> Source: https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/auburn-send-off-quilt/ > Markdown companion of the page titled "College Send-Off T-Shirt Quilt Atlanta | Quilts by Big Wes". Client Stories # An Auburn Send-Off Quilt with a Custom Tiger and a Family Label August 9, 2026 · By [Wesley Hall](https://www.bigwes.com/wesley-hall/) ![Completed 16-block t-shirt quilt made from Auburn University shirts with custom Tiger applique corner blocks and train pantograph quilting, made by Quilts by Big Wes in Atlanta, GA](https://www.bigwes.com/images/blog/auburn-send-off-quilt.webp) Some quilts arrive with a clear story already attached. This one had a name on it before I ever touched the fabric. Mom walked in with twelve shirts her son had worn through middle school and high school, and the whole time we talked she kept saying the same thing: he is going to Auburn and she wanted him to take a piece of home with him. That kind of clarity makes my job a joy. ## Twelve Shirts, Sixteen Blocks We had twelve shirts to work with, which gave us a solid foundation. Most of my standard layouts land right around that number, but I wanted this quilt to feel complete and substantial, the kind of thing you drape across a dorm bed and it actually covers you. So we planned for sixteen blocks total, with four custom corner blocks to round it out. Those four corner blocks are where the quilt really found its identity. I designed a custom applique Tiger for each one, cut from fabric that matched the deep orange and navy of the Auburn palette. Applique work like this takes time to get right. The proportions have to read cleanly from a distance, and the stitching around the edge has to be tight enough to hold up through years of washing. When all four corners came together, the quilt had a frame. It felt intentional, which it absolutely was. ## The Train Pantograph For the quilting itself I went with a train pantograph. I know that might sound like an unusual choice at first, but think about what this quilt represents. Her son is leaving home. He is boarding a new chapter and heading somewhere he has never been before. A train felt exactly right. The pantograph runs edge to edge in a continuous path, little locomotives rolling across the surface of all those memories. Mom noticed it immediately and loved the connection. The stitching density with this pattern also gives the quilt a nice weight and drape. It is not so dense that the shirt fabric gets stiff, but it holds everything together firmly. That balance matters with t-shirt quilts because the knit fabric has a little natural stretch, and the quilting needs to counteract that without fighting it. ![Close-up of the completed Auburn send-off t-shirt quilt showing the custom Tiger applique corner blocks and train pantograph quilting stitches across the shirt blocks, Atlanta studio](https://www.bigwes.com/images/blog/auburn-send-off-quilt-2.webp) *The custom Tiger applique corner blocks and the train pantograph stitching across the finished quilt.* ## A Label from the Whole Family The finishing touch was the custom label. I make labels for every quilt I produce, but on this one I wanted the wording to carry weight. The label reads that the quilt was made with love from Mom, Dad, and little brother. Not just from Mom, who brought the shirts and commissioned the project. From the whole family. That distinction matters. A quilt that says the whole family is behind you is a different thing than a quilt that says one person made it. I sew the label to the back by hand after the quilt is otherwise complete. It is the last thing I do before I fold it up, and I always take a moment with it. This one was easy to sit with. ## How Mom Reacted She came to pick it up on a Tuesday afternoon. I had it laid out on the table so she could see the full face of it when she walked in. She went quiet for a second, and then she started pointing at the corners. She recognized the Tiger right away and wanted to know how I had done it. I walked her through the applique process, and then she flipped it over and found the label. That was the moment. She got a little emotional reading the names. She said she had not expected it to include Dad and little brother by name, and it clearly hit her that the quilt was going to mean something to her son beyond just being a collection of old shirts. It was going to tell him his whole family was rooting for him. That is exactly what a send-off quilt is supposed to do. I am glad I got to make this one. Send Your Student Off with Something Real If you have shirts set aside and a student heading out the door, I would love to help you turn them into a quilt they will keep for life. [Schedule a Free Consultation](https://www.bigwes.com/contact/)or call [678-322-8849](tel:+16783228849) ## Start Your Quilt Memory quilts start at $275. Schedule a free consultation and let us talk through your project. [Free Consultation](https://www.bigwes.com/contact/) or call [678-322-8849](tel:+16783228849) ## More from the Blog - [Memory Bears Made from Clothing](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/memory-bears-made-from-clothing/) - [A Retirement Quilt Made from Nine Shirts](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/retirement-quilt-from-nine-shirts/) - [High School Theater Memory Quilt](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/high-school-theater-memory-quilt/) - [When a DIY T-Shirt Quilt Gets Overwhelming, I Can Help](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/rescuing-a-diy-t-shirt-quilt-project/) [All Posts](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/) ## About Wesley Wesley Hall is a professional quilter based in Atlanta, GA, with over ten years of experience making custom t-shirt quilts and memory quilts. [Meet Wesley →](https://www.bigwes.com/wesley-hall/) ## Browse by Category - [Client Stories](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/category/client-stories/) - [Quilt History](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/category/quilt-history/) - [Quilting Services](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/category/quilting-services/) ## More from the Blog [![Client holding her finished retirement quilt made from nine principal shirts, photographed at the Quilts by Big Wes studio in Atlanta, GA](https://www.bigwes.com/images/blog/retirement-quilt01.webp)](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/retirement-quilt-from-nine-shirts/) [Client Stories](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/category/client-stories/) ### [A Retirement Quilt Made from Nine Shirts](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/retirement-quilt-from-nine-shirts/) She only had nine shirts from her years as an elementary school principal. By maximizing every cut, Wesley delivered a retirement quilt that moved her to tears. July 28, 2026 [![High school theater t-shirt memory quilt with star border fabric and star stitch quilting, made by Wesley Hall in Atlanta, GA](https://www.bigwes.com/images/blog/theater-quilt01.webp)](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/high-school-theater-memory-quilt/) [Client Stories](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/category/client-stories/) ### [High School Theater Memory Quilt](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/high-school-theater-memory-quilt/) Some quilts come together around a theme so naturally that every decision just clicks into place. This high school theater memory quilt was one of those projects. From the moment the mom described her daughter's four years of performances, I knew exactly where I wanted to take it. July 27, 2026 [![Rescued DIY T-shirt quilt laid flat in Wesley Hall's Atlanta studio, showing 20 shirt blocks framed with soft fleece sashing repurposed from a beloved throw blanket.](https://www.bigwes.com/images/blog/diy-rescue01.webp)](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/rescuing-a-diy-t-shirt-quilt-project/) [Client Stories](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/category/client-stories/) ### [When a DIY T-Shirt Quilt Gets Overwhelming, I Can Help](https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/rescuing-a-diy-t-shirt-quilt-project/) A customer came to me with 20 pre-cut shirts in different sizes and a fleece blanket she loved. Here is how I stabilized her project, built a pattern from what she had, and turned that blanket into something she never expected. July 24, 2026 ## Ready to Send Your Student Off in Style? A college send-off quilt turns the shirts they grew up in into something they will carry with them for years. I work with families all over the Atlanta area to get every detail right, from the layout to the label. Schedule a free consultation and let us talk through your project. [Schedule a Free Consultation](https://www.bigwes.com/contact/) [See All Services](https://www.bigwes.com/services/)