Cathy thanks for showing my quilt! I would highly recommend people try a dress shirt quilt. It is a different experience than I was use to and I loved the entire process. I have changed how I find fabric as a result...treasure hunting at thrift stores adds an element to the process that is so fun! Thanks for all your videos and encouragement!
Caitlin!! ❤️ Isn't your quilt so lovely!! 🥰 It was wonderful seeing how you took your shirts and made them into a quilt that is beautiful in its own right---even more so when you realize where the fabric came from! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 Love. IT.
Your quilt is so beautiful, Caitlin! I do some hand quilting myself, too, and I love the slow process. I think it adds a bit more of the handmade look and the love that went into making the quilt. 💙😊
I loved the comment you made on giving these shirts a second life. We live in a throw away world where so much is wasted. Shirts end up at the thrift store for so many reasons but reusing to make quilts is a great way of using fabric that is already in the world and it honors the person who originally mad it. Keep using thrifted fabric.
Look at that stack of quilts! 😍👏🏻 Love it! As always thanks for the info Cathy!! ❤️ Looking forward to processing all my shirts and figuring out what I want to make….that is always the hardest decision for me….committing to a pattern and just doing it!!
It is so fun when the shirts are all broken down and I’m ready to really start a project! 🤓🤩 Getting the shirts apart for sewing takes time and effort but it is worth it! ❤️
Another informative video, loved the tip about cutting out a paper template and trying it on the fabric before cutting - that's a game changer - thank you!!
if you buy charm packs, they often have a 5x5 cardboard as part of the packaging. Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Designs uses them in some of her patterns - so I keep the cardboard from Layer cakes just in case.
I really liked how you went calmly through all the stages, and I hadn't thought about it before, but once the shirts have been cut up, folded and put into colour layers, they have become 'fabric'. First stage of their transformation into a lovely quilt. Great video. Thank you!
I am loving your process along with the beautiful completion of each quilt. One day I hope to break down my husbands dress shirts to make a beautiful/treasured quilt. I have worked with my husband and children’s clothing for 27 years! I always begin with a usable quilt in mind. Never have I made a complicated pattern for these. Often they become picnic style blankets (due to mass amounts of denim!) using an outdoor fabric on the back, polyester batting and hand tied. If I am breaking down my son’s clothing (chinos & casual dress shirts) it often gets broken onto 5 1/2” squares due to quantity! If fabric is not 100% natural fiber it becomes a backing for a giant hot pad with an orphan block on the front or a half apron. As much as I love buying quilting cotton & making beautiful quilts I really enjoy remember the memories my family have connected to the clothing we wore. It also kept me from buying clothing made from plastic/petroleum components over the years!
I'm so very pleased that you've done this Video - I've been collecting men's Dress Shirts for a few months now but didn't really know where to start after I had "culled the Fabric from all the Seams..........Warmest Regards, Zoey from Tasmania, Australia 🙂🙃
Huzzah! So glad this was a helpful video for you!! ❤️ Sometimes it’s hard to see next steps especially when the shirts are piling up! 😂 I’m eager to hear what quilt pattern you choose and how it goes! 😊🤓🤩
Hi Kylie, it's nice to meet you! I'm from the Burnie Area; so not too far away - what a small world! We must check in with each other sometimes & compare notes on our Quilt progress, lol. I love checking out all the local "Op Shops" in town, I think there is about 5 in Burnie & then there is another 4 or 5 over in Wynyard as well (12 kms West of Burnie). I'm "on the hunt" for more Shirts next Tuesday, so I will keep you posted on my progress. Warmest Regards, Zoey 🙂
Oh Cathy - this video is EXACTLY THE ENCOURAGEMENT I NEEDED - I will probably watch it over and over. As you know… because I have commented before… I have had a difficult time not seeing a shirt for exactly what it is - a wearable object (but because you have made this video I have to assume that I am not alone in this struggle). I have continued to purchase thrift store shirts & that pile of shirts you show at the beginning of your video is exactly what my sewing room is beginning to look like (except that mine are on hangers as if someone was going to come & get & and wear it - duh). To my credit, I will say that I have now broken down 2 shirts, so I’ve gotten over that stigma, & I have a question about the type of shirt you get from the thrift store that clearly has just come from the dry cleaners, is heavily starched, but then was never worn again. After breaking it down, do you iron that material or in any way take the starch out of it before you fold it & put it in your stash (I have found quite a few very large shirts in this condition)? I have never read (or seen) a quilt pattern, so I am a bit anxious about that & will probably make your very first one (I think it was 5” blocks) - it seems simple & simple math I can do! Maybe you could make a video to help us know how to read a quilt pattern. Anyway, I just want to say thank you so very much for taking precious time to encourage us. You are just a delight & your videos are always a joy!
Oh Stacey!! This just warms my heart! Truly. 🥰❤️ I'm so very proud of you for breaking down 2 shirts already---progress! As for your question, I wash all the shirts I get from the thrift store before I do anything else, so the starch from the dry cleaners usually washes out and I'm left with a nice, clean, soft (or sleek) cotton shirt to work with! 😍 I love this idea of showing how to read a quilt pattern---maybe I can work on that video for the future! Thank you for the suggestion! 🤓 And thank YOU for the encouragement---I never really know what will resonate with my viewers so it is wonderful when you offer such gracious feedback! ❤️
Oy. Because of your inspiration, i am now a proud posessor of 50+ men’s shirts🎉. It’s so much more fun to thrift (gotta love those BIG men with good taste)than fabric shop which I find a bit overwhelming. I love sorting the shirts/fabric. I’ve just put notes on some of my shirts to spray starch b4 cutting.
Yoshie! RIGHT?!? 😊🤩 It is so fun (and addictive!) I do also love breaking down and sorting--and folding--the shirt fabric. Even just that part is rewarding for me! ❤️
I'm currently in the middle of sewing my blocks together to finish a quilt I designed. I pulled inspiration from an afghan pattern my mom had found ages ago but never completed. The original crochet pattern wouldn't have fit her bed, so she had modified it. We no longer have any of the patterns, so we can't finish it. I thought it would be interesting to turn the design into a quilt, so I pulled out my graph paper and plotted out a design based on the partially finished afghan. Then I had to decide on what size each individual color block was going to be and calculate how many blocks of each color I would need. Eventually I figured out how much fabric I would need. It sounds like figuring out how to cut dress shirts into quilt pieces and how many pieces of each fabric to cut requires similar thought processes.
