Preparing for College With T-Shirt Quilts

“Back-to-school” is back in session!  For the graduating high school classes of 2024 that turned their tassels and tossed their hats back in the spring, it’s a massive first step into the world of college life. The transition from home to college student living can be difficult, but having the memories of home with you the entire way can make everything a lot easier and comfier.

If you’re a student heading into your first year of college life, think about what sorts of items carry your memories of high school and home life. And if you’re the parent of a student leaving the nest, what can you send them off with to give their journey a reminder of home?

In today’s blog, let’s look at how a t-shirt quilt stitched together with the memories of high school could be the perfect addition to your student’s college prep.

BRING THE MEMORIES OF HOME

T-shirts carry the special memories of home. They are not only a piece of your student’s identity from the various graphics they display, but they are literally the clothes that they wore while being at home. Preserving the t-shirts or other clothing items your student wore is preserving a piece of their history. Every time they look at their t-shirt quilt, they’ll be reminded of all of their proudest accomplishments, most fun activities and fondest memories of the life they had at home.

 

Going into the first year of college is especially a great time to create a keepsake like a t-shirt quilt! It’s the perfect mark of the end of an era. No matter what, a person’s life is different after graduating high school. You truly start the transition from youth to adulthood as you spend more time figuring out your view of the world and where you fit in it. However, it’s important to never forget where you came from. For the first year of college, a t-shirt quilt reminds a student of all of this as the next bright chapter of their life begins. The emotional support from such a keepsake is tremendous.

ENJOY THE COMFORT

Now, take a look at some students and parents who had precious t-shirt quilts made for their or their student’s first year of college!

 

START THE PROJECT

The hardest step in making a transition is getting started. To get the ball rolling on creating your t-shirt quilt college keepsake, here are a few tips on selecting the perfect t-shirts:

• Go with their favorites: Whether they’re t-shirts your student has had since elementary school or ones they continue to wear all the time, the most impactful t-shirt quilt will be the one filled with your favorites. So, think about what shirts make your student the happiest, whether that’s for the design or the memories they have with the shirt!

• Activity and club collages: Often nothing says more about a student’s high school experience than the many, many t-shirts they have from different clubs and activities. Make a college-bound t-shirt quilt into a celebratory collage of involvement! This could also make for great conversation starters.

• Celebrate the wins: From sport championships to starring roles in musicals, think back to the highest highs of your student’s life so far. Select celebratory shirts from these moments–either literally or representative–and place them front and center. A t-shirt quilt is no time to be humble!

Selecting shirts, of course, is just the first step on the road to creating your personalized t-shirt quilt. So, here is a quick guide to the entire process of making a t-shirt quilt with MemoryStitch:

• Select the t-shirts: Follow the tips we have above and in other blogs to select the perfect t-shirts for your quilt. Make sure you also take a look at how many shirts you’ll need depending on the size and type of quilt. All of your options can be found at our shop products page. 

• Design the layout: You get first choice on how you want your quilt to look! Layout your shirts in exactly the design you like, and then send a picture of that look with your order. Also, if you want our team of t-shirt quilt experts to take care of the design for you, we absolutely can!

• Prepare your shirts: Your shirts are precious to you. Take the time and follow our guides to cut the seams of your shirts before you ship them. Of course, we can also take care of this for you for a small fee.

• Ship your shirts: Send us a box with your wonderful t-shirts and we’ll take special care of them as we work our magic and transform them into your keepsake!

• Receive your quilt: Expect your finished memorial t-shirt to be shipped back in the mail within 10 days of us receiving your shirts. Now, your memories are back with you to cherish forever!

For more in-depth information on how our process works, check out our how it works page.

WRAP UP

For parents, saying goodbye to your student as they leave the nest can really be the hardest thing about the transition from home to college. Rest assured that with a bundle of sentimental memories like a t-shirt quilt from MemoryStitch, they’ll feel like they're at home and with you every step of the way. Give the gift of comfort to your student as they move forward to new adventures as you give yourself some peace of mind. 

Stay tuned here to our blog as we dive more into back-to-school and college prep with t-shirt keepsakes from MemoryStitch!

Written by Zander Gibney.