quiltedsunshine

No stabilizer needed with Denim Stars, Squares or Bricks. The seams come to the front and fold down onto the shirt fabric. Batting can be sandwiched between the denim and shirt fabric. Then the raw edge of the seam is zig-zagged down. The denim keeps everything stable.

farmquilter

I am LOVING the squares and bricks denim quilts, did you use any batting in them. Looks like they would be small enough and not need it.

Gerbie

Check out gamasandee who posted a thread today about a t shirt quilt and go to Donna Jordan's site that thimblebug6000 posted. I have use Donna's method with photos and I think it will work for what you want. You do need to stabilize the t-shirt fabric.

klswift

I like the idea of a jeans border, maybe also cornerstones. I have not tried either or your full sashing plan, my concern is the varying thicknesses. As far as the T-shirts, the deal is that they stretch and you don't want that. I use a light weight fusible and apply it BEFORE cutting it out (I do slice up the sides and neck but a lot bigger than I want the finished block to account for the 'curl' of the material). I also like to do an echo stitch around whatever the logo is with just the T-shirt and the interfacing. For me, it just helps hold everything together and I have no worries about it after many washes. I like to do a minimal quilting on my tops so this doesn't clutter up the backing. For quilting, I usually do something meandering down the sashings and a stitch inside the block about an inch or so inside. A thought - do you have some of his 'regular' shirts? Could you use the cotton shirts as sashing and border with the jeans?

quiltingshorttimer

Yes--use stabilizer on the t-shirt--I like Pellon StayFlex--it's a woven fusible that has lots of drape to it so not as stiff as the non-woven Pellon 911F (my other go-to stabilizer). No need for stabilizer on the denim. Be sure you are using a large enough needle for the denim, otherwise should have no problems. Quilting it on a domestic may be more challenging as heavier fabrics all around--use a #14 or 16 topstitch needle.

osewfast

Thank you all for your words of wisdom, guidance, suggestions and pictures.
I'll keep you posted on my progress. I plan to make 2 of these quilts...wish me luck!!!

Blessings,
Donna Mc

feline fanatic

I have used denim jeans as cornerstones in T-shirt quilts and regular cotton fabric for the sashing. I always use a fusible interface to stabilize the T shirt material.

Here is link to one I did double sided. The front I did the shadow box with regular cotton and the back I did sashing and cornerstones and used some of the denim for the outside cornerstones. I had no issues and I have done several like this.

Double sided T-Shirt quilt

quilts4charity

I actually just did one with no stabilizer, I usually use it but decided to try it without, I starched the dickens out of them by spraying 1/2 sta-flo, 1/2 water on them on the back and you know what? It worked, I wouldn't recommend it for a 1st time on one but it does work.

Laurie LK

Hi Donna,
I've made a few t-shirt quilts that have turned out pretty good. I use fusible interfacing. I usually cut my tshirt blocks a little bigger than 13x13, cut out same size piece of iron-on fusing, iron it on the t-shirt, then I re-cut to make sure my block is exactly 13x13. Might seem like more steps, with a little more waste, but then my t-shirt is not stretching or moving on me to make the exact block dimensions. I make my quilts 4 blocks wide and 5 long (sometimes 6 long)... (makes a nice usable lap blanket). I like your idea for the "shadow" with jeans. When I was at the Nebraska State Fair, I took a picture of a quilt (made by an 11 yr old!) with disney characters, with a shadow look. I'll include the picture. I guess the shadow would work best if you've got tshirts that you really want to stand out. The other one is more of a rag quilt with my running t-shirts, with the seams on the right side plus I sewed an "x" through each block to hold the flannel I used in the middle in place (yep it's heavy).
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