I love the template idea, especially when it is hard to visualize getting the pieces you need from random-shaped pieces of a broken-down dress shirt. I enjoy all your videos and love your vision of creating community.
Thank you, Beth! When I started quilting with shirts, it really did take me some time to be able to visualize the pieces and know where to make that first cut! ❤️
I do that as well if I have only a small amount of fabric left and maybe an odd shape to cut (last time it was 5" diamonds). It totally helps to know if you can use the fabric for what you intended :) I like to take old calendars for the template. The paper is a bit thicker and often its bigger than A4.
I've taken to folding the csections and then rolling them in the back section after folding it into a strip. Keeps the bundle together on my book case without 7 small pieces to keep track of.
I think you're not alone in this method, Georgia! I tried something similar but then I kept forgetting how much fabric I had left after I used a shirt front or a sleeve or whatever and ultimately just went with all the pieces separate in my bin. But I DO think it's a great idea! ❤️
The looking for great shirts is one of the greatest part of the process, in my opinion! Even if I come home empty-handed, I know another day I'll find a treasure! ❤️ I love that you have some blocks made now...I wish I could see them! 🤓🥰
This is a good idea. I liked your video on storing your fabric. I have 49 already pre cut but I have 15 more I am going to use this idea. Thanks for this video
A few years ago l started taking photos of my quilt and sewing projects to put in an album...its surprising how we forget what we've created as often they are gifted! As l was scrolling through my projects in my gallery as yet to be developped, l realized that shirt fabric made an appearance in at least 5 of the projects !! Some were cameos but some were more prominent,as the "other" side of a reversible apron.Who knew?...lol
Cathy thank you so much for all the info. I love watching your videos. I’m a beginner quilter and have this question- do the shirts need to be 100% cotton? The prettier shirts have some polyester.
You're welcome, Lucila!❤️ I was hoping that beginner quilters would be helped and motivated by this video! 100% cotton is preferable (and easier to use in many ways) but if you're willing to make some accommodations (starch, extra pins, etc) you can use cotton-poly shirts successfully. Just bear in my that as the quilt ages, the cotton will shrink and stretch and fade, but the cotton-poly will NOT. 😉
great tips! I've started cutting my first shirt quilt. Question: when supplementing with quilting cotton, do you wash/pre-shrink the yardage? I'm guessing the shirt fabric is finished shrinking by the time I get it and my pieces cut from yardage might shrink when washed.
Thank you, Katherine! No, I don't prewash my quilting cottons or yardage...honestly I just them do their "thing" and so far I haven't had any problems at all! 👍🏻
Thank you Cathy for another charming adventure in your quilting journey that you invite us to travel with you on. I want to know how you stay so clutter free in your sewing area. Impressive indeed! Half the battle of making decisions on any part of the creative process is keeping it simple around your work zone. I agree that it is daunting to make that FIRST cut into any fabric especially when there is a memory attached or you just love the pattern and want too save it. That is exactly how stashes grow lol. They feed off one another as if you were cultivating a good garden soil mix. Let the flowers grow randomly. I can’t wait to see what develops with your next shirt video. Quilting should tell me a story about my life experience in loving others. Again, thank you for offering the comforting guidelines to move my imagination along in a gentle meandering of thought. I apologize for the length. Quick question. Can we mix and match fabric content without getting a wonky result when doing our initial thrifting? I thought you suggested in an earlier video to stick with all cotton and no blends. Decisions, decisions decisions…🪡🧵💖
Thank you so much!!❤️ As for my work area being clean, the out of-sight part isn’t nearly that orderly! 😂 And my dining room table is generally half covered with fabric I’m in the process of cutting! 😳 so yes, it’s neat, but also no, not really! LOL. Yes, you can Mia and match and (so far) I’ve had no problems with that, although I do try to stay in the 100% cotton, linen or linen/cotton blend range of fabrics! 🤓👍🏻
I was surprised at how much cloth is in a shirt. After I watched your video, I made a quite large baby quilt top for my partner's new granddaughter out of four of his old flannel shirts. I made it bigger than planned. I mostly only used the shirt backs and sleeves! I didn't need to use the fronts since there was just so much cloth there. NB: the shirts were old and well-loved, well-worn. The flannel was thinner than I had expected; it was tricky keeping things square :-)
Great video, as usual! I never would have thought you could make so many different videos just on men's shirts! I'm learning a lot of things that I never thought of before. Thanks, Cathy! PS, I think I'm falling in love with purple shirts. 🤣❤
Hi Cathy! I am down the rabbit hole 😂😊… but had a quick fabric question. I had watched a few of your videos and it seemed that they were mostly 100% cotton. But that wonderful purple is a blend. Are the blends ok to sew with or is it best to stick with cotton if it can be helped? Thanks!! Love your videos!!
This is a great video!! I have begun collecting the shirts and am now beginning to think about my first men’s dress shirt quilt. You’ve help give me the little motivational push that I need. BTW I think we can all start a new initialism (yes that’s a word, I had to look it up!), MDSQ! 🤣
Thank you! 🥰 I do think it can be tough to make the jump from having shirts to sewing with them-so glad this video has given you a little motivation to just get going on it! 👍🏻 Oh and I ❤️the abbreviation MDSQ: Mens dress shirts quilt!!! Fantastic idea!! 🤓😍🤩❤️
Hello Cathy, thanks so much for your videos. You are si easy to listen to, such a quiet and friendly voice. Wished you lived closer so we could meet in person, that's just a wish. I have been collecting lots of shirts and can't seam to be able to bring myself to cut into them. Some were my dad's some my uncles and others cousins all who are no longer here with us. I want to make a quilt for my mom but fear she won't like it. I sometimes think that I tend to talk myself out of things I'm sure I can do. Ugh! Wish this was an easy decision to make. I guess trying to also figure out a pattern. Not too scrappy not too difficult. I love the look of multi color vibrant smaller pieces. Mom I think more muted. Help! Sorry I turned this into what it is but after spending 3 weeks in the hospital at her bedside for as much as 18 hours a day I'm still mentally and physically spent. Decisions not at my best yet and pretty scatter brained. As my post here indicates. That is actually how I started watching your videos while with mom when in icu. So, thank you so much for all the information and ideas. God bless you.
