IrishMom

Same as most of the other responses -- the quickest tee shirt quilt will have all the tee shirts cut the same size.

I free cut the shirt to remove the sleeves and separate the front from the back. I interface with the interfacing slightly larger than the final cut. I use a 12.5 cutting ruler so I can exactly see how the tee shirt will be centered, etc. And, my rotating cutting mat really comes in useful for tee shirt cutting. I think the real key is using a ruler the size you want it to cut. It allows you to make sure the design is centered and holds the whole shirt down flat.

Good luck -- you are making a wonderful memory for someone!