Easy Quilt Patterns for Plaids & Memory Quilts from Men's Dress Shirts 

Thank you for creating a safe place for quilters to try new things without second guessing themselves and listening too hard to their inner critics. Quilting absolutely changes an imperfect quilt into a lovely fabric hug from the heart. And as far as appropriate quilt block patterns are concerned, any block can be made with any fabric motif if balanced with a solid to rest the eye. Thanks again for all you do. Three cheers for trying new things! 🎉🎉🎉

"These are not people you need in your life".... 🤣 You make me laugh but at the same time offering us great, sound advice. You are so right, no one will notice it once it's in the quilt. It's the journey, the experience and the beautiful quilt that you will see when completed - that is what will bring us joy. I so appreciate you. Can't wait to see the quilt blocks in the background one day. ❤ 🪡

I made a men's shirt nine patch quilt. The pieces were 5 inch squares. It had the same light blue square in center, the blocks corner squares matched and the squares between those matched. I used white sashing and tan cornerstones. I used different colors, some solids, stripes and plaid. I didn't stress over it and it turned out great! So, just go for it quilters! I love your videos! You give great advice!

Working in a fabric store, I see so many people who are strangled by perfection. I so enjoy your take on it! XO

Quilts are made of fabric and love, they are not perfect. Just as we as humans are not perfect. As quilters use our art to bless the people we care for to let them know they are special.

Hi Cathy! Very interesting video! I love how you put the plaids together with solids so they don't have to match up! Genius! 😁 I have a tip for anyone making a checkered quilt. If you want to sew strips to cut apart, make four strips instead of three. Then every block will be the same. Instead of having to make two different types of blocks. 😉❤

One of the things I have loved about quilting over the years is that it is the opportunity for socially acceptable imperfection! As you say, in the middle of a quilt, most will never notice. I’m not interested in making perfect quilts (and I’ll never win the Best in Show). I’m interested in making loved quilts - loved by me and loved by the person it’s intended for. I love the humble presentation of your work.

Glad to learn from this video. I had recently avoided buying plaid shirts at a thrift store because I didn't realize how well they could work. Thank you!

Hello Cathy - another great video. Thank you so much. This was the perfect topic for me to be able to thank you for prepping me for memory quilts. If I had not already been enjoying your channel I would have hesitated before gathering the appropriate shirts to make quilts for my family. We lost my father suddenly late last year and I'm finding joy in creating useable items for my family to cherish his memory. If I had only had other memory quilt videos I may felt that I did not have had "permission" to add additional fabrics to make the quilts look planned and purposeful instead of scrappy. It also allows me to make more throws from the limited amount of fabric we have. Thank you again and please continue the good work.

Great ideas! Thanks so much! I’ve offered to make “something” out of my uncle’s clothing for my cousin. This is just what I needed to have to give her some options of what to make.

So very informative! I love making scrappy quilts BUT I have really had to allow myself to be free to put a floral next to a plaid or stripe & floral - not the way I was taught about patterned fabric. I am learning to “let it go” - perfection is a joy stealer!

Kathy...great advice...thanks ❤

Wow, this video has come to me at a great time. My hubby and I just went through and are getting rid of a lot of old clothes we never wear anymore. I now have quite a few of his old plaid, flannel shirts and work jeans. I plan to start taking the shirts apart very soon. I am hoping to have enough material to make a quilt for me and his grown, married daughter. Maybe, maybe, I will have it done in time for Christmas? 😁

Just found your channel a few days ago and I am so enjoying your calm demeanour, and charming accent too! (I am from Scotland, so your southern accent is very different!) Your fabric choices, and quilt ideas are lovely. Thank you for making these relaxing and informative videos x

Once again you nailed it with the perfect information that doesn't even need to be plaid fabric. Thanks for giving us permission to accept little imperfections in lining squares up.

Loved your tips on using 0paids. I don't feel so daunted now!

Yet another excellent video, if i were to try and aline all the stripes in the right orientation throughout a quilt I'd give myself OCD, But since i don't make competition quilts I don't care, just let it go,,,, on behalf of all Scottish viewers, Christmas plaid! Thats Tartan and an absolute nightmare to pattern match, try making kilt and get it to line up along all those pleats, i refer back to the OCD, side note would to see a vid of what you fans have been doing with you ideas.....

