I started it

I have been putting it off for awhile.
I think it is because it seams so final.
On Friday, my son and I walked up to Arby’s for “dinner”.  We were the only 2 home at the time, and we very seldom get to go out anywhere to eat anymore so it was kind of a treat.  I really can’t afford to spend extra money on such frivolities, but what the heck! I needed a break and so did he.
Since my youngest son had taken my car to his friends house for about a week, give or take a few days, we were on foot.  What I like about Arby’s is the variety, although their prices are so much higher than most fast food restaurants.  They have several different potato products; home style fries, curly fries and stuffed potato wedges (ymmmy! my favorite!) and onion petals.  And if you so desire you can get dipping sauces like warm melted cheese or ranch.
The dark cloud in the western sky didn’t stop us from stopping in at Jo Ann Fabrics to snoop around.  I found a clerk to ask her for a suggestion on which fusible webbing product she would recommend to make a T-shirt quilt.  I never knew they made so many…. So she showed me what most people use and I bought 2 yards to try it.  I looked through the yarns as I need a particular shade of purple to finish a scarf I am working on, but they had nothing near the color I need; and I hadn’t brought the piece I keep to match it anyway.  I also tried to decide what color of material I want to use for the borders of the blocks, although right now I am leaning towards a yellow as all the teams had that as one of their colors.  For the outside binding, I am considering a series of 3 colors; Purple, then Yellow then a navy blue for the football team and the schools. And we continued our walk home, and got caught in the rain….It wasn’t a down pour, but a gentle shower and the trees along the side walks helped to block  most of it.

When we arrived home and I had taken in the stray cat that followed us home and given it a flea shampoo and wrapped it in a warm towel, I went up to my son’s room to retrieve the Iron and get the bag of T-shirts from it’s safe place in my room.  We bought the iron to use on his uniforms and it remains in it’s box in his room….That way we can always find it.
I still have not brought myself to take the football T-shirts apart, but I have done a few; the school football shirts, an old football youth team, my grand-daughter’s track and soccer T-shirts, the youngest grandson’s wrestling tournament T-shirt….and some scout shirts from day camp have had the scissors taken to them and have been cut in two with the sleeves removed.
The fusible web seams easy enough to work with so far, but I still have to see how it is going to do when I sew it on the machine.  I haven’t decided on a backing yet.  And I either have to “splurge” and buy a new machine; find a good used one, or borrow my mother-in-law’s machine.  (Last time I used it, it really gave me a fit.)
I haven’t decided how big the quilt will be, but the T-shirts are pretty much deciding that for me.  The patterns on the shirts come out nicely in a 14” block.  I have found that I can not “eye” the proper  block, so will need a quilting square to help me when I get down to the football shirts and final assembly.  But I am not that close yet.

I will have to go to the Screen Printer and order some shirts later.  I want to include a shirt for my oldest grandson’s middle school team, and All the boys number/name blocks for their assorted teams…mainly their football numbers….For my oldest grandson, that is 3 teams with different numbers.  The younger two only have the one team and they kept their same number for 4 years.
In the past, I have quilted my own quilts after they are assembled but I am considering having this one professionally quilted….depending on how it turns out…There is quite a cost to do that that I am not sure I can afford, but a local shop may give me a “demonstration” of their Long arm quilter and do it for less. It may turn out that each block has a different quilted pattern inside…Like the basketball one would have the basketball sewn in, the wrestling one would have wrestlers sewn in, and the football ones could have footballs, helmets, etc. I kind of like the wings for the track shirt. 
It’s for me anyway…although if it turns out nice, I may enter it in the Fair.  I am considering entering the fair anyway…I’ll check on it and sign up for a few of their different  categories…maybe quilting, knitting and photography and at least get the 7 day fair pass.
If I can’t be with my grandchildren, I can snuggle myself in a blanket of their sports t-shirts and my memories of watching them play.
Maybe they will find a way to let me see them “play” sports again this year.

Hugs and Love to all!  I will post more quilt photos as it progresses.