June 2007 Issue

Fit to a T

Gretchen Schultz remembers the first time she considered a T-shirt to be more than just a summer vacation souvenir. Two years ago, after her best friend Barbara Riopelle died of cancer, Joseph Riopelle sent Schultz a box of her shirts and asked the quilter to create a memorial to his wife. Schultz, one of the partners of The Quilt Foundry, a store in Maumee, became immersed in the labor of love.

"T-shirts are such a personal thing. They reflect many facets of an individual's life and interests," says Schultz, who used Ts from family outings and colleges attended to make a collage of memories.

Schultz and fellow quilter Diana Burkhardt also apply that technique to create special gifts for high school students going off to college, newlyweds and newborns.

"A T-shirt quilt is something the recipient can't help but enjoy," says Schultz. "When they look at it, they remember different places they've been and events they've been a part of."

Burkhardt has made coverlets featuring a variety of themes, from animals to sporting events. "One of the most unusual was for a high-school music teacher," Burkhardt recalls. "I used shirts with logos of musicals she'd been in, directed or seen." For details, call Burkhardt at 419/866-8365 or Schultz at 419/893-1097.