Constructing A T-Shirt Quilt: A Step-By-Step Guide

Constructing a T-shirt quilt is a fun way to preserve old memories and breathe new life into old T-shirts. The process is fairly simple and typically takes only a few hours. The most time-consuming part is usually arranging the T-shirt panels in an attractive design. There are no special patterns or rules for T-shirt quilts, and they can be as basic or intricate as desired. This project requires little money as it primarily uses materials you already have on hand, such as T-shirts, a blanket, a sheet, and leftover thread. The only expense typically required is medium-weight iron-on interfacing, which helps stabilise the stretchy T-shirt fabric. The construction process involves cutting the T-shirts, measuring and designing the layout, sewing the T-shirt panels together, and finishing the quilt. T-shirt quilts can be made in various sizes, from small lap quilts to king-size bedspreads, depending on the number of T-shirts used.

Choosing and preparing your T-shirts

Firstly, gather your T-shirts. You will need at least 12 T-shirts to make a throw-size quilt, 20 for a twin-size quilt, 30 for a full-size quilt, 36 for a queen-size quilt, and 42 for a king-size quilt. If you don't have enough T-shirts, you can supplement them with thrifted shirts with meaningful places, logos, or sayings.

Once you have your T-shirts, wash, dry, and iron them to remove any wrinkles. Then, use sharp scissors or a rotary cutter to cut the front panel of each T-shirt, cutting as close to the side seams as possible to leave as much fabric as possible. Cut off the sleeves, seams, neckband, and any hemmed areas, so you are left with a rectangular panel. Do this for all the T-shirts, and also cut the back panels if you plan to use them.

Now, lay out your T-shirt panels and shuffle them around until you find a design you like. At this point, you can also cut pieces of coordinating fabric to fill in any gaps in the arrangement, leaving enough fabric for a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

If you are using a template, choose a template that is as big as the smallest shirt. For example, if your smallest shirt is 12 inches square, make your template 12 inches. You can cut your template out of cardboard or plastic. Then, center the template on top of each T-shirt design and cut the fabric around it.

Before cutting your T-shirts to their final size, it is recommended to add interfacing to stabilize the stretchy T-shirt fabric and make it easier to sew. You can buy iron-on or fusible interfacing and attach it to the back of your T-shirt panels following the manufacturer's instructions.

Finally, trim your T-shirt panels according to your desired size, leaving enough fabric for a seam allowance (usually 1/2-inch). And that's it! You are now ready to start sewing your T-shirt quilt.

Cutting the T-shirts

The first step in constructing a T-shirt quilt is to cut up the T-shirts. This will allow you to separate the usable "design" portion from the rest of the material. You will need a pair of sharp scissors or a rotary cutter for this step. Cut up the sides of the shirt, around the armhole, and across the neckline.

It is important to keep in mind that you want to preserve as much of the design as possible, so cut as close to the seams as you can. You will also want to leave enough fabric around the edges for a seam allowance. This is typically around 1/2 inch, but you may want to leave a little extra if you plan to use fusible interfacing, as this will be trimmed after application.

Once you have cut out the front panel of the T-shirt, you will need to trim it to your desired size. If you are using a template, you can place it on top of the design and cut around it. Otherwise, you can use a quilting ruler and rotary cutter to cut the panel down to size.

If you are using the back of the T-shirt as well, you will need to cut it out in the same way, being sure to leave enough fabric for the seam allowance.

After all your T-shirts are cut into "rough" blocks, you can start organizing them by size. This will help you determine how many blocks you have available and how large your quilt can be. You will need enough blocks to create complete vertical strips that travel the length and width of your desired quilt size.

The number of T-shirt quilt blocks you have will determine the final dimensions of your quilt. You may need to adjust the size of some blocks or add extra fabric to make sure they are all large enough. For example, if you have a small design, you can cut it into a smaller block and then stitch multiple blocks together to create a larger one.

Once you have all your blocks cut and organized, you can start planning the layout of your quilt. This is a crucial step, as it will determine the final design and look of your quilt. You will need to decide on the order of the blocks and how they will be arranged into strips.

Remember to take into account the stretchiness of the T-shirt fabric when planning your layout. You may want to use sashing, or strips of fabric, between the blocks to help manage the stretch and add negative space between the shirt graphics. However, this is optional, and you can choose to puzzle the blocks together directly without any sashing.

Overall, cutting the T-shirts is a crucial step in constructing a T-shirt quilt. It requires precision and planning to ensure that you preserve the designs and create blocks that fit your desired quilt size. With careful cutting and organization, you will be well on your way to creating a beautiful and meaningful T-shirt quilt.

Sewing the T-shirts together

Step 1: Cut the T-shirts

Use scissors or a rotary cutter to separate the "design" portion of the T-shirt from the rest of the material. Cut up the sides, around the armholes, and across the neckline. This initial cut does not need to be precise, but remember to keep excess material at the corners of your block, as you will need room for seam allowances.

Step 2: Measure and Organise

Measure the width of the widest design you want to include in your quilt, adding 1 inch on each side for a border and seam allowance. Then, measure the other designs, starting with the widest, and sort them into piles of similar widths. Remember, you will need to create complete vertical strips of the same width that span the length and width of your desired quilt.

