Spring Cleaning

Anyone who has attended Emmaus Bible College has experienced my problem.

I am consumed with Emmaus t-shirts.  I have piles of these shirts.  My closest is busting at the seams.

I own 49 Emmaus shirts to be exact.

I collected all these shirts while being at the college for eight years. First, I was a student for four years. Then, I returned as a staff member two years after I graduated. I just completed my fourth year working in Student Affairs.

You see, it is the Emmaus way to make a t-shirt for any event or activity we can.  My wardrobe increases each year I am at the college.  As a result, my closet consists of a variety of colors and prints of themed shirts and other apparel.

As I began my spring-cleaning this week, I decided I needed to downsize my closet.  I knew that this meant throwing away some of these t-shirts. 

However, there is a problem. I am a very sentimental person. 

Consequently, I couldn’t get myself to throw out any of them.  Each shirt carries different memories.  Unfortunately, I realize that these shirts are taking up a lot of space in an area that I am trying to minimize.

As a result of my inability to throw out these shirts, I decided to put them to good use. This month I am going to make an Emmaus blanket using 33 of the 49 t-shirts that I own. 

I just began this project on Wednesday.

First, I decided which shirts I could live without.  This was a very difficult process.

After agonizing over which shirts to use, I cut each shirt into 12in X 12in squares.  I used both the front and the back of each t-shirt.  This gave me 66 pieces.

I then laid the squares out on my floor to decide how I wanted the blanket to be assembled.

So far so good.

My friend, Laura Strautmann, is the brains behind this project.  These next few weeks are going to consist of her teaching me how to use a sowing machine. 

I am a little scared for this part.  I am not quite sure how I will handle this type of machine, however; I have been told that any mistake on a sowing machine can be undone.  This gives me a little re-assurance.  I imagine that there will be a lot of un-doing in the weeks to come.  I don't care though...I am determined to have an emmaus t-shirt blanket!

So, if you are in the process of spring-cleaning: don’t throw out all those un-used t-shirts or other apparel…make a blanket!