Sitting bedside with loved ones in the hospital for days on end is it's own burden, emotionally, mentally and physically. It's exhausting, frankly. So I have nothing but love and support for you and I don't mind your comment one bit! 🥰 I would say if you are going to make something for your mom, make it in colors that she loves---that will make it more meaningful and a true gift. 😊❤️ THEN make yourself a quilt out of the vibrant colored-shirts as a comfort just for you. I think a lot of us talk ourselves out of trying things that we'd be perfectly great at! Maybe start with something small? Like a wall-hanging, quilted throw pillow or small lap quilt. That way if it doesn't go as planned, you won't feel quite the sense of loss over the shirts. And if it's great (which it will be!) then you can say to yourself, "I KNEW I could do this!!" I really love the book, Sunday Morning Quilts and it has wonderful easy patterns that are very adaptable to different colors, fabrics and styles. It's where I started and so I believe it is a great place to start for quilting with shirts! 🤓❤️
You're absolutely right! I recently made memory pillows for a family. My stomach was in knots. What if I ruin these sentimental personal items. In the end they loved the results, but getting there was an emotional journey. Thank you for your insight and inspiration.
I just discovered you today and I am so thrilled! Your videos are wonderful. My question is: when you are shopping for shirts, do you not buy polyester blends and only use all cotton or will either type work?
Oh I'm so glad you found me, Jacque!! ❤️ Thank you for being here and for commenting! I get that question a lot, so I made a whole video on it--you can watch it here: ua-cam.com/video/mbJHup41gnY/v-deo.html The short version is, no I don't really use cotton-poly anymore (although they will work) and try to stay with 100% cotton shirts if I can!
So many helpful tips and encouragement. I've occasionally bought Polycotton instead of 100% cotton by mistake. Do you find any problems incorporating them into your quilts?
I have used cotton-poly shirts in quilts (if you saw the "Quilt Stories" from last week and saw the vibrant quilt, you already know this! lol) but I don't enjoy sewing with them because they won't hold a crease and they crawl under the sewing needle. Both of these things can be accommodated (e.g. spray starch for pressing, and lots of pins for the crawling) but I find it makes more work. Cotton-poly shirts also won't shrink or stretch or fade, which means that as the quilt ages, the cottons will shrink and fade and stretch but the cotton-poly shirts around them will not. Not necessarily a reason NOT to use them, but something to consider! 🤓👍🏻
Kathy I love your channel you make me smile and laugh and feel like I can actually finish a quilt. Question I’ve thought you had to buy all cotton dress shirts, do you buy cotton polyester shirts also?
Do you use shirts for fun if it, money saver, ? Seems like a lot if work. Making pj quilt for a friend who took care if a little neighbor who only wore blue pjs. She wants a memory quilt. No idea if I can do a pattern or just scrappy.
All of those reasons and more---it is more work than buying fabric on the bolt, but each of my quilts is unique (from each other and from other quilters) because of using shirts!
awesome video! Thank you! I definitely struggle most with finding the right pattern, I get an idea in my noggin but it doesn't always translate to reality lol I am going to attempt a color wash quilt but was hoping to go from blues to greens, however, finding enough greens has been a pain so far, I might end up finding another color than green, blue is never the problem so it might just be blues and whites and in between, we shall see :)
@@TheCatBirdQuilts I know:) love blue but in my head it was blue and green (my favorite colors) but men in MI don't seem to wear much green or they don't donate the shirts OR they wear poly-cotton - which is a no-no lol I have 4 other projects before I get to start this quilt (and I want it to be King size because, why not? lol) so I'll just keep collecting shirts I like and see what I end up with :) 😁
@@freddiehansen7324 I haven’t had great luck finding good green shirts down here either! 🤷🏻♀️ I’ll get a lovely dark green solid or maybe a decent green gingham but that’s about it. Idk. That’s why I always say “greens are hard.” Maybe only if you’re looking at shirts! Lol!
I love the part about when you fold the shirt pieces they become fabric and no longer shirt pieces! I do have a question for you...what is the largest number of men’s dress shirts you have come home with from a one-time thrift store shopping day? 👔🤔😅
Rhonda, thank you so much! When I started using shirts for fabric, those odd-shaped pieces were just hard to get my brain around, but once they were folded it's like a light bulb went off, "Well I know what to do with THIS!" ❤️ As for your question, I don't actually know!! I never count! (which is probably because I don't want to have to face how many I actually bought!! 😂😂)
How important is it to have cotton only shirts? I would like to save my husbands shirts as he discards them. The prettiest of those are poly/cotton. Thank you for sharing all you information.
In earlier videos she talked about why 100 percent cotton is best. It holds pressing much better than poly and poly blends and is therefore easier to work with uniformly. You can still quilt with blends, but watch your iron temperature and accept that blends will not press as sharply as cotton.
Georgia, I love that you had this answer all ready! ❤️ Also bear in mind, Nicki, that cotton/poly shirts don't shrink or fade, but 100% cotton will. So if you want it to be around a long time, it's best to use 100% cotton so that it ages similarly between the piecing. (BUT I also just made a pretty cool quilt that had a ton of cotton/poly in it...you just have to use your judgement!) Thanks to both of you for your comments!
Could you possibly do a tutorial showing how to make a shirt quilt. I have made a couple of shirt quilts but the tutorial I followed has been removed from UA-cam.
I have a tutorial series called, "Your First Quilt" which uses exclusively men's shirts, that might fit the bill. I'm wondering if you mean something specific when you say "shirt quilt"? I use mostly shirts in making quilts but I think you might be talking about memory shirt quilts, which is something I haven't done (yet.)
I recently completed a dress shirt quilt. I started tearing the shirt to know where the straight of grain was. Yes, you have to be very judicious about the location of the tear. Another thing:. I used white sashing. That took about three white dress shirts. It looks great. So, if a person uses a white background, shirts may work.
Congrats on your quilt! I wish I could see it! And yes, tearing to get the grain can eat up a lot of usable fabric! 😳😱 Also I have found that tearing will sometimes warp the edge of the fabric so much that it has to be cut off-not sure if that was your experience but I was super bummed! I too, did white sashing using white dress shirts for a recent quilt (the Elena quilt; video just aired last Friday) and I believe I used about 3 dress shirts as you did. It does look great but it can be a lot of work to get those long skinny strips!🤓 Glad to know someone else experiments the way I do! 🥰❤️👍🏻
It's the unicorn, isn't it? Finding just the right pattern for just the right fabrics for a quilt for just the right person is like a treasure hunt and also so elusive!
