I must be insane (declutter challenge)

[Alessandra]

I am going through old, old things. Please don't even ask how it got so bad! I just took 32 clothing items (mostly new, Land's End) to local church thrift shop, where they are quite particular about good brands and excellent condition. So that is done, and more good stuff is in the wash for same church. OK. no problem, no regrets.

 

BUT, I also packed up 53 logo t shirts for Goodwill, all in excellent condition. I had planned to save a few and cut out the logo part to make a patchwork quilt. We have such happy memories of the Houston Children's Museum, Chincoteague Island, etc. So, I am thinking that I should rummage in the bags in the back of the car and pull out some favorites. I know dd would LOVE the idea of a patchwork quilt. So.... is this idea insane???

 

Id like some opinions. This is not a JAWM post. I know I have a problem, but....

[momacacia]

Well, sounds like you and your daughter think it would be a lovely thing, do rock on.

 

For me, the thought of saving all those logo T-shirts and anything related to sewing gives me hives. My husband however, would think this a fabulous idea. To each their own.

[Miss Tick]

Yes. Insane. Keep your eyes trained forward!

[Elizabeth86]

Im hoarder of sentimental items. I think you know my answer. Sorry.

[marbel]

Well, I don't think it's insane to do something with souvenir t-shirts.  I have seen the idea of making them into a quilt. 

 

I use them for cushioning/packing fragile items.  Like, large Christmas ornaments (think snowglobes), some crystal items I only use a few times a year, framed photos that we rotate in and out of display, stuff like that.  The things I wrap are not dirty, so the shirt doesn't get wrecked, and we get to see them once or twice a year, so they bring back the  memories. 

Edited October 5, 2017 by marbel

[Storygirl]

I think it's a cute idea. But will you actually do it? I personally have a lot of fabulous ideas that I never actually accomplish, so I'd try to resist. I'd end up putting them in a box or bag and would never get to it. Or I would do it halfway and add it to my pile of half-done cross-stitch projects, where it would languish for years.

 

But if you have an actual plan to get it done, and if you are the kind of person who can take on a long-term project and finish it, I'm sure your daughter would appreciate it.

[Annie G]

If you do it, go ahead and put stabilizer on the shirts and cut out the part you'll use for the quilt. Then you can get rid of the rest. It'll make throwing out those cut shirt squares easy if you don't get around to making the quilt before your dd gets married. g

[mlktwins]

I would be keeping those and making the quilt -- LOL.  I am saving my boys' baseball jerseys and swim team t-shirts in case I want to do something with them.  I'm pretty brutal with their other clothes though.  

 

What a fun project for you and your daughter to think about.

[alisoncooks]

I've saved several favorite, too-small tshirts for my girls, with the thought of turning them into a blanket. I'm not a sew-er, though...so I'd either have to enlist my mom's help or go through a website/etsy-type store.

Edited October 5, 2017 by alisoncooks

[Stacia]

I'm not a crafter, so I wouldn't be tempted to save them for that reason.

 

If I did anything, I might take a photo of a few of my favorite shirts, then donate them anyway. Or, if they were comfy & soft, I might keep a few (very few) to use for pj tops to enjoy them that way (assuming you don't already have a glut of pj shirts).

[JustEm]

They are already in bags in the car. Just let them go

[Beth S]

OK.  I've just made Tshirt Quilts for two of our sons in the past 2 months. 

I used 16 shirts each, but they were the boys' most favorite Tshirts.

It was only about 10 hours of sewing, just sewed in columns, on the back of a fleece throw.

Oh, and special (expensive) interfacing so that it hung together well.

 

However, I think you should feel comfortable just letting the shirts go.

There are other ways to remember those special events.

 

You could just save the front face of their favorite Tshirts.

You could just take photos of them & just Let It Go. 

Honestly, I think I wanted to make the quilts more than the boys wanted to receive them.  :)

 

The easy compromise is to check with the kids before their clothes go Out The Door.

Which I think is essential.

 

Edited October 5, 2017 by Beth S

[Ravin]

If you're like me, those T-shirts will wind up in a box in the craft room and you'll be in the same boat five years from now.

[regentrude]

How long had you had these shirts and the idea to make the quilt? When do you think you will actually sit down and make the quilt? 

 

If you had the shirts for longer than a year and have not started on the quilt, it's not going to happen. Donate.

[samba]

My MIL asked me to save dd's t-shirts so she can make her a quilt. If I had the skills I would do it myself. I think it's a great idea and I wouldn't have a problem hanging onto stuff that had a definite purpose and timeline. If it's sort of an up-in-the-air idea, nope... wouldn't keep it.

 

ETA...MIL is an experienced quilter. She could probably knock it out in a weekend.

 

Edited October 5, 2017 by samba

[City Mouse]

Not that you would want 50 pillows, but you can use a few souvenir t-shirts to make pillows. It is a lot faster than making a quilt.

