From Closet to Quilt: Organizing and Selecting Shirts for Your T-Shirt Quilt
When was the last time you organized your closet or collections of old clothes? Organization is a dreaded task by many in and of itself, and the organization of closets is even more so. It’s so easy to tuck clothes away that you don’t wear and forget about them. It’s even easier to hold on to clothes you’re attached to and don’t want to discard or donate.
A collection can quickly become a problem when not properly organized and sorted through. Not only is there tons of space in your home taken over by unworn clothing and accessories, but the full potential of your clothing collection is not being realized for what it's worth either. Proper and steady organization can make your clothing’s worth apparent. These collections are treasure troves of memories, nostalgia and stories, which are worth so much more than the sum of the collections’ parts.
In today’s blog, let’s focus on organizing and decluttering your clothing and t-shirt collection. One of the best ways to declutter is to transform your t-shirts into t-shirt quilts with MemoryStitch, and we’ll look at how the MemoryStitch process can help solve your organization needs.
DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE THE COLLECTION
To begin, here are some quick, practical tips for organizing your clothing collection before ordering your t-shirt quilt:
- Organize t-shirts by theme –– Every t-shirt or garment will have its own unique stories and memories attached to it. To make planning your t-shirt quilt smooth, consider themes that you can categorize your t-shirts by. Perhaps one theme is “pop culture” where you put all your Star Wars or Marvel shirts. Maybe another theme is “high school” for all of your club t-shirts. Or maybe you have so many shirts you can make a whole quilt for one specific club! Think about how your shirts can be best grouped together according to stories they tell, memories they share, or insights they have into your personality. This will not only be helpful to create your t-shirt quilt, but this thematic grouping can make your clothes easier to find!
- Consider organization containers and supplies –– Where will you be storing your clothes now that they’re organized? Now that your drawers, wardrobe and closet are cleaned out, think about what you will keep your clothes in and where you will keep them. Organization supplies like storage totes and storage cubes can be wonderfully helpful to maintain the organization you now have. And make sure you store the t-shirts selected for your t-shirt quilt separately and securely!
- Decide which t-shirts you want and which you don’t –– Of course, not every t-shirt or piece of clothing in your closet will have the emotional weight of something that belongs on a t-shirt quilt. To make the most of your decluttering, don’t be afraid to have clothes you set aside to donate or give away. Unwanted clothes can serve others much better than they’re serving you in your closet!
Now that we’ve taken a look at the practical side of decluttering and organizing your closet, let’s move on to selecting which shirts are right for your t-shirt quilt.
SELECT THE MEMORIES
With your freshly decluttered closet and your organized collections of t-shirts, here is a step-by-step process to select the perfect shirts for your quilt and then prepare them for creating your t-shirt quilt with MemoryStitch:
- Select your t-shirts with meaning: As discussed above, for your t-shirt quilt select the t-shirts that mean the most to you. T-shirts from important events, impactful clubs or organizations, favorite movies or TV shows, memorable trips, inside jokes or anything else that strikes an emotional chord are what you’re looking for.
- Give your quilt a personal theme: What story do you want your quilt to tell? Your high school journey through all your clubs and activities? Your pop culture prowess? Your favorite trips you’ve gone on with your family? Maybe an annual event that is a must for you and your friends? Any personal theme that ties your shirts together into a story will make your t-shirt quilt shine. The best t-shirt quilts will showcase a specific part of your life that you’re excited to show off.
- Decide on a layout: Here you can think about the colors and designs on each shirt of your collection. Which designs look good next to each other? Which shirts make for nice accents when spread out? Find a large open piece of floor in your home and get creative in how your t-shirts can look together.
- MemoryStitch offers many different options for the number of shirts you can use on your quilt! Check them all out on the products page.
- Don’t forget to take a picture of your final design! You’ll email that to MemoryStitch when you complete your order.
- Prepare your t-shirts: To prepare your t-shirts for us, cut along the side seams to separate the front and back panels. Send to us the side you wish to be displayed on your quilt (or send both sides). If you want someone else to prepare the shirts for you, send in the shirts as they are and we will take care of that for you for a small fee!
- Ship your t-shirts: Send your t-shirts to us at MemoryStitch in a shipping container, and we’ll start working our magic!
- Enjoy your finished quilt: After a week or two, you will get your finished t-shirt quilt shipped to your home for you and your loved ones to enjoy for years to come!
Ultimately, the selection and design of your quilt is up to you and what will bring you the most comfort and joy from your t-shirts, and keep in mind the storytelling at the heart of a t-shirt keepsake. If you have any questions about the MemoryStitch process, specifically the preparation and shipment of shirts, head on over to our How It Works page!
CHERISH THE RESULTS
Take a look at the journey your t-shirts and clothes take from a disorganized closet to a finished quilt!
WRAP UP
As dreaded of an activity organizing and decluttering can be for some, the process gives tremendously rewarding results. With an organized wardrobe, you can not only enjoy the piece of mind that comes from a neatly stored collection of clothes but also take the opportunity to upcycle some of your clothing into a MemoryStitch t-shirt quilt.
For more tips and tricks on organizing, preparing and planning your t-shirt quilt, stay tuned here to the MemoryStitch blog. And until next time, have fun organizing and getting creative with all the ways you can reuse your cherished t-shirts while decluttering your space at the same time.
Written by Zander Gibney.
