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Welcome from Illinois. I have never made a t-shirt quilt but my friends use interfacing.
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I do wonder if you have a local quilt shop? Local quilt shops are great for purchasing materials.. but also for learning and support and guidance.
sewbizgirl had a great suggestion to see if you could borrow a sewing machine. I borrowed my sisters several times before I broke down and bought my own. Or maybe someone can let you sew at their house on their machine? that would be good for moral support as well :) |
Welcome! I agree with finding a sewing machine, even if borrowed, vs sewing any of your t-shirt quilt by hand. Yes, interface is a must in order to keep your knit t-shirts from stretching and becoming wonky or distorted. Quilting should be reasonably close to the 4" recommended by the batting manufacturer or you do run the possible risk of the batting not standing up over time. There are great online resources that I spent hours researching before making my 1st t-shirt quilt - lots of articles, videos and even a class on the bluprint website (a great resource for all types of crafting!). Local quilt shops are a great opportunity to get advice and buy your needed items. Mine helped me with interfacing and recommended a few books dedicated to making t-shirt quilts that have a wealth of information.
Another suggestion is to go to the top of this site and search for t-shirt quilts and you'll find previous discussions (threads) on this website with a ton of advice, too! There are so many folks here with experience that are willing to help - keep asking! And be sure to show us pictures! Good luck :) |
Where do you live? I would love to take you under my wing and personally help out with this project. If you live near me, we could meet at a quilt shop to get acquainted and proceed from there. I live near Seattle.
Wishing you well with your endeavor! |
I would look around for a free sewing machine that works. They are out there. I've given away three, two of them to strangers. Look on craigslist.org. Look for ads that have been up for a long time and were posted at a low price. Offer $10.00 for them. Make sure they are working, though. Keep you eyes open for one by the side of the road, too. Familiarize yourself with what they look like. Some are in cabinets and some are in carrying cases. Most likely, they will be old. That's even better, in most cases. You can't kill old mechanical machines with a stick. However, make sure it is electric, but not electronic (old electronics die.) and has a foot pedal. You can buy a foot pedal for most, but they are usually about $25.00. Sometimes it will take a clean-up and oiling, but the vintage sewing machine group on this forum will help. (By the way, Singer is the easiest one to get parts for.)
Most people don't sew, so when they end up with mom or grandma's machine, they keep it for a while. They don't use it, then don't want to move it and there's not much demand for old machines. So, what do you do with it? So, ask your friends and acquaintances if they know any one who has an old sewing machine they don't use. Making a quilt the size you are contemplating without a sewing machine will take a really long time and might not survive the rigors of use and washing. Of course, our fore-mothers made wonderful quilts completely by hand, but they were experienced sewers. Also, they took very good care of them so that they did not have to be washed very often. They were generally not used as bedspreads like we do today, but used like we use blankets, between the sheet and spread. JMHO bkay edit: Actually, I have a machine I'd give away to some deserving college student right now. It would take a few days to finish it up, but it's one of Singer's last all metal machines. (I'm in DFW.) You would have to come pick it up. PM me if you are close enough to pick it up. |
Check out Lisa Capin Quilts on You Tube. She has some great tutorials; don't know about the hand quilting though.
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Originally Posted by DJ
(Post 8257988)
Where do you live? I would love to take you under my wing and personally help out with this project. If you live near me, we could meet at a quilt shop to get acquainted and proceed from there. I live near Seattle.
Wishing you well with your endeavor! |
Originally Posted by bkay
(Post 8258008)
I would look around for a free sewing machine that works. They are out there. I've given away three, two of them to strangers. Look on craigslist.org. Look for ads that have been up for a long time and were posted at a low price. Offer $10.00 for them. Make sure they are working, though. Keep you eyes open for one by the side of the road, too. Familiarize yourself with what they look like. Some are in cabinets and some are in carrying cases. Most likely, they will be old. That's even better, in most cases. You can't kill old mechanical machines with a stick. However, make sure it is electric, but not electronic (old electronics die.) and has a foot pedal. You can buy a foot pedal for most, but they are usually about $25.00. Sometimes it will take a clean-up and oiling, but the vintage sewing machine group on this forum will help. (By the way, Singer is the easiest one to get parts for.)
Most people don't sew, so when they end up with mom or grandma's machine, they keep it for a while. They don't use it, then don't want to move it and there's not much demand for old machines. So, what do you do with it? So, ask your friends and acquaintances if they know any one who has an old sewing machine they don't use. Making a quilt the size you are contemplating without a sewing machine will take a really long time and might not survive the rigors of use and washing. Of course, our fore-mothers made wonderful quilts completely by hand, but they were experienced sewers. Also, they took very good care of them so that they did not have to be washed very often. They were generally not used as bedspreads like we do today, but used like we use blankets, between the sheet and spread. JMHO bkay edit: Actually, I have a machine I'd give away to some deserving college student right now. It would take a few days to finish it up, but it's one of Singer's last all metal machines. (I'm in DFW.) You would have to come pick it up. PM me if you are close enough to pick it up. |
My library lends sewing machines. Maybe look into yours. I think if you can machine sew the top together and then hand quilt it, you might be happier.
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Originally Posted by TheMerkleFamily
(Post 8257978)
Welcome! I agree with finding a sewing machine, even if borrowed, vs sewing any of your t-shirt quilt by hand. Yes, interface is a must in order to keep your knit t-shirts from stretching and becoming wonky or distorted. Quilting should be reasonably close to the 4" recommended by the batting manufacturer or you do run the possible risk of the batting not standing up over time. There are great online resources that I spent hours researching before making my 1st t-shirt quilt - lots of articles, videos and even a class on the bluprint website (a great resource for all types of crafting!). Local quilt shops are a great opportunity to get advice and buy your needed items. Mine helped me with interfacing and recommended a few books dedicated to making t-shirt quilts that have a wealth of information.
Another suggestion is to go to the top of this site and search for t-shirt quilts and you'll find previous discussions (threads) on this website with a ton of advice, too! There are so many folks here with experience that are willing to help - keep asking! And be sure to show us pictures! Good luck :) |
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