Dear Sun Spots: I’m looking for information on making teddy bears with men’s flannel shirts. Also making quilts with cotton shirts. Thank you. – No Name, Auburn.

Answer: In addition to responses from readers, contact Angie at Angie Rogers’ Handmade Bears in Gray. She creates bears from flannel shirts, as well as recycled fur, sweaters, old uniforms, denim, even old blankets. Anything sentimental that can be sewn, she’s happy to turn into a memory bear. She may be reached at (207) 428-4415 or [email protected]. For photos of bears she has made, check out her Web site, www.angiebears.com.

If you’re interested in making your own T-shirt quilt, here’s a good starting point, as found on www.wikihow.com: Sort through your T-shirts; stack them by color or design. Determine how many of them you want to use. The size and design of your finished quilt will depend on the amount of material you have available. Note: 14- by 14-inch (35.5 cm) squares are a common and comfortable size to use, but you can enlarge that to 18 by 18-inch (45 cm) if the shirts are XXL and shrink that to 10 by 10-inch (25 cm) or less if you will be using children’s shirts.

Evaluate your collection. Is there a common color scheme? A theme that runs through them? Any patterns or messages that you would like to emphasize?

Choose a pattern. A simple grid pattern is the easiest, but you can get as creative as you like. Launder all of the shirts. Do not use fabric softeners or anti-static sheets.

Lay the T-shirt out flat and determine what part you want in the quilt and trace the perimeter of your template. Cut your square panels from the shirts using a template. Stabilize the T-shirt panels by ironing a non-woven fusible interfacing or lightweight, fusible tricot interfacing to the back sides. This prevents the T-shirts from stretching or sagging during construction.

Once you’ve stabilized the knit T-shirt fabric, you are ready to sew as you would with “normal” fabrics.

Also consider checking out the book “Generation T : 108 ways to transform a T-shirt” by Megan Nicolay. It is available through the public library and has many creative ideas for things to do with the stack of T-shirts you hate to get rid of!

Dear Sun Spots: The Senior Companion Program is looking for volunteers to help make the day brighter for homebound and isolated elderly in the Lewiston-Auburn area.

The program is sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and is partnered with Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, Clover Health Care and SeniorsPlus.

If you are 60 or older and on a fixed income you may be eligible to become a senior companion. Please call Anna Saar at 1-800-287-1482 for more information. Thank you for caring. – Anna, South Paris.

Dear Sun Spots: Our Daughter of the American Revolution chapter, Colonial Daughters, in celebration of 100 years is putting together a booklet of our past regents. We are lacking several photos. If anyone has any photos to share of the ladies listed below, please contact [email protected] or call 899-9995. Thanks for your help.

Lillian M. Paine, Marion Johnson McLeary Getchell, Elizabeth Day Haskell, Wilma Conant Dolbier, Nellie Farmer, Laura Patterson Small, Annie Stubbs Bell, Susie Holt Lovejoy, Alma Clark Fellows, Frances Butler Hodgkins, Achsa H. French, Grace A. Gilkey, Sara B. Folger, Blanche Applebee, Freda Kelley and Hazel True Newman. – Melanie, Temple.

Dear Sun Spots: Great service to the community, keep up the good work. I am looking for a Technics Keyboard, model number sx-KN 1400 or 1600, used but in excellent condition. I will pay a reasonable price. I already have one, but would like a spare. Please contact me at 784-2061. – Nel, Lewiston.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be posted at www.sunjournal.com in the Advice section under Opinion on the left-hand corner of your computer screen. In addition, you can e-mail your inquiries to [email protected].