I won't be a pest because I've said my piece, but this is a great title for a book. You know if you need a cheerleader, I'm right here and I'm sure a lot of people would join me. It's just that I think you're standing in front of a golden door of opportunity and it's not locked. Corey Yoder has a fantastic pattern called Jelly Sticks for jelly rolls. (2x3). Super fast and easy, I made it and it went together quickly and was fun. Would be great for a shirt.
Jyl, if you know any book publishers just send them my way! 😘😂🤓🥰 PS it WOULD really be a great title for a book! ❤️ And PSS you’re probably right but I wouldn’t even know where to START!
I'm gonna be totally honest here, I mostly ignore the grain and do my cutting willy-nilly unless it's a plaid or stripe and then I cut on the pattern! 😂 I have actually tried a few techniques (tearing the fabric on the grain, and intentionally raveling the edge to find the grain, etc.) but in the end, I just roll with it! 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️ Maybe I'll make more of a concerted effort and when I figure out a way that works for me, I'll share it! ❤️
Betty if you want to be absolutely certain you’ve got a straight grain ,tearing is about the most certain way to establish the grainline. Like Catbird, I don’t always prioritize cutting on the grain; like for fussy cutting. In garment sewing grainline really matters - for give in a garment (crosswise grain or even the bias) and avoiding the uneven stretch of an off grain skirt or pant. In quilting there is the bonus stabilizing of your piecing which comes from the backing and of course the quilting! So for piecing, that grainline is not quite as important
I'm a big advocate of making pattern pieces for the different elements required to make quilt blocks and placing those on fabrics to determine how to get the most out of the yardage I have available (e.g.: If I need one 8" square, two 2"x4" rectangles, four circles with a 3" diameter, etc. for each block, I will draw all of those shapes on scrap paper, cut those shapes out and lay them all out on my fabric to figure out how best to utilize the fabric). What kind of cracks me up about this practice is realizing that specifically oddly-shaped pattern pieces were used in the same way to get the most out of yardage in order to make any shirt in the first place. Is it just me, or does anyone else find that amusingly meta?
It IS pretty funny/crazy/meta! Kind of in the same way that we cut apart fabric to sew to other fabric to make a new type of fabric (ie a quilt top!) 😂🤓🤔 Thanks for the comment!
Almost always before! I have gotten ahead of myself and just started cutting, but I usually regret it because (bless my bones) I have a sensitive olfactory system AND allergies! And let me tell you between the sneezing, watery eyes and being blown away by fabric softeners, I'm swearing about not washing first! 😂😂🤓
I really like using old shirts, I really like most of your presentation style. I don't like how you laugh about bright colours. Please accept everyone has different tastes. I personally LOVE bright colours, the brighter, the better. I feel you're laughing at me every time you laugh about a bright colour.
I'm sure she's not laughing at you. Sorry you feel that way but she's not a bright color person and the purple shirt is funny. She can laugh at herself and you can too.
Where was the video? I am struggling with completing the backing of memory shirt quilt. I am trying to use largest pieces of shirts possible to avoid seams as it is backing. I wish I was a better visual person. I have yet to use a pattern. Thanks for the video, you continue to inspire. Can't wait to send you pictures.
The video of what, Apache-Yaqui? Yes, backing quilts with shirts can be very challenging-I don’t do it as often as you might think for that exact reason! 😳🤓 Looking forward to seeing your next quilt completed!! ❤️
@@TheCatBirdQuilts The video you just posted. All your videos have help me see things clearer, that was just me thinking out loud. Thanks I appreciate ypu sharing your talents.
I love the concept of using shirts! It does save money and gives you more options! I just love the way you communicate to us our here in UA-cam land. WAY2GO on saying “fr” I had trouble saying “Crackle Barrel” ( our fav place to eat while traveling. One trip my sweet husband said “ if you can say CB3 times fast, we will stop for lunch.” I practiced for 15 mins (bc I was 😋)
Cathy thanks for showing my quilt! I would highly recommend people try a dress shirt quilt. It is a different experience than I was use to and I loved the entire process. I have changed how I find fabric as a result...treasure hunting at thrift stores adds an element to the process that is so fun! Thanks for all your videos and encouragement!
Caitlin!! ❤️ Isn't your quilt so lovely!! 🥰 It was wonderful seeing how you took your shirts and made them into a quilt that is beautiful in its own right---even more so when you realize where the fabric came from! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 Love. IT.
Your quilt is so beautiful, Caitlin! I do some hand quilting myself, too, and I love the slow process. I think it adds a bit more of the handmade look and the love that went into making the quilt. 💙😊
@@rhondadownes207 Thanks Rhonda. I'm new to hand quilting, but I love the extra pop it gives to a quilt. And I agree - I love the slow process too!
I loved the comment you made on giving these shirts a second life. We live in a throw away world where so much is wasted. Shirts end up at the thrift store for so many reasons but reusing to make quilts is a great way of using fabric that is already in the world and it honors the person who originally mad it. Keep using thrifted fabric.
Thank you, Nicole! 🥰❤️ And of course, I agree 100%-it’s just such a great use of something that might otherwise end up in a landfill!!
I thought the same thing.
I made a great haul yesterday at a little thrift store by me. Bought 7 shirts for about .18 cents apiece. Can't wait to start deconstructing them.
DiAnn...that is FANTASTIC!!! How on earth did you end up with 18-cents for shirts!?! That is crazy awesome 🤩❤️😳😎
Thank you,Cathy! You are always so informative and encouraging! I think you are entertaining, too! I always enjoy your tutorials!
Thank you, Sherry! 🥰
I am loving watching making quilts from recycled shirts. Thank you
Look at that stack of quilts! 😍👏🏻 Love it! As always thanks for the info Cathy!! ❤️ Looking forward to processing all my shirts and figuring out what I want to make….that is always the hardest decision for me….committing to a pattern and just doing it!!
It is so fun when the shirts are all broken down and I’m ready to really start a project! 🤓🤩 Getting the shirts apart for sewing takes time and effort but it is worth it! ❤️
Another informative video, loved the tip about cutting out a paper template and trying it on the fabric before cutting - that's a game changer - thank you!!
if you buy charm packs, they often have a 5x5 cardboard as part of the packaging.
Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Designs uses them in some of her patterns - so I keep the cardboard from Layer cakes just in case.
