My first quilt.
 

Well I made a t-shirt quilt top. I have my sandwich made. Now my question is where do I start quilting so I don't have puckering? Do I start in the middle and go out or do I start on one side and go to the other? Also is it ok not to quilt over the actual pictures? I don't want to mess them up. I am concerned that if I only stitch in the ditch they will puff out. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I do have a picture attached.

Howdy!!! I'm not that far from you!!! :) I always start in the middle of my quilts, but I've never done a t-shirt quilt. What if you tied it instead??? Just an idea I've seen on here. :)

Hi. I know where that is. I am originally from Louisiana but my husband was transferred so here I am.
Thanks. The only other thing I made was a small quilt for my grand-baby. It was done different and I had some puckering. It is just for her to play on on the floor so not a big deal. This one is for a friend and she wants to use it. It is 47 x 68. I had a heck of a time getting the sashing on but finally figured that out.
I did think about tying. But she wants to be able to wash it as it will be used as a cover up on her sofa. I was afraid it would not hold up to the washing's if I tie it. Do you have experience with tying? And if so would it hold up with frequent washing?
I am learning as I go. Kind of self taught. The only help I have gotten is talking with 2 ladies at JoAnn's. I have not found a person I could not talk to. LOL So I look on the internet and learn. I just don't want to mess up her shirts. They are from races she has run or walked. Memories.
Thanks.

No suggestions on the quilting as I have yet to do a T-Shirt quilt, just wanted to say I think you did a wonderful job with it :)

I've seen many quilted all over with a meander with invisible thread. Google images of t-shirt quilts.

Well Thanks sharon b. It was trying. I had to rip a few times till I got it like that. But it was worth it. And the lesson was wonderful. I will never forget this quilt.

tesspug. I will look for the invisible thread. I looked for t-shirt quilt pictures and the ones I found did not quilt all over. I will try again. But thanks for the thought and the tip of the invisible thread. Never heard of that.

I have quilted t-shirt quilts for other people and I would not quilt on the design, just do around the edge of the block and around the design, but not through it. Nice job of putting the quilt together.

Thanks Iamquilter. I take it as a great compliment. I started earlier just going around the design. I did not think I wanted to go through them. I did go get a clear thread but am having trouble with it breaking. I will try again later. Thanks again.

I have 4 quilts my grandma made me that were used heavily everyday as bedding, tents for the kids, etc. and washed as needed for 20+ years.The tying is still good but the bindings and blocks show wear. In fact I got into quilting so I could repair them...1 is done and is again in use by my son and his 3 boys!

So nice, you did great! You will always look at that particular quilt as your FIRST. Very, very nice.

Your first quilt is always a huge accomplishment. Nice job!

Congrats! Great Looking Quilt!

Thanks all. I hope it looks good after I am done quilting and binding it.

I am a runner and I love your quilt! You did a great job, and your running friend will love it. I wouldn't quilt through the pictures either, but I have never made a t-shirt quilt, so I am not really one to give advice on that. There are other experts here who can advice you on that. I just wanted to say "Good job!!"

Dina

Hi Chris!!!! Louisiana Cajun girl here too! I haven't made a tshirt quilt yet, so I watch everyone's comments so WHEN I do one, hopefully I won't have too many trials!!!! My daughter is in Dallas....not sure where Spring is......

(I am from Ville Platte!)

Good luck!

I have done several T-shirt quilts and quilted on my domestic sewing machine. I usually stabalize the quilt sandwich by stiching in the ditch. Then I go back and quilt the blocks. I have used both invisible thread in the top and a varigated thread. I stitch various background designs in each block (meandering, echo quilting, vines and leaves , waves etc.). I will usully outline the block design and sometimes stitch within the design itself (lines of a basketball, around letters, etc). When stitiching in the design itself, the key is to go slow. The design itself sometimes has a tendency to grab your needle.

