Quilts are a popular kind of accessory, and they are distinct for being made up of many different fabric types. In fact, someone might think of them as the soup of textiles: you can throw in a bunch of ingredients and make a mosaic product that anyone may like. Because of this, no two quilts are exactly alike, and in fact making them takes some skill to do just right. The United States and Canada are home to a number of quilting clubs and organizations, where experts can make quilts on commission. The idea of making quilts dates back a long way, back to ancient Egypt and China, when thick, composite blankets were made and stitched together. Today, quilts can be made from nearly any assembly of fabrics, and custom tee shirt quilts are a fine example of this. T-shirt quilt makers, when provided with shirts from the client, can make these hand-made quilts with ease, and custom quilts can be a lot of fun to have made. A custom tee shirt quilt, or memory quilt patterns or bereavement quilts, can make for a fine gift, and custom tee shirt quilts can also be sentimental.
All About Quilts
The concept of making quilts is an old one, and it’s taken pretty seriously in some circles. In ancient times, quilts were made with three layers of fabric: top, batting for warmth, and the backing layer. These were stitched together to keep the middle layer contained, and the oldest surviving quilt today is the Tristan Quilt, dating to 1360-1400 or so. The world’s largest quilt, meanwhile, is the AIDS Memorial Quilt and weighs an impressive 54 tons.
Who is making all these quilts, such as custom tee shirt quilts and the like? A 2014 study has shown that in the United States today, quilting is a $3.7 billion industry, and some 21 million people like to make them. This means that 14% of American households are home to at least one quilt maker. Up north in Canada, a national quilt organization was founded in 1981, and the Canadian Quilters’ Association has some 20,000 members and also holds a yearly conference. Among all quilters, or quilt makers today, around 81% of them are traditionalists, and 38% make use of art quilting and 35% use modern quilting styles (a person might make more than one type). Any quilter will have many thousands of dollars’ worth of supplies and fabric in their studio to make these popular blankets.
Ordering a Quilt
Making these thick, padded blankets is not easy, and someone who wants a quilt made out of their old shirts may ask a specialist to handle the job. Many quilters today may accept commissions from clients, and many clients may ask to have their old shirts and other clothes made into a quilt. Most often, these old garments are not being actually worn anymore, so they might as well be made into something fun. What is more, some of these old clothes may, all together, act as a memento of a phase in someone’s life, such a their wild college years. Once the quilter accepts the materials, they will use those fabrics to make a high quality quilt. They may cut out squares of fabric to make the final product look a little neater. Once done, a quilt acts as a sort of slide show of a person’s old wardrobe or an older phase of their life, and a quilt is both attractive and comfortable to use as a blanket if so desired. Some quilts aren’t actually used as blankets, though, and may be put on display instead.