YES! I love this idea! ❤️
I really liked how you went calmly through all the stages, and I hadn't thought about it before, but once the shirts have been cut up, folded and put into colour layers, they have become 'fabric'. First stage of their transformation into a lovely quilt. Great video. Thank you!
Thank you, Linda! ❤️ I think it is a little challenging to visualize how to go from shirts to quilting with them-so glad it resonated with you! 🥰
I am loving your process along with the beautiful completion of each quilt. One day I hope to break down my husbands dress shirts to make a beautiful/treasured quilt. I have worked with my husband and children’s clothing for 27 years! I always begin with a usable quilt in mind. Never have I made a complicated pattern for these. Often they become picnic style blankets (due to mass amounts of denim!) using an outdoor fabric on the back, polyester batting and hand tied. If I am breaking down my son’s clothing (chinos & casual dress shirts) it often gets broken onto 5 1/2” squares due to quantity!
If fabric is not 100% natural fiber it becomes a backing for a giant hot pad with an orphan block on the front or a half apron. As much as I love buying quilting cotton & making beautiful quilts I really enjoy remember the memories my family have connected to the clothing we wore. It also kept me from buying clothing made from plastic/petroleum components over the years!
Ginger, YES YES and YES! I love everything about this comment and agree 100%!!❤️🥰😍
I'm so very pleased that you've done this Video - I've been collecting men's Dress Shirts for a few months now but didn't really know where to start after I had "culled the Fabric from all the Seams..........Warmest Regards, Zoey from Tasmania, Australia 🙂🙃
Hi Zoey. I'm also from Tassie! In Launceston. It sure is fun sourcing the shirts!
Huzzah! So glad this was a helpful video for you!! ❤️ Sometimes it’s hard to see next steps especially when the shirts are piling up! 😂 I’m eager to hear what quilt pattern you choose and how it goes! 😊🤓🤩
Hi Kylie, it's nice to meet you! I'm from the Burnie Area; so not too far away - what a small world! We must check in with each other sometimes & compare notes on our Quilt progress, lol. I love checking out all the local "Op Shops" in town, I think there is about 5 in Burnie & then there is another 4 or 5 over in Wynyard as well (12 kms West of Burnie). I'm "on the hunt" for more Shirts next Tuesday, so I will keep you posted on my progress. Warmest Regards, Zoey 🙂
Hi Cathy. Another wonderfully informative video. ❤️
Hey Kylie! YOU could have made this video-the way you burn through shirt breakdown and make quilts with them so fast!!❤️🤩 Amazing! 🤓🥰
Oh Cathy - this video is EXACTLY THE ENCOURAGEMENT I NEEDED - I will probably watch it over and over. As you know… because I have commented before… I have had a difficult time not seeing a shirt for exactly what it is - a wearable object (but because you have made this video I have to assume that I am not alone in this struggle).
I have continued to purchase thrift store shirts & that pile of shirts you show at the beginning of your video is exactly what my sewing room is beginning to look like (except that mine are on hangers as if someone was going to come & get & and wear it - duh). To my credit, I will say that I have now broken down 2 shirts, so I’ve gotten over that stigma, & I have a question about the type of shirt you get from the thrift store that clearly has just come from the dry cleaners, is heavily starched, but then was never worn again. After breaking it down, do you iron that material or in any way take the starch out of it before you fold it & put it in your stash (I have found quite a few very large shirts in this condition)?
I have never read (or seen) a quilt pattern, so I am a bit anxious about that & will probably make your very first one (I think it was 5” blocks) - it seems simple & simple math I can do! Maybe you could make a video to help us know how to read a quilt pattern. Anyway, I just want to say thank you so very much for taking precious time to encourage us. You are just a delight & your videos are always a joy!
Oh Stacey!! This just warms my heart! Truly. 🥰❤️ I'm so very proud of you for breaking down 2 shirts already---progress! As for your question, I wash all the shirts I get from the thrift store before I do anything else, so the starch from the dry cleaners usually washes out and I'm left with a nice, clean, soft (or sleek) cotton shirt to work with! 😍 I love this idea of showing how to read a quilt pattern---maybe I can work on that video for the future! Thank you for the suggestion! 🤓 And thank YOU for the encouragement---I never really know what will resonate with my viewers so it is wonderful when you offer such gracious feedback! ❤️
Oy. Because of your inspiration, i am now a proud posessor of 50+ men’s shirts🎉. It’s so much more fun to thrift (gotta love those BIG men with good taste)than fabric shop which I find a bit overwhelming. I love sorting the shirts/fabric. I’ve just put notes on some of my shirts to spray starch b4 cutting.
Yoshie! RIGHT?!? 😊🤩 It is so fun (and addictive!) I do also love breaking down and sorting--and folding--the shirt fabric. Even just that part is rewarding for me! ❤️
And I use the cut off hems and seams as rustic looking ties for packages.
@@yoshiew05 me too!! 🥰
I'm currently in the middle of sewing my blocks together to finish a quilt I designed. I pulled inspiration from an afghan pattern my mom had found ages ago but never completed. The original crochet pattern wouldn't have fit her bed, so she had modified it. We no longer have any of the patterns, so we can't finish it. I thought it would be interesting to turn the design into a quilt, so I pulled out my graph paper and plotted out a design based on the partially finished afghan. Then I had to decide on what size each individual color block was going to be and calculate how many blocks of each color I would need. Eventually I figured out how much fabric I would need.
It sounds like figuring out how to cut dress shirts into quilt pieces and how many pieces of each fabric to cut requires similar thought processes.
I love the template idea, especially when it is hard to visualize getting the pieces you need from random-shaped pieces of a broken-down dress shirt. I enjoy all your videos and love your vision of creating community.
Thank you, Beth! When I started quilting with shirts, it really did take me some time to be able to visualize the pieces and know where to make that first cut! ❤️
I do that as well if I have only a small amount of fabric left and maybe an odd shape to cut (last time it was 5" diamonds). It totally helps to know if you can use the fabric for what you intended :)
I like to take old calendars for the template. The paper is a bit thicker and often its bigger than A4.
@@julias.8236 what a great idea! I’ve also heard that promotional mailers work well too (junk mail made usable!) Thanks for sharing! 🤓👍🏻
I've taken to folding the csections and then rolling them in the back section after folding it into a strip. Keeps the bundle together on my book case without 7 small pieces to keep track of.