Here is alink to one of the ones I have done.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...ml#post4790296

I agree! I have done several T-shirt quilts, and the only thing I would add to lakekids' comments is that certain types of plastic-feeling printed patterns on T-shirts always grab my needle and break my thread, but that even the densest pattern has a few areas where the original T-shirt color shows through, and these areas are fine to quilt in. I have stabilized many a large design by doing stipple stitching within these smaller areas.

I think your quilt is very handsome! Your friend is going to love it.

Alison

ChrisD, welcome from another Texan! I'd do like some of the others, stitch in the ditch around each block & just do a stipple around the designs to anchor them, without going thru the designs.

Beautiful quilt and your friend will appreciate all the work you put into it

Yes, yes, yes, stabilize by stitch in the ditch around each block/t-shirt square and them meander around the design. Try not to ditich into the picture on the t-shirt, most machine don't like it! (Ask me how I know)
That being said tying will hold up - my mon tied two quilts and her only problem was my brothers and I untying the knots!

instead of invisible thread why not use thread the color of the background of each block-or a contrast to it and go around the design of the tee - and then use what ever color sort of buries itself into the sashing to finish that off........I do these on a LA and I use thread the color of t-shirt background to "lock in" the tee-shirt.......

If you tie it with yarn, it will not come out. If you use wool yarn, it just gets tighter with every wash. I have never seen ties come out that were made with yarn.

Nice quilt! I have done a couple of t shirt quilts, one with t's on both sides. The heavy rubbery designs are nearly impossible to quilt over. And baste or pin well...Start at the center. A meandering stitch through sashing and other parts of the t's will work. and the invisible thread will work well. We want more pics when it is done
Ellen

Beautiful Quilt.

Cookie64

This quilt is adorable! And your first? Wow......Welcome from Houston (Galleria area)...

Your t-shirt quilt looks great. This is on my to do list. Let us know how you finish it.

tshirt quilt
 

I have made several tshrt quilts for people. I have tied a reallly huge.one and it.washed fine. I have also juststitched a diagonal about 4" apart and thrum the shirts. It didn't destroy the look of theshirts at all. Then you could stitch differently in the border. Either way you quilt looks wonderful. It turned out really well.

Can't really make any suggestions that would help the situation but had to say that this is one of the nicest T-shirt quilts I've seen. Really great job.

Yes. I agree with this. Have not done it myself, but a friend quilted over the design and got puckers. BTW you did a marvelous job.:thumbup:

very pretty!!

My sister runs, I will suggest this to her! ;0)

I did several t shirt quilts, I always start in the middle and I quilt the straight lines first with a walking foot and then I lightly quilt the inside design (around the logo or across) I never had any puckering problems

Dear ChrisD:

I have made at least 25 T-shirt quilts so far & I use my long arm & quilt over the entire shirt. Did you use any type of fusible interfacing on the T-shirts before your sewed them together? Using fusible interfacing prevents the puckering of the T-shirts. I use Pellon cotton fusible interfacing myself & it works out fine. I have seen some T-shirt quilts that people have made not using a interfacing (not on this site) that are lumpy & stretched out which is not what you want to see on a quilt. Good luck & congratulations on your first quilt. Now you are officially hooked on quilting. Mary C - Naperville, IL

I have made a few of these quilts. Stitch in the ditch first. Then quilt around each design but not on top of design. It really depends on the type of screen print they used. Some of the shirts have a heavy/rubber feel and others are nice and soft. The soft ones you can quilt on top of and leave no needle holes. The heavy one will leave holes. I quilt around each letter and the main design some times, where there is no pattern I do small patterns that match the shirt design. On the boarders I usually do a wavy or straight design. On your's I would use foot prints.

Awesome! It says ALL male! Love it!!

I have done two t-shirt quilts for my son. I tied both of them and tried to use embroidery floss on the shirt parts that sort of matched the picture. I have had to re-tie one after many, many washings and much use. Good luck!

Very nice quilt. Love it.

I like your placement of the blocks. I've tied many quilts using knitting yarn and they've held up for years. If using the invisible thread I found out you need to use .05 or stronger for quilting to keep it from breaking.