I have just been asked by a local radio "personality" who has had the same show for 38 years to make a quilt for him from his collection of themed t-shirts. This is a great honor to me as I am a great fan of all he has done and represents.
Here is my problem and question:
Every t-shirt quilt I have ever felt, has not been soft and cuddley because of the feel of the iron on stabilizer. I, and he, really want this quilt to be very soft. I will use flannel or fleece for the backing. If I use fleece, then I will use a layer of sheet between since the fleece and knit are both so stretchy. So, here is my question:
Any suggestions out there about how to best accomplish my goal without using the iron on stabilizer that will stiffen the t-shirt knit?
Could I starch it enough for sewing, then wash the starch out? Could I pin it a lot and stitch each square to a backing of sheet fabric? Could I do it like a rag quilt with the t-shirt for the front and fleece for the back?
As you see, I'm full of ideas with no idea which way to go. I will make sample squares trying all these methods if necessary, just hoping some of you can save me some steps.
Hugs and smiles and thanks!!!

Just off the top of my head, I'd say go with the rag quilt idea.
Another thought just surfaced, what about the puffy quilts that I've seen where the top layer puffs up from the base? Not sure exactly how those are done, but they look really soft and fluffy, and they don't seem to require the same sort of dimensional stability as a regular quilt.

I would think they would still stretch too much. I was thinking -- I'm sure I'll seem like a nut -- that you could use the spray basting on muslin. Of course, I know absolutely nothing about spray basting so I could be absolutely off my rocker here. :roll: I know it's used on batting, but can it also be used on fabric (i.e. muslin)? :?

I think that using t shirts in a puffy biscuit quilt wouldn't work because they are too stretchy and I don't think the puffs would hold their shape and would be all wonky. I have only made one of those so it only an opinion but I would think there has to be a way to keep the quilt soft but I don't know what that would be. I am sure someone here will have the answer for you.

I think you should play around a little bit with some junky shirts before you try doing the real one. Someone asked me if I could make one and tried with out stabilizer and it stretches alot so I had tucks where I sewed.

I'm not sure? I wonder if you could use the tear away stabilzer or wash away stabilizer (although washable would be pretty spendy for t-shirts)..then when you have the top assembled you could just ter away or wash away the stabilizer.

I thought about doing shirt blocks together then stitch them together as a comforter cover.

I have made quilts with t-shirt type knit without the stabilzer. If you use a sheet in the middle, then pin or spray baste the top to the sheet and backing you should be able to quilt it if you are careful. I think the backing fleece is more likely to stretch out of shape than the t-shirt material. I would cut the t-shirt pieces as small as I could without disturbing the design on the shirt. Try it first on similar material and size.

Floriani has a "No show nylon mesh fusible" stabilizer designs for knits. It comes in iron on & it supposed to stay soft & flexible. Info on this product:

http://www.rnkdistributing.com/pid-6...-Fusible_.html

I don't have a site where to buy it tho. You'll need to do a google search.

Thanks for this information, I'll see what I can find on it.

i'm in the process of making a t-shirt quilt. i'm not using any stabilizer at all. i've simply spray basted the t-shirts to the batting. each block is backed with scrap muslin. since i'm stippling around the motifs, the shirts remain flat.

i'm making it up as i go along, so i have no idea yet what the final layout will be. it'll be a quilt-as-i-go. these are a few of the "blocks" so far.

once the top is cobbled together, i'm going to flip it over and use turkey tracks to fasten the pieced back. the stitches will go through the muslin and batting, but not show on the front.

Let us know what you decided to do.

joann's has super cheap stabilizer. I mean cheap. Like black Friday it was $1 a bolt.

I bought it to use for purses, but it is WAY to thin and flimsy. Turns out it is PERFECT for tshirt quilts. It stabailizes the shirts just enought so they don't stretch, but its so thin the shirts are still soft.

The last two tshirt quilts I made I used this cheapo stabilizer and they turned out great.

the fusable stablizer is just an (assistant) to help control the stretch of the t-shirts, if you are going to use cotton in the center of the quilt, using it like a foundation for your t-shirt blocks would work just like the interfacing...it is your interfacing...just without the fusable added. you could (baste) your t-shirt blocks to your sheet, or you could (window) fusable. so it is just around the edges to hold it until stitching. some sort of interfacing is needed. it does not have to be a fusable one....you could do a type of quilt as you go and (quilt) each t=shirt block to the sheet then join the fleece/flannel back pillow=case style ...and just tack in places to hold everything to gether

my favorite stabilizer is a knit iron-on...it still allows the knits to drape well or "flow" so they're softer than the woven stabilizers when finished. The muslin being used by some posters is a stabilizer...just a sew-in one and if that gives you the feel you like, go for it. The sprays will probably wash out after the first laundry, so determine if that is a problem for use of the quilt.

I suggest that you ask the customer how much the quilt will be used. If it's only to be hung and for show, you may not need a stabilizer at all - except maybe the spray style to keep it in place while you sew it. If it will be used a lot, I encourage you to use some kind of stabilizer because even after sewing the knit fabric can and will stretch when being used and will wear away faster that way.

The lite weight at Joanns is called Tricot stabilizer and it is what I use on my t shirt quilts. It also stretches so I just put it on the t shirt block with the stretch going in the opposite direction. Works great and keeps the blocks soft. My LAer has had no problems quilting these.