Cathy, After watching, I think, every one of your episodes and loving your presentations while learning from you, I went yesterday for the first time to check out men's shirts at Goodwill in ATL as a resource for quilting. OMG, those fabrics were beautiful! It was hard to not purchase more and more! I did learn about how their system works with discounts to know when are the optimum times to maximize my purchase of shirts for quilting going forward. You have opened a new door with creativity, while helping me to support others. TY. jgd

You are killing the plaid game!!! I love listening to your analysis of each block, and your ideas for the final settings ❤. The last block is so fantastic!!! Plaids can be so intimidating, so thank you for sharing all of your insights and inspirations ❤❤❤.

Now I'm reevaluating who I really need in my life. And hugging a few more, just because they still have ME in their lives. 😁

If you were inclined to make just 9-patches, I'd recommend a 16-patch instead. This way you only need to track the number of block needed, not how many 5's & 4's (positives/negatives). And with the the 16-patch, you "won't" lose the overall checkerboard effect because the darks & lights stay in the same place. I've lost that effect in the past (I'm still not sure how). Since switching to 16-patch, I've made another checkerboard that I adore. And I am trimming scraps to make another.

Very nice blocks. One that might work with plaid is a 9 patch of 4 patches. You can either do 5 4 patches and 4 solids or 4 4 patches with 5 solids. Your 2nd block using the blue plaid was still a 9 patch. Since the seams go all the way through the block connecting opposite sides, it can be sewn in 4 seams. Not all 9 patches have to utilize squares. The combination of squares and rectangles adds interest. 9 patches can also be made from all rectangles. If the rectangles are different sizes, it adds a syncopated look to the block. The last block you showed with the HSTs, was actually a 9 patch that used 4 patches in the corners. And the border strips not only made it larger, but it also hid a lot of the things you pointed out. Double 9 patches are great also. If you only use 2 colors, there are 8 different double 9 patches if 5 are pieced and 4 are solid, or 4 are pieced and 5 are solid. You can also do a 4 patch of 9 patches. Experimenting with squares and rectangles leads to so many beautiful possibilities. Thanks so much for the inspiration.

Hi Cathy. I had to laugh when you talked about the orange plaid block being wonky and the washing not straight and if anyone said anything about it, you didn’t need them in your life. I live in southeast Louisiana about an hour northwest of New Orleans. In 2016, along with thousands of others, our house flooded. Not to the extent of some of the others, but as my husband says, whether you get five inches or five feet, you still have to replace a lot. Anyway, when it was time to put back the custom built entertainment center in the corner of the living room, we could not get the crown molding to match exactly as it was before. It was not very noticeable and we were okay with the way it looked. My husband said if anyone didn’t like it, they could just leave. I told him the only one who would notice it would be our youngest son. Sure enough, a few days later he came over and within five minutes he noticed and pointed out that the molding wasn’t matching perfectly. So when you said what you said, I just had to laugh as it reminded me of that memory.

I love your laugh and how you laugh at yourself. And you are right, we don’t need negative people in our lives. Love the blocks and the fabrics your chose. Quilting and washing a quilt hide all kinds of sins. It’s amazing how all those little wrinkles and bubbles hide seems and points that aren’t perfect. I tell this to myself all the time. Thanks again for a great video!

Yet another wonderful video 👏👏 I’m inspired to give it ago, when I get time 🤣🤣 So glad to find another video from you 👏👏🇬🇧

One of the first quilt blocks I made & I absolutely love them for all the variety you can get from such a simple block. I love the plaid for this block.

I love your gentle and encouraging delivery, thank you. 🤗 Deb x

Cathy - I just love listening to your thought process on ALL of your videos. Thank you so much for sharing.

Thank you for sharing these patterns! I made a block last week as a test with a plaid and a tattersal shirt and the block vibrated! I can now see if I used a white or solid it would look calmer. The block was Blazing arrows on Theresa Down Under's channel. I think if I also sash it in a white or solid, it will make a lovely quilt for shirt scraps. Now I need to go try it! And the speckled block! Have a great day!

I’m so thankful that quilting hides those misalignments 😊😊😊. The plaids do blare mistakes easily but from afar it still looks ok. I heard Jenny Doan say something about how mistakes look from a galloping horse… it you won’t notice it then don’t worry about it. 😂

Thank you, you always look so nice.

