T-Shirts

Today I cleaned out my dresser.

I have, over the years, accumulated SO many t-shirts it's mind-boggling. And I know why....

I'm sentimental.

T-shirts essentially commemorate every happy memory. Every trip taken. Every concert seen. Every job had.  Every club joined. Every musical acted in. Every race ran. Every charity donated to. Every wild sorority party attended. My life can be summed up in my overstuffed, oozing-onto-the-floor t-shirt drawer.

No longer.

Many of these t-shirts I haven't warn in years, and never will again. But, looking at the shirt brings back a rush of memories and feelings I'm not ready to part with. I almost feel like getting rid of the shirt will make me lose the memories.

So, I'm making a t-shirt quilt. Those special t-shirts will make up the blocks of a quilt. The quilt will not be that pretty, but it will be soft jersey cotton. And it will be very special to me - and no one else.

I also saved fabric from other very special articles of clothing that I can use for borders - my high school choir dress, my favorite flannel from the Nirvana-grunge days, my Esleep PJ pants that were "so cool" in Junior High, a hospital gown from when Aaron was born...

I was able to take my "sentimental shirts" and just cut off the front design, and throw the rest of the shirt into my "Textiles to be Recycled" bag. Now, my t-shirt drawer is down to 5 t-shirts, 4 long-sleeve t-shirts, and a small pile of "special" quilt blocks.