I think you're not alone in this method, Georgia! I tried something similar but then I kept forgetting how much fabric I had left after I used a shirt front or a sleeve or whatever and ultimately just went with all the pieces separate in my bin. But I DO think it's a great idea! ❤️
Thank you for more very intuitive quilting advice and sew on. 😉🧵✂️🪡
Some great advice 👍👏 I’m so enjoying looking for shirts, and I’ve already got a few blocks made 🎉🎉 Thank you 👏👏🇬🇧
The looking for great shirts is one of the greatest part of the process, in my opinion! Even if I come home empty-handed, I know another day I'll find a treasure! ❤️ I love that you have some blocks made now...I wish I could see them! 🤓🥰
This is a good idea. I liked your video on storing your fabric. I have 49 already pre cut but I have 15 more I am going to use this idea. Thanks for this video
You’re so welcome, Connie! And thank you! If it works for me, surely it can work for you too! 🥰❤️
A few years ago l started taking photos of my quilt and sewing projects to put in an album...its surprising how we forget what we've created as often they are gifted! As l was scrolling through my projects in my gallery as yet to be developped, l realized that shirt fabric made an appearance in at least 5 of the projects !! Some were cameos but some were more prominent,as the "other" side of a reversible apron.Who knew?...lol
Giselle, that's so great! (and funny!) More reasons to document the quilts we make! ❤️
Cathy thank you so much for all the info. I love watching your videos. I’m a beginner quilter and have this question- do the shirts need to be 100% cotton? The prettier shirts have some polyester.
You're welcome, Lucila!❤️ I was hoping that beginner quilters would be helped and motivated by this video! 100% cotton is preferable (and easier to use in many ways) but if you're willing to make some accommodations (starch, extra pins, etc) you can use cotton-poly shirts successfully. Just bear in my that as the quilt ages, the cotton will shrink and stretch and fade, but the cotton-poly will NOT. 😉
great tips! I've started cutting my first shirt quilt. Question: when supplementing with quilting cotton, do you wash/pre-shrink the yardage? I'm guessing the shirt fabric is finished shrinking by the time I get it and my pieces cut from yardage might shrink when washed.
Thank you, Katherine! No, I don't prewash my quilting cottons or yardage...honestly I just them do their "thing" and so far I haven't had any problems at all! 👍🏻
Thank you Cathy for another charming adventure in your quilting journey that you invite us to travel with you on. I want to know how you stay so clutter free in your sewing area. Impressive indeed! Half the battle of making decisions on any part of the creative process is keeping it simple around your work zone. I agree that it is daunting to make that FIRST cut into any fabric especially when there is a memory attached or you just love the pattern and want too save it. That is exactly how stashes grow lol. They feed off one another as if you were cultivating a good garden soil mix. Let the flowers grow randomly. I can’t wait to see what develops with your next shirt video. Quilting should tell me a story about my life experience in loving others. Again, thank you for offering the comforting guidelines to move my imagination along in a gentle meandering of thought. I apologize for the length. Quick question. Can we mix and match fabric content without getting a wonky result when doing our initial thrifting? I thought you suggested in an earlier video to stick with all cotton and no blends. Decisions, decisions decisions…🪡🧵💖
Thank you so much!!❤️ As for my work area being clean, the out of-sight part isn’t nearly that orderly! 😂 And my dining room table is generally half covered with fabric I’m in the process of cutting! 😳 so yes, it’s neat, but also no, not really! LOL. Yes, you can Mia and match and (so far) I’ve had no problems with that, although I do try to stay in the 100% cotton, linen or linen/cotton blend range of fabrics! 🤓👍🏻
I was surprised at how much cloth is in a shirt. After I watched your video, I made a quite large baby quilt top for my partner's new granddaughter out of four of his old flannel shirts. I made it bigger than planned. I mostly only used the shirt backs and sleeves! I didn't need to use the fronts since there was just so much cloth there. NB: the shirts were old and well-loved, well-worn. The flannel was thinner than I had expected; it was tricky keeping things square :-)
Great video, as usual! I never would have thought you could make so many different videos just on men's shirts! I'm learning a lot of things that I never thought of before. Thanks, Cathy! PS, I think I'm falling in love with purple shirts. 🤣❤
Thank you, Robin!! ❤️ And me too---both to videos on mens shirts AND loving purple shirts! ❤️
Thank u soooo much for making this video. Very informative and empowering! You are the Best!
Oh YAY! Thanks, Stacy! I wasn't sure this one would resonate so I'm glad it did for you! ❤️
Hi Cathy! I am down the rabbit hole 😂😊… but had a quick fabric question. I had watched a few of your videos and it seemed that they were mostly 100% cotton. But that wonderful purple is a blend. Are the blends ok to sew with or is it best to stick with cotton if it can be helped? Thanks!! Love your videos!!
This is a great video!! I have begun collecting the shirts and am now beginning to think about my first men’s dress shirt quilt. You’ve help give me the little motivational push that I need. BTW I think we can all start a new initialism (yes that’s a word, I had to look it up!), MDSQ! 🤣
Thank you! 🥰 I do think it can be tough to make the jump from having shirts to sewing with them-so glad this video has given you a little motivation to just get going on it! 👍🏻 Oh and I ❤️the abbreviation MDSQ: Mens dress shirts quilt!!! Fantastic idea!! 🤓😍🤩❤️
Hello Cathy, thanks so much for your videos. You are si easy to listen to, such a quiet and friendly voice. Wished you lived closer so we could meet in person, that's just a wish. I have been collecting lots of shirts and can't seam to be able to bring myself to cut into them. Some were my dad's some my uncles and others cousins all who are no longer here with us. I want to make a quilt for my mom but fear she won't like it. I sometimes think that I tend to talk myself out of things I'm sure I can do. Ugh! Wish this was an easy decision to make. I guess trying to also figure out a pattern. Not too scrappy not too difficult. I love the look of multi color vibrant smaller pieces. Mom I think more muted. Help! Sorry I turned this into what it is but after spending 3 weeks in the hospital at her bedside for as much as 18 hours a day I'm still mentally and physically spent. Decisions not at my best yet and pretty scatter brained. As my post here indicates. That is actually how I started watching your videos while with mom when in icu. So, thank you so much for all the information and ideas. God bless you.
