Transforming Concert T-Shirts Into A Cozy Blanket

If you're looking to upcycle your old concert t-shirts into a blanket, there are several ways to go about it. You can either make a t-shirt quilt or a simple t-shirt blanket. For a t-shirt quilt, you'll need at least 5 t-shirts, and for a blanket, you'll need around 16 t-shirts for a decent-sized blanket. The process involves cutting squares from the t-shirts, ironing fusible interfacing to stabilize the squares, trimming the squares, planning the layout, pinning and sewing the squares together, and finally, attaching the batting and backing. You can add a border to your blanket for additional detailing or to make it larger. This project is a great way to preserve memories and create a long-lasting keepsake or custom gift for loved ones.

Cutting the t-shirts

The first step is to select the t-shirts you want to use for your blanket. You can use any number of t-shirts, depending on how big you want your blanket to be. For a small blanket, you will need around 16 t-shirts, while for a larger one, you might use 25 or 30.

Next, you need to decide on the size of the squares you want to cut from the t-shirts. A square template will help you cut uniformly-sized pieces. You can make a template by cutting and taping paper to the desired size; it should be at least 12 inches or 30 cm, but you can go larger if you prefer. A 15-inch by 15-inch cardboard square is also a good option for a template.

Now it's time to cut the t-shirts. Flatten each shirt on a table and centre the template on the part of the design you want to include in your blanket. Cut around the template, leaving about an inch of space around the edges for a "seam allowance" when you sew the pieces together. You can mark the edges with a Sharpie if it helps, especially if your template isn't perfectly square, and then wash off the marks later.

Ironing fusible interfacing

Preparation:

Before you begin ironing, gather your cut t-shirt squares and pieces of fusible interfacing. The interfacing should be slightly smaller than the t-shirt squares to prevent glue from getting onto your iron. You will also need an ironing board or ironing surface and a press cloth, which can be dampened, to avoid damaging the t-shirt design. It is recommended to use lightweight, iron-on interfacing such as Pellon 911FF featherweight or Therm-o-Web Heat’n Bond.

Ironing Process:

• Lay the t-shirt square on the ironing surface with the image side facing down.
• Place the fusible interfacing on top of the t-shirt, ensuring the glue side (rougher side) is against the reverse side of the t-shirt.
• Cover the t-shirt and interfacing with the damp press cloth.
• Read the manufacturer's instructions for your interfacing to set the correct temperature and steam settings on your iron.
• Press the interfacing to the t-shirt using firm pressure and holding the iron steady for 10-15 seconds in each spot. Ensure you overlap pressing areas to cover all parts of the t-shirt.

Post-Ironing:

Once the interfacing is fused to the t-shirt, you can proceed to trim each square and plan your layout for the blanket. The interfacing will help prevent sagging and stretching as you continue to work with the fabric.

Sewing the blocks together

Now that you have cut out your t-shirts, ironed fusible interfacing to each square, and trimmed them down, it's time to sew the blocks together!

First, decide on your preferred layout for your t-shirt quilt. If you have 16 squares, you can create a square blanket by arranging your squares in a 4x4 shape. If you prefer a rectangular blanket, you can arrange your squares in 5 rows with 3 blocks in each. The layout is entirely up to you and the number of t-shirts you have. Take your time to play around with the design and find the perfect layout.

Once you have decided on your layout, you can pin the squares together, ready to be sewn. Keep in mind that these pins are not permanent and are just there to help keep your chosen layout in place. You can then start sewing each square together using a sewing machine or by hand. Sew one row at a time, and then sew each row together to complete your t-shirt blanket.

Another method is to lay the squares on top of each other (with the good sides facing in) and sew along one side. To get started, fold over the corner shirt square onto its neighbour, then pin the side that will be sewn. Unfold, then fold the two over the next square and pin, and so on. After the top line is done, sew along the pinned edges. Now you can easily add squares one at a time by laying them face down on the adjacent square, pinning, and sewing.

Finally, lay your shirt-quilt down over your blanket and grab your pin cushion. Centre the t-shirts over the blanket as best you can. Now, grab an edge at one of the corners, fold it over a little, and pin it down. Do this all the way around the blanket, or until you run out of pins. All that's left is to do a stitch all the way around the edge, holding the t-shirts to the blanket. You can also add a few stitches in the middle or around the squares for extra stability if you wish.

Adding batting and backing

Firstly, choose the appropriate batting material. For smaller quilts, fibre fill or quilter's cotton are affordable options, but they may require more quilting to prevent bunching. Wool is a natural, breathable option that gives a cosy feel to the quilt but is more expensive. Bamboo or soy fibres are sustainable, hypoallergenic alternatives that offer a similar soft feel to wool at a lower cost.

For the backing fabric, select a material that is at least 2 inches wider than the quilt on all sides to allow for trimming and overhang. It should also be 1-2 yards longer than the finished quilt length for sufficient coverage. The backing fabric should be washable, easy to work with, and have a solid colour or small print to avoid showing through the quilting.

Now, it's time to assemble the layers of your blanket. Start by laying the batting with the smooth side down, followed by the backing fabric with the right side facing up. Smooth out any wrinkles. Then, place the quilt top with the right side facing down. Ensure perfect alignment to prevent shifting during quilting. Use quilter's pins or masking tape every 6-8 inches to secure the layers in place.

The next step is basting, which keeps the layers from slipping during quilting. You can use spray basting, thread basting, or basting safety pins. Spray basting involves misting lightly between the layers with a can held 6-12 inches away. Thread basting involves hand-stitching long running stitches through all three layers, 6-8 inches apart. With basting safety pins, place the pins vertically, 1-2 inches apart, through all the layers.

After basting, you can move on to quilting your blanket. This step allows for creative self-expression through various quilting designs. You can choose from freehand quilting, quilting by hand, home machine quilting, or sending it to a longarm quilter. Consider the intended use of the blanket and your skill level when deciding on a quilting method.

Finally, finish your blanket by trimming excess batting and backing from the edges using a rotary cutter. Add the binding by folding the binding strip in half lengthwise and sewing it to the front of the quilt, then mitering the corners. Fold the binding to the back and stitch it down by hand or machine.

Creating a border

There are several methods to create a border for your blanket. The first is to knit the border with the rest of your blanket. This involves casting on the number of stitches needed for the inside of the blanket, plus twice the number of stitches needed for the border. You then knit the bottom border to the desired length, knit the blanket pattern, and finish with the top border. This method is one of the easiest, as you do all the work at once and there is no need to seam different pieces together. However, it can make the total project quite large, which may create some practical challenges.

Another method is to knit the border separately and sew it onto the blanket afterwards. This method is useful if knitting the border with the rest of the blanket would make the project too large to fit on your needles. To do this, determine the size of your blanket, including the size of the border, and divide the total measurement by the stitch gauge to calculate the number of stitches needed. To create the corners, decrease one stitch on either side of the corner stitch every second row. Once the border is the correct size, sew it onto the blanket. This method creates a seamless, continuous pattern, but it does require seaming the border onto the blanket, which may be a disadvantage if you dislike seaming.

You can also create a border by picking up stitches along the edges of your blanket and knitting the border onto it. This method can be used to add a border to an already-knitted blanket. It is a relatively easy way to create a mitered corner, which makes the border look very nice. However, it can be difficult to pick up the correct number of stitches, and if you pick up too many or too few, the border may curl.

When adding a border to a T-shirt blanket, it is best to use a bright colour to make the blanket pop and create visual interest.

Frequently asked questions