Smart tip: T-shirt Quilts

When you take a look inside your dresser or closet, are you a keeper of old t-shirts? Do you still wear these classic, but maybe a bit worn memorabilia? If you're anything like me, a bit of a clothing hoarder, then you likely have more shirts than you know what to do with. But there is a solution!!

A few years ago, while working down in South Carolina, I spotted what I thought was the coolest looking blanket. It belonged to my friend and fellow staff member Callie and, drum roll please, it was a t-shirt quilt!! And she made it herself! I ogled the cool cut-outs of all the summer camps she'd worked at and various adventures that will be remembered with this quilt backed with cozy fleece. I was in t-shirt quilt heaven. So, I asked Callie to put her mad skillz to work. I had more than my share of shirts that I just couldn't get rid of even though they were on their way out, so this was a great way to reuse them in a cool way. It is my favourite blanket and gets compliments whenever people see it (photos above and below).

What do you need to make a t-shirt quilt?

• 20-25 t-shirts (more depending on how big you want your quilt to be)
• Patterned fabric to fill in the spaces (try going to Value Village or Goodwill to save buying new)
• Fabric for the edge and back of the quilt (fleece was a nice choice, but you may like something different)
• A sewer who knows how to quilt (and work with various t-shirt square sizes!) 

I asked Callie to make my quilt because she's so good at it (it cost me about $150 US + shipping as she lived in South Carolina at the time). Callie has since set up a blog for her quilting biz, so I thought I would share that: http://quiltsbycallie.blogspot.com/. If you are looking to keep this project as sustainable as possible, I'm sure there are local quilters you can source out, too. Yay, t-shirt quilts!

Smart tip: The Wonder Jar

Think about those jars that your parents or grandparents used to use to can food back in the day. We're starting to see them more and more these days, and that's a good thing! These awesomely durable glass jars are so handy that you'll wonder why you don't have more of them on hand.

Here are reasons to get into Mason jars:

Delicious Food:
How great is it that you can buy delicious soup or tomato sauce ready to eat in a sturdy Mason jar? Obviously I'm sold on the idea, but one reason is because I like the idea of getting to keep the jar after your done with the food (see ideas for using the jar below). There is another reason to choose jars over cans, too. Read on...

Health Matters:
You've no doubt heard about BPA (Bisphenol A) found in the liners of canned foods. BPA is a known estrogen-mimicking endocrine disruptor. Low-level exposures to BPA have been found to cause birth defects, breast and prostate cancer and more. While some like many manufacturers are said to believe BPA levels are typically so low that they won't cause a health risk, many companies like Nalgene have pulled the plastic from their bottles. Makes you wonder if we really know what the long term health impacts are of some of the chemicals we interact with.

Upcycling Jars:
Instead of just rinsing out your Mason jar and recycling it, there are loads of different ways to reuse them. Here are just a few:

• Place a tea light inside and you have a beautiful outdoor light. With a little wire around the top of the open jar, you can hang these in a tree - it looks super amazing.
• Save jars for really unique and simple looking flower vases. 
• Keep your loose and dry goods air tight inside these food preservers.
• Serve up drinks and treats in a novel fashion - with the Mason jar.

Photo credit: San Diego Wedding Insider