Between the bed, couches, various ottomans, a futon and lots of area rugs, I thought I was well looked after in the nap locations department. And then the T-shirts came.
First, a little history. Mother and Father have always had a difference of opinion about T-shirts. Specifically his T-shirts. If you’re not aware, it is customary on a motorcycle trip to collect Harley Davidson shirts from the cities and towns you visit. Father has visited many, many cities on annual trips. And then there are radio station Ts and freebie Ts and concert Ts and souvenir Ts and… you get the idea.
There have been many discussions about the number of T-shirts father has that:
- Are “new with tags”, as they say on eBay.
- Are packed in boxes and never worn.
- Are old, torn, stained, too small but he refuses to get rid of.
Mother suspects there have been times when Father has been afraid to leave for work because he thinks she’ll give his precious T-shirts away!.
He has always wanted a quilt made from his radio shirts and finally, she has begun working on one. After receiving encouragement from master quilter Joan Kennedy and tips from cousin Dana, the project has begun. Truthfully, I could not care less about what she’s doing. All I know is, there are new, soft napping spots that smell like my favourite person.
There must be several thousand scraps of shirts on her office floor. It looks as if a T-shirt cannon blew up and sleeves, necklines, and hems burst out willy-nilly. It’s paradise! I can make no sense of what she’s trying to accomplish but I’m doing my best to assist in the process. Every morning after breakfast and back scritches, she finds me here, being my helpful, adorable self.
I also witnessed Father’s submission to a dreaded T-shirt sorting ritual. Mother held up each shirt, told him its size, and commented on its stains or unsuitability. Only about ten shirts were saved. Others went into a large bag destined for Goodwill or to a box of rags headed for the garage. Then there are dozens whose fronts have been sliced out to become part of this quilt thing. It’s been a slaughter, the likes of which I haven’t seen since the Great Scrap Lumber Giveaway of 2018!
This project is much more enjoyable than some of her recent ones involving less feline-friendly materials such as paint and sandpaper. I have my little kitty fingers crossed that more piles of softness like these will appear around the house. Besides spreading Father’s gentle but manly scent throughout our home, hills of soft cloth might also deter the noisy Bissell machine that wants to kill me.
Life offers surprises, my little fish snacks. Some are scary but many are good. Remember, you’re not a real member of the family until they’ve pulled your hair out of their food!
With love, always,
Miss Sugar
Love the idea of a t-shirt quilt. Wish I had saved all those concert shirts! Joan is a good one to ask for advice. When you get to the point of having it quilted let me know, I know a couple. C
I’ve often considered doing that, Sugar, (Said the old jock in his “Men At Work” work shirt wondering, “Who Can I beeeee now…”
Yaaaaasss! Your layout looks just like mine did – different sizes, mishmash of themes…perfect! In my mind’s eye, I was going to have perfect, uniform squares of quilt, but the shirts can be cheeky and uncooperative! The stitching should go quickly (barring cat-atstrophe) once your layout is sorted. Can’t wait to see the finished product! Next, I’ll show you the rag rug I’m working on…I should have saved all the t-shirt scraps….
Love this Lisa. That’s a quilt made with loads of love too. ❤️
This was Miss Sugar’s best journal entry, yet. The culling of a man’s beloved clothing collection is something I can relate to. (In our case it’s just plain t-shirts. The more holes the better because it’s”air conditioning”.)