Step 3: Create Vertical Strips

Using your widest design blocks, begin creating your first vertical strip, approximating the finished length of your quilt. Fold the edges of the blocks to adjust for the proper width and length. Don't forget that you will lose at least 1 inch of length per block with the seam allowance. Continue adding blocks to create additional vertical strips, ensuring that the overall material dimensions do not exceed the size of your blanket and backing.

Step 4: Assemble the Quilt Top

Once you have created all your vertical strips, it's time to sew them together. Align each strip next to each other lengthwise and attach them by pinning the strips with right sides facing. Make sure to align the top and bottom designs so they match at the edges. Sew the first two strips together, then continue attaching and sewing strips until you have completed the quilt top.

Step 5: Attach the Batting and Backing

Place your blanket batting on your work surface and lay your quilt top on top, face up. Use safety pins to secure the layers together. Then, place your backing material, face down, on top of the pinned quilt top and pin along the outer seam edge. These layers are now ready to be sewn together. Sew three edges completely, leaving the fourth edge open to turn the quilt right side out.

Step 6: Finish the Quilt

Turn the quilt right side out and press the edges flat. Close the open portion on the fourth edge by hand or machine. Carefully remove the safety pins and replace them, pinning through all layers of the quilt. Finish the edges with blanket binding or your preferred method.

Tips:

• It is recommended to use a sewing machine for assembling the quilt, as it is much easier than sewing by hand.
• If you are new to quilting, consider making a small practice quilt with T-shirt scraps before starting on your final project.
• You can use a walking foot on your sewing machine to help feed the fabric through more easily.
• Use a ballpoint needle on your sewing machine, especially if the standard needle snags the T-shirt fabric.
• Ironing interfacing onto the T-shirt blocks before sewing can help stabilise the stretchy fabric and make it easier to work with.

Adding the backing and batting

Now that the quilt top is ready, it's time to add the backing and batting. The backing is the fabric that you see on the back of a quilt. It is usually made from a solid colour fabric so you can see the quilting on the back of the quilt. A print fabric can date a quilt very quickly and not always in a good way. You can use the same colour as the backing or a contrasting colour.

The first step is to measure your finished quilt top and do the "quilty math" to determine the correct size of your backing. Once you know the size, you can decide if you want to piece your backing or use a wide back fabric. The most common method is to piece your backing fabric.

Next, you need to consider the batting. Do you like a thick, heavy quilt or a lighter quilt? Is this quilt going to be used all year round or just in certain seasons? Choosing the right batting will make a difference in your finished quilt.

Once you have your backing and batting ready, it's time to layer them with the quilt top. This is called making a "quilt sandwich". Start by laying the backing fabric down, wrong side up, and tape it to your work surface. Then, lay the batting on top, smoothing out any wrinkles or creases. Finally, lay the quilt top on top, right side up, and align it with the backing and batting. Pin the three layers together, starting from the centre and working your way out to the edges.

Now, it's time to quilt your layers together. You can do this by hand or using a sewing machine. Start in the middle of your quilt and work your way out to the edges. You can follow the edges of the quilt pieces and stitch along each seam line or choose a free-motion quilting design.

Once the quilting is complete, it's time to bind the edges of your quilt. Cut strips of fabric for the binding and sew them together to form a long strip. Fold the strip in half, wrong sides together, and press. Starting at the middle of one side of your quilt, sew the binding to the front, using a 1/4" seam allowance. Go slowly and mitre the corners as you reach them. When you get back to where you started, fold the ending tail of the binding back and trim it so that it overlaps the beginning by a few inches. Sew this join and then finish sewing the binding to the front of the quilt. Fold the binding over to the back of the quilt and hand-stitch it in place.

Finishing the quilt

Now that you have your quilt top ready, it's time to finish the quilt! This involves attaching the batting and backing, quilting the layers together, and binding the edges. Here are the steps to finish your T-shirt quilt:

• Attaching the Batting and Backing: Place your clean blanket or batting on your work surface. Lay your quilt top face up on the batting, and use safety pins to secure the layers together. Then, place your backing material (a sheet or fabric) face down on top of the pinned quilt top. You should now have three layers: the blanket/batting, quilt top, and backing material. Pin along the outer seam edge, adjusting for your desired finishing technique.
• Sewing the Layers: Sew the three layers together, leaving enough space to turn the quilt right side out. You can use a sewing machine or hand sew, depending on your preference.
• Turning and Pressing: After sewing, turn the quilt right side out and press the edges flat. Close the opening by hand or machine sewing. Shape the edges and corners to their final placement.
• Pinning and Quilting: Carefully remove the safety pins from the top layer, and replace each pin through the backing material to secure all the layers. You can now quilt your layers together. This can be done by stitching the layers together in any design you choose, or by tying the layers with embroidery floss or yarn. If you prefer, you can also take your quilt to a machine quilter with a long-arm machine.
• Binding the Edges: To finish your quilt, bind the edges with quilt binding or a technique of your choice. This will give your quilt a neat and professional look.

Your T-shirt quilt is now complete! You can admire your handiwork and enjoy the memories that your quilt holds. Remember to care for your quilt by washing and drying it gently, and it will last for years to come.

Frequently asked questions