Pellon did have a very thin fusible interfacing that I used years ago as a backing for appliques. It kept edges from raveling, cutting designs easier, etc., and didnt add any stiffness. I think , if still available, it would work great.

Sorry, I would not attempt to make a t-shirt quilt without some Tricot stabilizer. The shirts are hard enough to work with with stabilizer let alone not using it. I think it is a lot more work to not use it.. JMHO

Same here!! The stretch in the t-shirts need to be controlled or you will end up with pleats and tucks.

I would also think twice about combining difficult fabrics in your top with a difficult fabric in the bottom. I'd seriously consider a really good quality flannel for the back, and go with a batting like wool. That combination will give you the 'cuddle' you seek without asking for trouble.

I have used minkie and fleece for backs, but all of those quilts had tops that were not trouble-makers, like t-shirts can be.

This is what I've used and it doesn't feel stiff to me but it really helps keep the shirts from stretching if you make sure you put the tricot's stretch perpendicular to the T-shirt's stretch.

I would use a lightwieght fusible and fuse them to muslin squares. The problem with using nothing to stabilize them is that they are, for lack of a better word, unstable.
The stretch in the fabric will cause the threads in the stitching to break then the quilt will fall apart. I think you're going to have to use some type of stabilizer.

My quilting friend and I use French Fuse we get from Hancock's. I think JoAnns has something like it. Makes for the softest quilt; we have made quite a few of these.

I just knew you guys would be full of ideas and suggestions. Already see some ideas I like here!!

I like this idea! Maybe try some on some scraps and see what happens? :D:D:D

Take some t-shirt fabric and try a 1:1 solution of Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch and water on it. (I paint this on with a large wall-painting brush, toss in the dryer, then iron with steam.) You will be able to tell if it stiffens the t-shirt material enough. I think it will, but I haven't actually done it with t-shirt material so don't know for sure.

Another option is to use MistyFuse. Although this is a fusible, it is *extremely* light and will not add stiffness. You would need a Teflon or applique pressing sheet to do this, as it does not have a paper backing. Amazon has some reviews of MistyFuse.

I have used tricot fusible for some applications. It does add less stiffness than other fusibles, but also adds some weight and thickness to the fabric.

I would perhaps experiment on old t-shirts (maybe from the thrift shop?) with these techniques to find the best one.

I've made many T-Shirt quilts and use an iron on tricot on the back of the shirts. The tricot is so soft and you don't even know it's there. There is a stretch to this tricot so you lay it on the shirt with the stretch going the opposite direction from the stretch of the shirt. I have never had a hard or stiff quilt top doing it this way. Or you could use a serger to put the pcs together. Because they stitch so fast and have such a long foot for some reason it doesn't allow the shirts to stretch. I have never had a problem using either of the above ways. They always come out soft and cuddly.

I got a stabilizer at Walmart that made my T-shirts feel just like cotton. The quilt ended up being nice, soft and cuddly. It comes in a plastic bag and usually hangs in the back of the fabric isle.

My goodness, I have not heard the term Turkey Trac, can you explain, I have a T shirt quilt ready to start and had thought I would use the base and place shirt pieces random on the top, then quilt it, your idea seems more appealing...
I am using a knit camo backing so I have to decide how to keep that from stretching....thanks for your help...memepeggy

I have made several tee shirt quilts and read much of the experts advice about them before I started ----- the tricot iron on interfacing is perfect - stays soft and pliable. Do as Dakotamaid said above -- put the stretch of the tricot in the opposite direction of the stretch of the tee shirts.

ckcowl, you have just saved me so much effort and work...I am beginning a T shirt quilt for great grand son, am doing T shirts on front which is cotton, then using knit for backing...had planned to quilt after making top, now with your idea will just tack or tie in places, did not even consider this until now...wow..the back is camo knit and front base is muddled tan (color of sand) so it should work out fine..thanks memepeggy

Here's link for T-Shirt quilt and instructions. You can download this file.....http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/projec...t-quilt_2.html

Hope this helps

T-shirts will stretch out of shape unless you stabilize them. When I make t-shirt quilts I use a light iron on stabilizer that I get at Joann's by the bolt. It is usually 20" wide. It is light weight enough not to make the t-shirts stiff, but keep their shape. You might try getting a sample of this stabilizer and iron it on a scrap of t-shirt to see if you like the feel of it. I still used warm & natural between the t-shirts and the backing of the quilt.

I used the directions from a book called "How to Make a Too Cool T-Shirt Quilt" by Andrea T. Funk. She uses no stabilizer at all and it works.

Me too!

Well, you could use iron on woven tricot interfacing. It is soft and would not interfere with the soft feel of your quilt. I think you would not be very happy with a traditional type quilt without somekind of stabilizer for the t-shirts.

I wouldn't recomend it. Tee shirt fabric stretches and the long arm quilters I know, won't quilt a tee shirt quilt unless the fabric is stabilized.

I would get a really lightweight stabalizer like the ones they use for silk or any lightweight material. It would keep the T-shirts from stretching and would still be soft.

PatriceJ,

Your stippling is to die for! Can I come take lessons from you? Shouldn't take more than a few years to teach me how to do this.

I'm takeing a class and we are going to be using Non woven fusible lightweight interfacing. The teacher said doesn't make the blocks stiff.