Quiltingboard Forums - View Single Post - T Shirt Quilts: Are they challenging?

09-06-2011, 12:15 PM

#54

Flying_V_Goddess

Super Member

Join Date: Mar 2007

Location: Wisconsin

Posts: 1,703

I made one large wallhanging out of Slipknot shirts. It wasn't particulary hard. I think the hardest part was figuring where to cut. I had a set panel size (15"?) for the t-shirts and sometimes the design on the shirt just extended a little bit beyond that size. You don't have to cut out the shirts the same size...that's just how I did mine. You do have to add some sort of interfacing to stabilize it. Most people go with a lightweight fusible. I think I used Pellon lightweight fusible.

I have heard a lot of long arm quilters don't like quilting them because a lot of t-shirts have the plasticy iron-on designs on them and they are a pain to sew through (not to mention it kind of looks like crap). If you have screenprinted shirts---which should barely have a "feel" to it if any at all---then this shouldn't be a problem. If you do have shirts with the iron on designs then you could ask if they could quilt around the design. I didn't have mine sent in to be quilted. I partially tied my quilt. I put a tie on the t-shirt panels every 4" (I think) with black perle cotton embroidery thread (black because it was the same color as the t-shirt fabric). I plan on quilting the sashing and borders with an echoing straight stitch...provided if I ever get around to finishing it!

[IMG]http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/100_0064.jpg[/IMG]
(T-shirt quilt top. Borders were a little wavy until the quilt got sandwiched)

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