T-shirt Quilt
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Eastern Long Island, NY
Posts: 160
T-shirt Quilt
I have been asked to make a quilt using t-shirts that belonged to a local 25 year old man who died in a car crash last week. I have been watching YouTube videos and doing some internet searches and I think I have somewhat of a plan but I wanted to see if anyone has any advice for me?
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: s.cal
Posts: 2,039
hi youtube.com has good tutorials like you said but craftys .com is offering a class on t shirts quilts ,if I was doing a t shirt quilt for someone I would really study this project good before starting this, hope this help
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 696
My friend does them and she says to use the correct interfacing ironed onto the back of each one to stabilize them. It is a medium one, not stiff. If all the sizes are not even, adjust them by adding to it or using a contrasting color for sashing. Best of luck.
#4
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: country living outside of Natchitoches, La.
Posts: 45
I have done a few Memorial Tee Quilt tops. The last one is for a friend who's Husband died several years ago. She wanted to make a quilt top with his tees, he had wore for Grand daughters ball games over the years. We made Fabric photos of them together at the games, 5X6 fabric pics of her in her game tee to place on the top near his tee square that matched. I have found out that you have to use iron on fusible web to tee squares as you cut them out so they don't stretch out of shape. She gave top to grand daughter for Christmas. 2 more tops for the Grandsons to go.
#5
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,127
I use to make t-shirt quilts for other and the most important thing is to have a plan of what layout you are going to use. Then you need to fuse on lightweight fusible (I bought a bolt at JAF) onto the back of the t-shirts before you start cutting them. I would do something simple like the shadow box. Check out MSQS video called Illusion.
#7
I cut the tee shirts extra big and then fuse the interfacing on. I like a light weight Pellon. Then and only then, I cut the tee shirts into the size I want them to be for the blocks. Use your imagination and add things that were his interests. I embroideried a GTO car on my BIL's memorial quilt because he loves working on his GTO. I used 'food' fabric to show his favorite foods. There are so many ideas.
#8
When i've made mine, i also iron interfacing to the back of the t-shirt...that is, the plain fabric. I can then cut strips or squares or whatever i need to add to blocks to make them the size i want/need, or use as sashing between blocks. This makes the entire front of the quilt all t-shirt fabric....and the colors all work because they came from the t-shirts themselves. I've also kept all the interfaced leftovers for a scrappy t-shirt fabric quilt i'll make one of these days.
#9
I've made the memory quilts using 3-D parts too....leaving the collar of a favorite golf tee attached, adding a pocket.....can give a bit of life to the quilt....can also use squares from shorts, pants, pj's, dress shirts
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Posts: 939
Wash the t-shirts before starting to remove any fabric softener. I use featherweight, fusible interfacing to stabilize the designs. Be careful. T-shirts stretch in one direction and the interfacing stretches in one direction. Make sure you attach the interfacing so that its stretch is not in the same direction as the t-shirt's stretch. If the t-shirt designs are not the same size, use sashing around each one. I often pair two designs in one 15" block. I have even used three designs if they are very small. It's like putting together a puzzle. Good luck and have fun.
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