Whoa there! – we are NOT making t-shirts out of quilts – but we are making a quilt out of parts of several t-shirts. Most of the readers of this blog have a collection of t-shirts from vacations, rock concerts, sports or hobbies (I’ll bet on that prediction) that they can’t bear to throw away.

This blog topic is so overwhelming that it will appear in two parts. Neither part deals with how to acquire t-shirts nor the psychology of why we have t-shirt collections. If you need help in these areas, consult with someone who might be able to help you – not that it will help much, but you can try to get help.

Your t-shirt quilt can be any size. If you have many t-shirts, you can make every block from a t-shirt. If you have only a few t-shirts, you can add some plain fabric blocks if the finished quilt size needs more blocks than t-shirts on hand. The plain fabric can be woven cotton fabric or cut from unprinted areas of  t-shirts.

Getting Started:

1. Pull out all the t-shirts that you think you want to use. Sort them by size of images on the shirts and perhaps a theme or related themes.
2. Roughly measure the sizes of the images and make a list of the heights and widths of the designs you want to use.
3. Decide – in general terms – how you want your finished quilt to look, overall size, and block arrangement. These criteria are likely to change as you audition block arrangements.

Supplies:

1. T-shirts – Wash all used t-shirts once. New t-shirts should be washed twice to soften the fabric.
2. Non-stretchy fusible interfacing – Don’t use a knit interfacing. You are using the interfacing to make the knit t-shirt non-stretchy for ease in sewing.
3. Woven cotton fabric – If you are going to add sashing and borders
4. Fabric for backing – You can use t-shirts on both sides if you have a lot of t-shirts. Plain cotton backing with batting is good or use polar fleece for backing and omit the batting.
5. Batting – A polyester batting is best if you are going to tie your quilt. A cotton or 80/20 blend batting is better for machine quilting.

Let’s get started:
T-shirts:

1. Take the side seams apart, if knit in the round, cut one side.

2. Remove sleeves. If they have small logos remember to save them.

3. Cut the fusible interfacing about 2 inches larger than the size of your unsewn blocks.
4. Following manufacturer’s advice, fuse the interfacing to the back side of the tee-shirt sections you plan to use.
5. Note: Use a 1/2” seam allowance instead of the usual 1/4” used for other types of quilts.

6. If all your blocks are going to be the same size, make a template from mat board, cardboard or plastic template material to mark your t-shirts. Remember to add a 1/2” seam allowance on all sides. You can also purchase a tee-shirt template that you can use with your rotary cutter from Moore’s Sewing Center.

Let the fun begin:

1. Clear a place on the floor, or a bed top to lay out your blocks.
2. A digital picture of each potential layout will be useful as you rearrange the blocks. The pictures will also be helpful as you start to assemble your blocks.

To be continued next week – – – –