Sitting bedside with loved ones in the hospital for days on end is it's own burden, emotionally, mentally and physically. It's exhausting, frankly. So I have nothing but love and support for you and I don't mind your comment one bit! 🥰 I would say if you are going to make something for your mom, make it in colors that she loves---that will make it more meaningful and a true gift. 😊❤️ THEN make yourself a quilt out of the vibrant colored-shirts as a comfort just for you. I think a lot of us talk ourselves out of trying things that we'd be perfectly great at! Maybe start with something small? Like a wall-hanging, quilted throw pillow or small lap quilt. That way if it doesn't go as planned, you won't feel quite the sense of loss over the shirts. And if it's great (which it will be!) then you can say to yourself, "I KNEW I could do this!!" I really love the book, Sunday Morning Quilts and it has wonderful easy patterns that are very adaptable to different colors, fabrics and styles. It's where I started and so I believe it is a great place to start for quilting with shirts! 🤓❤️
You're absolutely right! I recently made memory pillows for a family. My stomach was in knots. What if I ruin these sentimental personal items. In the end they loved the results, but getting there was an emotional journey. Thank you for your insight and inspiration.
Thank you, Valerie! It is so scary---especially if you're doing it as a gift or a memory quilt! So glad for you that the family loved their pillows.
I love to watch your videos, you are a good teacher :)
Oh, thank you so much! ❤️
I learned quite a bit from this video. Thank you!!
Cathy, I just commented on the wrong video. HAHA.. Thought this was the one about oxford cloth
@@janiewilliams5803 lol! That’s funny! (And you know I don’t mind!)
I just discovered you today and I am so thrilled! Your videos are wonderful.
My question is: when you are shopping for shirts, do you not buy polyester blends and only use all cotton or will either type work?
Oh I'm so glad you found me, Jacque!! ❤️ Thank you for being here and for commenting! I get that question a lot, so I made a whole video on it--you can watch it here: ua-cam.com/video/mbJHup41gnY/v-deo.html
The short version is, no I don't really use cotton-poly anymore (although they will work) and try to stay with 100% cotton shirts if I can!
Oh Cathy !!! Cathy I just went to the goodwill again today ,more shirts.😂 I'm ripping as I am watching you now ✅✅✅✅✅✅
Oh I LOVE this! I wish you could be breaking down some of MINE while you watch! 😂😂❤️
Have you thought about Donna Robertson's 3-yard quilt patterns?
Kathy, I haven't...but that's a great idea and would work perfectly for shirts! Thanks for the suggestion! 🥰🤓❤️
Love each video. Thanks for sharing.
So you've totally been binge-watching and I'm HERE FOR IT! 😂🤓🥰❤️
So many helpful tips and encouragement.
I've occasionally bought Polycotton instead of 100% cotton by mistake. Do you find any problems incorporating them into your quilts?
I have used cotton-poly shirts in quilts (if you saw the "Quilt Stories" from last week and saw the vibrant quilt, you already know this! lol) but I don't enjoy sewing with them because they won't hold a crease and they crawl under the sewing needle. Both of these things can be accommodated (e.g. spray starch for pressing, and lots of pins for the crawling) but I find it makes more work. Cotton-poly shirts also won't shrink or stretch or fade, which means that as the quilt ages, the cottons will shrink and fade and stretch but the cotton-poly shirts around them will not. Not necessarily a reason NOT to use them, but something to consider! 🤓👍🏻
@@TheCatBirdQuilts that's reassuringly helpful, thanks.
Kathy I love your channel you make me smile and laugh and feel like I can actually finish a quilt. Question I’ve thought you had to buy all cotton dress shirts, do you buy cotton polyester shirts also?
I guess you got your answer with today's video! 😂❤️🤓
Thank you for giving us all the good info.
You're welcome, Donna! And thank you for watching and commenting!❤️
Do you use shirts for fun if it, money saver, ? Seems like a lot if work. Making pj quilt for a friend who took care if a little neighbor who only wore blue pjs. She wants a memory quilt. No idea if I can do a pattern or just scrappy.
All of those reasons and more---it is more work than buying fabric on the bolt, but each of my quilts is unique (from each other and from other quilters) because of using shirts!
awesome video! Thank you! I definitely struggle most with finding the right pattern, I get an idea in my noggin but it doesn't always translate to reality lol I am going to attempt a color wash quilt but was hoping to go from blues to greens, however, finding enough greens has been a pain so far, I might end up finding another color than green, blue is never the problem so it might just be blues and whites and in between, we shall see :)
Well there is nothing wrong with a blue and white quilt! Just sayin’!!❤️🤩😍
@@TheCatBirdQuilts I know:) love blue but in my head it was blue and green (my favorite colors) but men in MI don't seem to wear much green or they don't donate the shirts OR they wear poly-cotton - which is a no-no lol I have 4 other projects before I get to start this quilt (and I want it to be King size because, why not? lol) so I'll just keep collecting shirts I like and see what I end up with :)
😁
@@freddiehansen7324 I haven’t had great luck finding good green shirts down here either! 🤷🏻♀️ I’ll get a lovely dark green solid or maybe a decent green gingham but that’s about it. Idk. That’s why I always say “greens are hard.” Maybe only if you’re looking at shirts! Lol!
@@TheCatBirdQuilts I know, hubby is getting a green shirt for Christmas, got to start that trend! :)
I love the part about when you fold the shirt pieces they become fabric and no longer shirt pieces! I do have a question for you...what is the largest number of men’s dress shirts you have come home with from a one-time thrift store shopping day? 👔🤔😅
Rhonda, thank you so much! When I started using shirts for fabric, those odd-shaped pieces were just hard to get my brain around, but once they were folded it's like a light bulb went off, "Well I know what to do with THIS!" ❤️ As for your question, I don't actually know!! I never count! (which is probably because I don't want to have to face how many I actually bought!! 😂😂)
How important is it to have cotton only shirts? I would like to save my husbands shirts as he discards them. The prettiest of those are poly/cotton. Thank you for sharing all you information.
In earlier videos she talked about why 100 percent cotton is best. It holds pressing much better than poly and poly blends and is therefore easier to work with uniformly. You can still quilt with blends, but watch your iron temperature and accept that blends will not press as sharply as cotton.
Georgia, I love that you had this answer all ready! ❤️ Also bear in mind, Nicki, that cotton/poly shirts don't shrink or fade, but 100% cotton will. So if you want it to be around a long time, it's best to use 100% cotton so that it ages similarly between the piecing. (BUT I also just made a pretty cool quilt that had a ton of cotton/poly in it...you just have to use your judgement!) Thanks to both of you for your comments!
