t-shirt fabric backing
 

granddaugther wants to make a t-shirt quilt, so i'd like to know what you ladies put onto the t-shirt fabric before you cut the squares out? she asumes grandmom knows it all, and thinks it will be fast and easy, [i've never made one before]. she will do most of it with me there in the background. [18 yr. olds know it all].thank-you.

I have lately used a 'woven fusible interfacing' from Joannes for a commissioned quilt I am doing with some 'slippery' fabrics. It's $5.29 per yard and is stock # 06224331. (on sale this weekend with coupon) I also use it on the reverse of the cotton fabric that I use for redwork, for stability and to hide imperfections in the stitches.

If I were to do a t-shirt quilt, this is what I'd use.

Jan in VA

I used the fusible tricot interfacing and was very happy with the result - it was very soft and easy to work with. You just need to be mindful to put the stretch of the interfacing opposite direction of the stretch in the t-shirt fabric.

i don't use tricot as that is stretchy and i don't want my shirt blocks to stretch out of shape.

thank-you , i will look at both of these,

be very careful when ironing, as some t-shirt graphics are heat sentitive, and will melt or transfer. Recomend either a teflon pressing sheet or at least freezer paper.... and always iron on back only

I've done both.... I've made three tee shirt quilts without fusible interfacing. Those quilts were stitched in the ditch along the sashings. One was hand stitched/tied (did both because I was just recouping from a stroke and use this as part of my therapy) on the tee shirt sections. The others were hand stitched over the tee shirts. The last one I made was done with fusible lightweight pellon. This one was so large that I had it done by a long arm quilter. It was gorgeous. I think the most important thing is to have the sashings cut to a uniform length on the straight grain of the fabric. This helps to keep the blocks squared. And sew with the sashing at the top and the tee shirt under near the feed dogs. A beginner could easily tie a tee shirt quilt.

didnt the edges curl and stretch without something on the back? how did you handle the one with the interfacing?

how did you handle the fabric without the interfacing, didn't the edges curl and stretch?

sorry, i messed up , i meant without the interfacing.

yes, i've had some pucker in the dryer.

I just made a t- shirt quilt and I used the cheap iron on interfacing from Joanns. It was Joanns brand for 99 cents a yd, it was easy to work with and no problems.

I have always used pellon 609F. It is the light weight fusiable. I also use a large press at 10 seconds and a pressing sheet.

I have made two tshirt quilts and used Pellon 911FF (seems to be the lightest I can find around here) on the backs of the tshirts. I cut the fronts and backs apart equally leaving each as large as possible. I then cut the Pellon larger then the blocks I want (but not quite as wide a the tshirt). Smooth the tshirt face down on the ironing surface and center the Pellon on top (fusible side down!! lol). Then I dampen a larger plain tshirt backing wringing out as much as possible and lay it on top to fully cover the Pellon. Press with a dry iron on cotton setting 10 seconds in each spot starting at one corner and overlapping. By making them oversize, you can then center the design better when you cut with the design up and it also protects your ironing surface from the fusible. Both turned out great and the recipients loved them.

[QUOTE=laurlync;5534498]I have made two tshirt quilts and used Pellon 911FF (seems to be the lightest I can find around here) on the backs of the tshirts. I cut the fronts and backs apart equally leaving each as large as possible. I then cut the Pellon larger then the blocks I want (but not quite as wide a the tshirt). Smooth the tshirt face down on the ironing surface and center the Pellon on top (fusible side down!! lol). Then I dampen a larger plain tshirt backing wringing out as much as possible and lay it on top to fully cover the Pellon. Press with a dry iron on cotton setting 10 seconds in each spot starting at one corner and overlapping. By making them oversize, you can then center the design better when you cut with the design up and it also protects your ironing surface from the fusible. Both turned out great and the recipients loved them.[/QUOTE so if the instructions on the interfacing says to use steam, you would use a damp cloth instead, and i wondered how i would get to the front to cut out the part i need, and you just cut the side seam open,!! i'm getting good ideas from you all, thank-you.

I asked the quilt instructor the same question at our JoAnns---------and she said she always uses the 99 cents one!

I use the thinnest fusible I can find, that's not stretchy.

I've done 4 t-shirt quilts so far and really like using the featherweight fusible pellon. Now that I have a longarm machine, it makes it much easier to machine quilt these large pieces.

I am one of the few on this board that do not use fusible interfacing at all when making T-shirt quilts. I only use fusible interfacing when the T-shirt fabric itself is very thin or when the shirt is mesh (athletic jerseys). I create T-shirts quilts where the blocks are different sizes depending on the design on the T-shirt itself. The blocks are all in increments of 4 inches (plus seam allowance) - from 4 in. x 4 in. up to 16 in. x 16 in. Some blocks are rectangles - ie. 4 x 8, 12 x 8, etc. Since I know they are all in these increments I know that they should fit together (a 4 in. square block sewed to an 8 in square block will sew to a 12 in square block. Therefore if there is any stretch (usually minor), I know to just ease it in.