[solascriptura]

Be honest with yourself.  When will you actually do something like this.  The idea is cute, but I know I would never get around to doing something like that .  Crafting is pretty much torture for me.  If you think that you'll do it in a month, go ahead.  Someone I know did a quilt like that and she managed to finish it once her kids were all grown.  

[Carol in Cal.]

If this would spark joy, do it.  Maybe pay someone else to do the work.  Get it done so you can enjoy it!
Also, I love the idea of using them as packing material for fragile ornaments and such.  That is brilliant.

 

My view on decluttering is that I have a zone, mentally, during which it's easy, and when I'm in that zone I want to do it as fast as possible.  Anything like this that slows me down I put aside so that I can keep my momentum going.  Then later on I can consider projects and such.  I always find it easier to either do projects or get rid of potential projects in the gloomy times of the year, when it's cozy to be inside and rumination is natural, so late fall to early winter is a great time for that.  Winter is coming!  (Ha ha)

[foxbridgeacademy]

I hope you did save them.  One way to make sure you aren't cluttering is to set a date you have to have it done by.  If not then they go no matter what.

[desertstrawberry5]

I'm agreeing with everyone else. Ca you make the quilt this week? This month? This year? Ever? I try not to hold onto things unless I can use them right away. 

 

[Χά�ων]

I have not read the replies and am in this situation with DH wanting to make tshirt quilts out of his beloved tshirts.

 

I do not quilt and I do not have time in the near future to take on learning this mew skill. So the question is, do I want to pay someone to make a t-shirt quilt for me and can I afford it. My answer is different than yours.

[Peaceseeker]

When purging I usually have a keep, toss (either trash or donate) and a maybe pile. The maybe pile solves 2 problems. 1- You don't give something away too quickly before you have had time to decide (sounds like this happened since the shirts are in the car and you are rethinking it). 2- The maybes are the items that stall the decluttering progress as we hem and haw and hold the item trying to figure out whether to keep it.

 

If you are doing a large amount of decluttering I suggest throwing the t shirts you are sentimental about into a maybe pile and keep working through the project. After you have made some progress or on a rest day you can go through your maybe pile and have more time to think through those items. Note to hoarders- everything cannot go into the maybe pile, lol. It should only be the items you are really torn about.

 

There are lots of services that make those shirts into quilts if you want to send them off. I would also consider asking your kids if they would like one. Some kids might really be into that and sometimes it is the mom who likes the idea more than the kid.

[Rebel Yell]

I would gather all of the shirts together in their own bin or box, and clearly label it. The box will probably be a reasonable size to store for even a year or two.

 

You can always get rid of them later, but you will never be able to get them back after they're gone. If they're well-worn or for a specific group that is unlikely to be of interest to the general local public they will likely end up as trash or rags, not resold.

 

Anyway, I've found that after massive decluttering I finally have space and time do do things I've always wanted to do.

 

Many of my girls' old shirts are more precious to me than to them- if they didn't want a quilt of them, I'd make it for myself! Our basement "lounge" always needs more blankets :D

[Clemsondana]

Years ago, I sent a big stack of our college T-shirts to the folks at Keepsake Quilts, which is a group that sells quilts made by hearing-impaired people. It turned out beautifully, and I'm saving some of my kids' things to have quilts made for them as high school graduation presents. But, it was expensive - I think it wound up being a combo birthday/Christmas present for my husband. He's impossible to buy for, though, and we often don't do much for gifts so it was a rare treat to find something that he loved.

 

I guess that is to say that your question is either 1) will you ever make one, or 2) can/will you spend the money to pay for somebody else to do it? If the answer to both is no, then go ahead and get rid of them. Also, look and see how many shirts would be needed to make a quilt. We had a full/queen quilt made, and it only used maybe 30? shirts. You could go ahead and cut the plain side off of the shirt and use those for rags, since they only need the side with the big logo. That would cut your stack in half.

[wintermom]

If you think you'd actually do this project, would the person receiving the quilt actually use it, or would it become more clutter? 

[Alessandra]

Wow, I amazed at all the replies, and I LOVE the diversity of opinions. I 'liked' every single one, because I truly wanted to hear the different reactions. For those who asked when/if I would actually make a quilt, I am taking the Fifth, lol. Plus, an entire quilt of t shirt logos would probably be ugly.

 

I didn't answer last night, because I wanted to think about it. So this morning, before breakfast, I went to the car, looked through everything, and picked out 5 t shirts, just 5, preschool, early elementary size with small, cute designs. Took less than 15 minutes. The cut-out logos will fit in a manilla envelope! Since there are so few pieces, we will make a little bag or bin to put gloves or something in in the closet. DD likes to sew, or we could just use some kind of fabric adhesive and trim around the edges of the logos. Also. keeping some items is like a 12 step program for decluttering. 

 

I follow all the decluttering threads, but I am sentimental about some mementos. Btw, I love books and movies in which people live in an old family house that has an attic full of history....