Summer Sisters Designs
Unique and Personalized Quilts
T-shirt Quilts * Baby Quilts * Memory Quilts
About Summer Sisters Designs
Our Story
How Our Quilts are Made
Custom Orders
Summer Sisters Designs began in 1998 when people, who had seen the T-shirt quilts that my sister and I were making for our friends and family, started asking us to make quilts out of their T-shirt collections. Since then I have made hundreds of special quilts celebrating graduations, weddings, birthdays and the memory of loved ones who ha
Summer Sisters Designs began in 1998 when people, who had seen the T-shirt quilts that my sister and I were making for our friends and family, started asking us to make quilts out of their T-shirt collections. Since then I have made hundreds of special quilts celebrating graduations, weddings, birthdays and the memory of loved ones who have passed away. I love the challenge of making quilts that are not only beautiful but that also tell a person's own unique story.
I hope you will consider Summer Sisters Designs to create your special one-of-a-kind quilt.
Custom Orders
How Our Quilts are Made
Custom Orders
I consult with each of my customers to understand their unique quilt wishes. Based on those wishes I suggest designs, fabrics and personalization for their custom quilt. I can chat with you over the phone, via email or can meet with you in person (if you live in Northern Virginia or the Outer Banks.) I have happy customers all over the co
I consult with each of my customers to understand their unique quilt wishes. Based on those wishes I suggest designs, fabrics and personalization for their custom quilt. I can chat with you over the phone, via email or can meet with you in person (if you live in Northern Virginia or the Outer Banks.) I have happy customers all over the country! Depending on my quiltmaking schedule it takes one to four months to deliver a custom quilt. I require a 50% deposit to hold you a place in my quiltmaking schedule. The final balance is due upon completion of your quilt.
How Our Quilts are Made
How Our Quilts are Made
How Our Quilts are Made
Each of my quilts is uniquely designed and quilted. To create a durable quilt at a competitive price, my quilts are machine-pieced and machine-quilted. Because the edges of a quilt are susceptible to wear, the quilt is finished with a custom-made double french bias binding that gives it added strength and durability. I hand appIique a cus
Each of my quilts is uniquely designed and quilted. To create a durable quilt at a competitive price, my quilts are machine-pieced and machine-quilted. Because the edges of a quilt are susceptible to wear, the quilt is finished with a custom-made double french bias binding that gives it added strength and durability. I hand appIique a custom quilt label to the back of the quilt to ensure that the history of your quilt endures. Each quilt is gently machine-washable and fashioned to provide years of use and enjoyment.
T-shirt Quilts
A T-shirt quilt can be made from as few as five T-shirts or as many as 30+ T-shirts. Unlike many other T-shirt quilt makers, I use all of the T-shirt art (fronts, backs, pockets, sleeves) and trim it to a size that complements the artwork. This results in a variety of different size squares that add interest to the quilt top. Over the years I have incorporated lots of other unique and special articles into T-shirt quilts including baseball caps, varsity letters, band uniforms, hockey jerseys, and patches,
All T-shirts are stabilized with lightweight fusible interfacing to ensure they do not stretch and warp in the quilt top. This also provides additional stability to T-shirts that have been greatly lived in and loved over the years.
The quilt sashing, border and backing fabrics are selected to complement the colors of the T-shirts and appeal to the quilt recipient. Is the recipient a male or female? Do they like bold prints or subtle patterns? Do they have a favorite color or a color they dislike? Would they like a fun novelty print fabric (such as sports or music or travel) that would represent the theme of the quilt or the interests of the quilt recipient?
My T-shirt quilts are machine pieced and quilted to create a quality, durable quilt. Outline quilting and quilting accents (such as ocean waves, anchors suns or stars) are often added to further complement the art and stabilize the quilt. Special detailing, such as monograms, scripting quilting and photo squares can be incorporated to further personalize the quilt.
Click below to see more photos from my T-shirt Quilt Portfolio
Custom Quilts
A custom quilt is a quilt created and customized to meet your specific requirements using quality cotton fabrics purchased specifically for that quilt. Examples of custom quilts I have created in the past include baby quilts, table toppers and table runners, wall hangings, wedding present quilts and Bat/Bar Mitzvah quilts. Because the quilt is created for a specific person or occasion it can be tailored to that person’s style and color scheme. The quilt could be of a traditional quilt design, such as Irish Chain or Card Trick or New York Beauty, or it can combine some of those traditional design elements into a more modern setting. We discuss at length who the quilt is for, what occasion it is celebrating, color schemes, and any other ideas you might have. Based on those discussions I can suggest quilt designs that represent the recipient’s history or interests or the occasion. I typically draft up one or two designs, in the desired color scheme, and present them to the customer to choose the one that speaks to them. A custom quilt also enables additional customization such as script quilting or monograms.
Click below to see photos from my Custom Quilt Portfolio.
Memory Quilts
Over the years I have found that memory quilts tend to fall into one of two categories: "Loved One" memory quilts or "Special Occasion" memory quilts.
A "Loved One" memory quilt celebrates the memory of a loved one who has passed away and is made from articles of clothing that person has worn. The clothing used can include dresses, shirts, ties, slacks, blouses, and even jeans. My goal is to design a quilt that showcases the clothing. Additional cotton fabrics are used for background and sashing and are selected to complement the clothing and the design.
A special kind of "Loved One" memory quilt is the Mother's Memory Quilt. It celebrates the mother and is made for the mother from the baby clothes of her child/children.
A "Special Occasion" memory quilt celebrates a special occasion, such as a wedding, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or baby shower. These quilts are typically made from purchased cotton fabrics and include special photo squares and/or autograph squares. These squares are often the guest book for the special occasions. I have worked with customers before their special occasion and provided them with the prepared fabric signature blocks and pigma pens they will need for their event. Those blocks are then returned to me to incorporate into a quilt top. I have also worked on special occasion quilts after the fact when the customer already has signature blocks and wants them turned into a quilt keepsake.
Click below to see photos from my Memory Quilt Portfolio.