Hi Cathy. I love plaids. I feel the way about them that you do about polka dots and gingham. Aren't we lucky that these patterns are often in the fabric of men's shirts. It is an extra design feature that sparks joy for me. BTW, I got a big clear bin to store all my shirts not broken down. I didn't realise I had so many blue plaid shirts. LOL. I guess there is a BPQ waiting in there for me!.Does it count as a UFO?

Thank you Cathy I have learned from you and I love your insight. You are refreshing to listen to. You have given me confidence to try it.

Thank you so much for this! Wow I never use plaid! Because I don’t know how to set it in a block! I am a little OCD and for some reason I feel I have to cut on lines or something! But now oh wow I love your block!

How refreshing! Finished is better than perfect. ❤ the plaid ideas.

Thank you for your easy design for memory quilts!

Another great tutorial covering so many possibilities for all different levels of sewing. I get so frustrated throwing in plaids and stripes even dots that I sometimes pass over fabric I would love to use, but you have given us permission to not be worried about a little wonky. Looking forward to trying my stack of stripes and plaids. Are you going to show us your trip around the world you are working on?

Hi! The blue plaid block with the navy center is still a nine patch. I love the orange block. The blocks behind you are amazing. I don't see the Robert Kaufman link for the orange block in the description. Thank you for sharing...I appreciate you and your husband!

Great Show today! I purchased the Eyelet Lace Quilt Pattern and downloaded the Speckled Quilt Pattern. I plan to use the Speckled Quilt Pattern for my husband plaid shirts I have been saving. Happy Stitching and Blessings to you and your camera man ;)

Thank you for this video 🤗 I have just the fabric to try this pattern out ✂️🧵🪡

Hi Cathy. Loving plaids more and more. ❣️

Perfect Jem quote at 17:48!!! Yes.

I like the blue block number 2. And with the speckle in orange it's only wonky if you point it out, I generally don't get that far. Cheers from the Harris home in Geraldton Western Australia 🇦🇺

The second quilt block could become the world renowned Cat Bird Quilt Block if it's an original idea. The latter HSTs block is very pretty for small plaids. I've acquired some really thick lumberjack flannel plaids from shirts - any suggestions for a block for those? Thanks for sharing this video with us.

What a fantastic video! Question .. It's possible you have covered this in a prev video but do you find shirting material slips when cutting it? It could be just me and my technique

*stands and clears throat* Consider this an official request for any and all asides you feel led to include. Thank you. *sits down*

This is so good :) Thoughtful as always! I was thinking the second block (the 4 5-inch with sashing/cornerstone) could easily be on point and no one would notice the difference in the plaids. The orange plaid block is adorable! And I say anyone who sits and "judges" things being a little wonky here and there... should just wrap up in the quilt and enjoy the feel and the love put into the quilt, instead of "judging". lol I got Maggi McCormick Gordon's book "1,000 Great quilt blocks" and there are sooooo many cute blocks that could translate into a great quilt.

Great video, thank you!

Love your ideas for plaids!!

"I just cut on the line . . ." Heeheehee ❤️

Thank you for another great video! I love working with plaids. My first foray with plaids was the purchase of a thrift store man’s cotton bathrobe. It led me to making a basket quilt. The woven pattern on the plaid placed on the diagonal seemed to lend itself to the cross-cross of a basket weave. I also love to cut plaids on the bias to use as a quilt binding. It’s so much fun to celebrate the plaid with you!

I'm wondering if you have tried a Log Cabin block?

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr. Seuss

I giggle when I watch you n others pick at threads.. is this how we got the word “nit picky?” I love the checker board pattern. Our grandson loves chess so this gives me a great idea for him.

I rarely starch but shirt fabric is often soft and often is stretchy.

My brain goes on alert and my mouth waters when l see plaids...LOL

I laughed so hard. Wow loved it

#2 makes a larger plaid when the blocks go together

Good morning MS Cathy, Once again you are speaking my language went crazy buying shirts and now I'm stuck🤦

Sashing to the rescue. If something looks a little a little wonky, you can rest assured that no one will notice--that or call it a design feature.

I never noticed that the plaid fabric on the memory quilt block wasn’t cut straight. I was more interested in how each individual block was constructed .