Print PDF
Favorite
Email
If any of you are like me, you have lots and lots of T-shirts that have sentimental value and have been in your possession for years but you just dont wear them anymore. Maybe you keep them in dresser drawers taking up valuable space from clothes you actually wear, or maybe they are in boxes in the attic or garage, or hanging in every closet of the house. Maybe you've even considered finally getting rid of them after all these years...WELL DON"T ... here is a great solution!
Make a warm, cozy, T-shirt Quilt and keep the memories without taking up all your drawer space.
A personal T-shirt quilt provides:
Warmth,
Conversation,
Story-telling,
Tears of joy,
Sparks of memories,
Gifts of love for any and all occasions, and
An outlet for creative thinking and design.
This project requires little money because you are primarily using materials you already have on hand i.e.) T-shirts, a blanket, a sheet, all your leftover thread and yarn from previous sewing projects, time, and your brain. The only expense required for this project is medium weight iron-on interfacing. This quilt is great because you can just throw it in the washer and dryer. It can be made any size from a small lap-throw to a king-size bedspread depending on the collection of T-shirts chosen.
I am working on my 4th T-shirt quilt, but I am always learning better techniques for creating a great, usable finished product. By no means are my methods the final say in T-shirt quilt construction and any suggestions are welcome to improve the method. If you are looking for an exact step-by-step pattern for T-shirt quilt creation, this is not it. Every T-shirt quilt will come out differently so be creative, resourceful, and make a personal heirloom.
Make a warm, cozy, T-shirt Quilt and keep the memories without taking up all your drawer space.
A personal T-shirt quilt provides:
Warmth,
Conversation,
Story-telling,
Tears of joy,
Sparks of memories,
Gifts of love for any and all occasions, and
An outlet for creative thinking and design.
This project requires little money because you are primarily using materials you already have on hand i.e.) T-shirts, a blanket, a sheet, all your leftover thread and yarn from previous sewing projects, time, and your brain. The only expense required for this project is medium weight iron-on interfacing. This quilt is great because you can just throw it in the washer and dryer. It can be made any size from a small lap-throw to a king-size bedspread depending on the collection of T-shirts chosen.
I am working on my 4th T-shirt quilt, but I am always learning better techniques for creating a great, usable finished product. By no means are my methods the final say in T-shirt quilt construction and any suggestions are welcome to improve the method. If you are looking for an exact step-by-step pattern for T-shirt quilt creation, this is not it. Every T-shirt quilt will come out differently so be creative, resourceful, and make a personal heirloom.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1A Few Thoughts Before Starting
I will warn you, the hardest part of creating an Awesome T-shirt Quilt is the initial layout and design. It takes math, not scary square roots and you won't have to factor anything, however, you will need to measure, add, subtract, divide, and think critically about the design and construction (calculators allowed). Creating a T-shirt quilt can be challenging, but once the quilt block sizes and layout are established the rest is EASY! With a hot iron, a steady Singer sewing machine, and ample workspace, you will be admiring your finished T-shirt quilt in no time.
This T-shirt quilt is based around the "design" portion of the T-shirt. This can include all screenprinted, painted, embroidered, autographed, appliqued, or patched portions on a T-shirt. I have used "designs" found on the sleeves, the pockets, and of course the fronts and backs of shirts. I recommend looking at your T-shirt collection with a new vision in mind....most "designed" parts are usable as long as they meet some basic minimum-measurement standards.
Be cautious and think BIG . You can always reduce the size of your quilt blocks for a better fit but, once they are cut you cannot make them any bigger. I find it is best to start out with larger 'rough' quilt blocks to start laying out and visualizing the design before making the final cuts for the quilt construction. Once the sewing begins and all those seam allowances are taken up, your quilt will be quite a bit smaller than it originally seemed!
This T-shirt quilt is based around the "design" portion of the T-shirt. This can include all screenprinted, painted, embroidered, autographed, appliqued, or patched portions on a T-shirt. I have used "designs" found on the sleeves, the pockets, and of course the fronts and backs of shirts. I recommend looking at your T-shirt collection with a new vision in mind....most "designed" parts are usable as long as they meet some basic minimum-measurement standards.
Be cautious and think BIG . You can always reduce the size of your quilt blocks for a better fit but, once they are cut you cannot make them any bigger. I find it is best to start out with larger 'rough' quilt blocks to start laying out and visualizing the design before making the final cuts for the quilt construction. Once the sewing begins and all those seam allowances are taken up, your quilt will be quite a bit smaller than it originally seemed!
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
Great instructable!