I have a large plastic tub of my father’s dress shirts I am going to use to make at least two quilts. One for me, one for my sister.
That is so wonderful! ❤️
Could you possibly do a tutorial showing how to make a shirt quilt. I have made a couple of shirt quilts but the tutorial I followed has been removed from UA-cam.
I have a tutorial series called, "Your First Quilt" which uses exclusively men's shirts, that might fit the bill. I'm wondering if you mean something specific when you say "shirt quilt"? I use mostly shirts in making quilts but I think you might be talking about memory shirt quilts, which is something I haven't done (yet.)
I'm going to ask for seam rippers , lots of y them for Christmas😂😂❤❤
I recently completed a dress shirt quilt. I started tearing the shirt to know where the straight of grain was. Yes, you have to be very judicious about the location of the tear. Another thing:. I used white sashing. That took about three white dress shirts. It looks great. So, if a person uses a white background, shirts may work.
Congrats on your quilt! I wish I could see it! And yes, tearing to get the grain can eat up a lot of usable fabric! 😳😱 Also I have found that tearing will sometimes warp the edge of the fabric so much that it has to be cut off-not sure if that was your experience but I was super bummed! I too, did white sashing using white dress shirts for a recent quilt (the Elena quilt; video just aired last Friday) and I believe I used about 3 dress shirts as you did. It does look great but it can be a lot of work to get those long skinny strips!🤓
Glad to know someone else experiments the way I do! 🥰❤️👍🏻
I have a granddaughter which is known as princess and her favorite color is blue but I haven't found a pattern yet. I've looked for 2 years now
It's the unicorn, isn't it? Finding just the right pattern for just the right fabrics for a quilt for just the right person is like a treasure hunt and also so elusive!
I won't be a pest because I've said my piece, but this is a great title for a book. You know if you need a cheerleader, I'm right here and I'm sure a lot of people would join me. It's just that I think you're standing in front of a golden door of opportunity and it's not locked. Corey Yoder has a fantastic pattern called Jelly Sticks for jelly rolls. (2x3). Super fast and easy, I made it and it went together quickly and was fun. Would be great for a shirt.
Jyl, if you know any book publishers just send them my way! 😘😂🤓🥰 PS it WOULD really be a great title for a book! ❤️ And PSS you’re probably right but I wouldn’t even know where to START!
What’s the sun quilt pattern
Well, that's what I'm making for my other granddaughter that loves the 🦄. sorry for replying late.
I find it difficult to correctly cut on the grain. Do you have hints to make that easier.
I'm gonna be totally honest here, I mostly ignore the grain and do my cutting willy-nilly unless it's a plaid or stripe and then I cut on the pattern! 😂 I have actually tried a few techniques (tearing the fabric on the grain, and intentionally raveling the edge to find the grain, etc.) but in the end, I just roll with it! 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️ Maybe I'll make more of a concerted effort and when I figure out a way that works for me, I'll share it! ❤️
Betty if you want to be absolutely certain you’ve got a straight grain ,tearing is about the most certain way to establish the grainline. Like Catbird, I don’t always prioritize cutting on the grain; like for fussy cutting.
In garment sewing grainline really matters - for give in a garment (crosswise grain or even the bias) and avoiding the uneven stretch of an off grain skirt or pant.
In quilting there is the bonus stabilizing of your piecing which comes from the backing and of course the quilting! So for piecing, that grainline is not quite as important
Thanks, Jennifer! Your experience in garment-sewing, pattern-making and 30+ years of quilting is always a help to me! 😘
I'm a big advocate of making pattern pieces for the different elements required to make quilt blocks and placing those on fabrics to determine how to get the most out of the yardage I have available (e.g.: If I need one 8" square, two 2"x4" rectangles, four circles with a 3" diameter, etc. for each block, I will draw all of those shapes on scrap paper, cut those shapes out and lay them all out on my fabric to figure out how best to utilize the fabric).
What kind of cracks me up about this practice is realizing that specifically oddly-shaped pattern pieces were used in the same way to get the most out of yardage in order to make any shirt in the first place. Is it just me, or does anyone else find that amusingly meta?
It IS pretty funny/crazy/meta! Kind of in the same way that we cut apart fabric to sew to other fabric to make a new type of fabric (ie a quilt top!) 😂🤓🤔 Thanks for the comment!
Do you wash the shirts before or after you break them down?
Almost always before! I have gotten ahead of myself and just started cutting, but I usually regret it because (bless my bones) I have a sensitive olfactory system AND allergies! And let me tell you between the sneezing, watery eyes and being blown away by fabric softeners, I'm swearing about not washing first! 😂😂🤓
A
Buy shirts, WASH shirts, then break down:)
LOL.😂 Yes!! ❤️
I really like using old shirts, I really like most of your presentation style. I don't like how you laugh about bright colours. Please accept everyone has different tastes. I personally LOVE bright colours, the brighter, the better. I feel you're laughing at me every time you laugh about a bright colour.
I'm sure she's not laughing at you. Sorry you feel that way but she's not a bright color person and the purple shirt is funny. She can laugh at herself and you can too.
Where was the video? I am struggling with completing the backing of memory shirt quilt. I am trying to use largest pieces of shirts possible to avoid seams as it is backing. I wish I was a better visual person. I have yet to use a pattern. Thanks for the video, you continue to inspire. Can't wait to send you pictures.
The video of what, Apache-Yaqui? Yes, backing quilts with shirts can be very challenging-I don’t do it as often as you might think for that exact reason! 😳🤓 Looking forward to seeing your next quilt completed!! ❤️
@@TheCatBirdQuilts The video you just posted. All your videos have help me see things clearer, that was just me thinking out loud. Thanks I appreciate ypu sharing your talents.
I love the concept of using shirts! It does save money and gives you more options! I just love the way you communicate to us our here in UA-cam land.
WAY2GO on saying “fr” I had trouble saying “Crackle Barrel” ( our fav place to eat while traveling. One trip my sweet husband said “ if you can say CB3 times fast, we will stop for lunch.” I practiced for 15 mins (bc I was 😋)
Thank you so much, Debi! ❤️ I wish I knew what it is about "fr" that trips me up! And Cracker Barrel IS a tongue twister...especially 3 times fast!!😂