Old T shirts
 

So, I'm cleaning out dresser drawers in my daughters' rooms. There are drawers full of sorority Tshirts--bid day shirts, big/little shirts, party shirts, philanthropy shirts. . . . and the list goes on. Funny how those didn't get packed when they graduated on to their adult lives! Curious what others do with them? Please no Pinterest suggestions--I know Tshirts can make darling quilt tops, but that won't happen, so on to the next idea. ;) We are following the general rules of: if only a sister could wear it (bid day shirt, just greek letters, etc), destroy it or they keep it, but if it is a party, philanthropy, siblings' day shirt, it's OK to donate. Thoughts?

We've had young alumnae donate items they're no longer wearing or using to the merit points/scholarship auction held by the chapter I advise. Actives earn points for grades, etc. and the chapter has a fun auction at the end of the year where the members can "buy" items with their points. They have to be in pretty good shape to generate interest, obviously. And, the generic letters shirts are more popular than event shirts. So, it's a tricky situation. The quilt idea is a winner, and there are people who make these (including Alum on this site).

I've heard of people making a quilt out of them.

You can always commission a textile artist to design and make the quilt for your daughter if no one in your circles sew. Message me if you are interested in such an endeavor.

My favorite thing to do with sorority shirts I have no further use for is to send them to a chapter. I've never met a sorority chapter that wasn't happy to have some extra shirts to give to members.

I like that idea, QueenD!

There are two NPC sororities I can think of off the top of my head that only allow initiated sisters to wear the Greek letters: Alpha Epsilon Phi and Kappa Alpha Theta. If your daughters are in either of those sororities, and they have items with the Greek letters on them, then I suggest you send them to your daughters. If they don't want them, give them to another family member or a friend who is a sister, or, failing that, send them to a chapter. If absolute push comes to absolute shove, destroy them.

Otherwise, I would say that if your daughters don't want them and you don't know of a sister or a chapter that would take them, you could donate them rather than destroying them.

I cannot speak definitively for non-NPC groups, but I'm near certain that none of the NPHC sororities (or fraternities) allow anyone other than initiated members to wear their letters - so what I described for AEPhi and Theta would apply there too. I'll step aside and let an actual NPHC member correct me if I'm wrong.

You wrote that you're not going to make a t-shirt quilt. There are quiltmakers who do that professionally. Google "t-shirt quilt" or "memory quilt" and you'll get a lot of hits.

Expect to pay $350 to $400 for a shirt that uses approx. 16 shirts.

As a quilter, I will say this: I refuse to make t-shirt quilts. UGH. It's a total PITA endeavor and if I wanted one, I would happily pay someone several hundred dollars to make one.

Because: I know what goes into making a t-shirt quilt that looks decent.

Myself, I'd put the t-shirts in the rag bag. That's me, though.

I too find making t-shirt quilts to be a major pain in the ...

I like the idea of donating them to a local chapter. There are also people (definitely not me) who take old shirts and make teddy bears out of them. You can have bears made and add "donated by whatever sorority" and give them to a children's hospital.

DaffyKD

On Facebook, there are a couple Sorority Girls garage sale type sites which recycle t-shirts. Personally, I prefer to send them to a chapter.

My chapter gives each new member an old shirt as a Bid Day gift in addition to the one they wear on the day itself, we love getting old shirt donations!

LOVE that idea!

Also, one can make novelty throw pillows. Stitch up the neck and sleeves, stuff with fiberfill, and stitch the bottom shut. Most of us right out of college had more shirts than we needed for throw pillows, though.

I had an entire drawer of just short-sleeve event shirts when I graduate, despite only being an undergraduate member for three years. With the advent of online ordering systems it's so easy to make a shirt for every little event hosted (and apparently for me to buy them all, but I digress). I gave a bunch away to a sister in the chapter and then sent a bunch more to a new sister I wrote a rec for who joined ADPi as a welcome gift. Even if you send them to the chapter and they don't have a need, maybe you just updated the wardrobe of whoever gets the mail LOL