QuiltingByCourtney

I am about to start my 2nd T-shirt quilt for a friend...and a few of them have holes in the logo areas and on the bottoms... so I have to find a way to neatly patch them...any ideas on how to neatly patch holes in T-shirts before I put the interfacing on the backs? Thanks!

DebraK

or just tell them that those tee shirts aren't suitable.

alisonquilts

I have backed holes in T's with a bit of interfacing, then (with an appropriate colored thread) I have woven a patch over the hole. This will only work with very small holes. Larger holes I have sewn a patch in from a part of the shirt that isn't going to be used - with the customer's permission, because it will show. Some of these repairs can be disguised at the quilting stage.

Good luck!

Alison

QuiltingByCourtney

[QUOTE=alisonquilts;5687279]I have backed holes in T's with a bit of interfacing, then (with an appropriate colored thread) I have woven a patch over the hole. This will only work with very small holes. Larger holes I have sewn a patch in from a part of the shirt that isn't going to be used - with the customer's permission, because it will show. Some of these repairs can be disguised at the quilting stage.

-The holes are like 1 inch slits, I wonder if I squeeze the hole closed, then iron on some interfacing to it, then when I quilt it make sure to go over the holes very well, do you think it will hold well hopefully? My friend only has enough t-shirts of this theme for the quilt so I need to use all the shirts, so I just need to brainstorm a way to fix them Thanks all

Tartan

Since you are dealing with more than one hole, I wold find a appliqué shape that followed the theme for the shirts. I would iron on the appliqué shape with wonderunder and machine buttonhole stitch the shape after getting the interfacing on the back of the shirts. If she's a runner or cyclist, maybe an outline of a yellow traffic cone? School shirts could have the school initials or logo? Misc. shirt could have something generic like stars or hearts?

Scissor Queen

I wouldn't worry about it. Once they're backed with the interfacing the holes will be stable and won't get any bigger. The holes are part of the character of the t-shirts.

QuiltingByCourtney

Yes they are race car t-shirts, and from being down in the pits fixing on cars these shirts were very worn and thus contain soo many memories from working on cars and racing..Thank you everyone for the ideas, I may have to try a couple different things and see which works best

alisonquilts

[QUOTE=QuiltingByCourtney;5687307]Yes, I think this could work well with slits. Maybe zigzag over the slit after it is stabilized, with matching thread?

Alison

feline fanatic

I'm with scissor queen. I would just get a slightly heavier interfacing for those few shirts. Once you iron on the interfacing the hole will be sealed and if you quilt over it the quilt will be just fine. Don't make this harder than it needs to be.

Kim T

I made my brother a t-shirt quilt and it had some slits like yours. I used red thread which most of the shirts were and zig-zagged over it and he thought it gave it great character.