's positive comments and interest! I take a lot ofbrpride in doing the job right. I enjoy seeing my work done well and do not likebrrushing a job or taking shortcuts. This is a hobby of mine that I very much enjoy,brbut because it is something I want to keep part-time, the number of quilts I canbrdo is limited.
Want your own Dragon T-shirt quilt? Contact Jenniferbrat jenb9859@gmail.com for details and pricing.