T-Shirt Quilt

[Valentine44]

I am working on a T-shirt quilt right now. I am not good at pick a pattern and following instructions. Usually, I get an idea from magazines or TV and go from there. Saw a program on cotton theory quilting, and I wonder if using this technique would make my quilt to heavy. I am think I will fuse the shirt squares to muslin with heat-n-bond and doing the same with the T-shirt scraps. I can than use the scraps to make the connecting strips. Using cotton for the backing and maybe flannel for the batting. I have used this technique on several patterns before, by breaking the pattern into thirds, quilting, and the connecting section is a sashing between rows. Has anyone used this technique?

[cindyg]

I have not used that technique. Your quilt might not be so heavy if you fuse the t-shirt onto very light weight non-woven fusible interfacing (like El uses for her applique pieces) instead of muslin. I like the Cotton Theory because you can quilt it as you go but folding over the seam allowances and stitching them down with a decorative stitch makes for a stiff quilt. It sure looks pretty on the back tho.

[vivian1970]

I made 2 t-shirts quilts for my husband. They were made out of his shirts that we got from going to all the different car shows. He has a 1948 Ford Coupe.
I will go home today and look at this quilt and see how it was made and post a picture of it on here so that you can see what I am talking about. On the second quilt I even embroidered names of close friends in the 5" squares.

I didn't put any stabilizer behind the artwork but I am thinking it would have been easier to quilt.

The first one I did I quilted in two weeks. It took a little longer for the second one.

vivian

[GrandmaTaz]

Valentin44, You should really use a light weight fusilbe like Cindyg suggested. There is one for knit fabrics, it's very soft and dosen't add bulk. I made a picture quilt for my son and the pictures were put on a knit fabric like T-shirts. It's a permanant process and they worked out great. I had the quilt done by my friend who does LA quilting and it quilted great. The heat and bond does not wash well and tends to pucker. The wonder under or steam fo seam would be better but I think the light weight fuisble would be your best bet.

Jeanne

[Joannequilts]

I've made 4 T-Shirt quilts and they are fun! But folding over the seams with that t-shirt material is going to make them really thick.

I agree with GrandmaTaz and Cindyg!!! I used the fusible for knit fabrics--recommended to me by a clerk at JoAnn's Fabrics and she was right on! It gives the t-shirt fabric some body and won't allow it to stretch. It is awesome!

The 3 quilts I made first were backed with cotton fabric, and also the sashings and I hand quilted them. The 4th was a lap quilt and had t-shirts on both sides (which I don't recommend! lol!) and I machine quilted it. I used 100% cotton batting for all of them, which is fairly thin.

I also used a wider seam when sewing them together.

Joanne:0)

[Suzquilts]

I also used fusible interfacing for my friend's daughter's queen size T shirt quilt - cut the front of the T shirt into 16" sizes (around whatever design was on the front), and added 4" sashings in between and 6" border in same fabric to basically frame the shirt fronts. The interfacing made it SO much easier to deal with the T shirt fabric. Man that stuff stretches! Machine quilted without a problem.

Suz