When I decided to move out of my apartment and live in the van, I made plans on what to do with all my stuff. The limited space in the van meant I needed to decide what clothes to keep, store or donate. Like many people I had a collection of t-shirts spanning several decades. Some of the oldest t-shirts were from my days in the Air Force while others were of my Chicago sports teams (Cubs, Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks), from karate tournaments, work or church related, and from my alma mater, the University of Illinois.
I had a connection to most of the t-shirts and did not want to throw them out or store them. I had the thought that they could be cut up and turned into a blanket or quilt that I could use in the van. The issue was how to get it done. So, the idea remained in the back of my head until I was talking to my friend, Joan at the Skokie/Evanston dog park sometime in the Fall of 2024. I was discussing my upcoming lifestyle change to permanent van resident when I mentioned the t-shirts. As it turns out, Joan is a woman of many talents. Professionally she is a lawyer, but it turns out she is also a skilled quilter.
It must have been fate because Joan offered to make a quilt from my t-shirts. A couple of months later in February 2025, I dropped off the t-shirts at her house. Working as an architect I’ve learned to respect someone else’s creativity, so I gave Joan freedom to design and arrange the t-shirts into a quilt with a few suggestions.
On December 16th, I picked up the completed quilt from Joan, and I couldn’t be more grateful or pleased. The quilt is two-sided with my t-shirts on both sides. I use the quilt as an extra blanket on my bed in the van. I am fortunate to have something so personal that reminds me of all the good times in my life.
A heartfelt thank you to Joan for the beautiful quilt and being patient with me.
Gray Side Video
Blue Side Video
