T-shirt Rag Quilt problem
 

I hope someone has some advice for this problem. I am making a t-shirt quilt and the blocks are pretty large (19 x 19) because the t-shirts were large and the designs on them, as well. I did stabilize them and now it is time to make my sandwiches (I'm using a cotton backing and I'm debating on flannel for the middle.

I did start sewing one sandwich, with the flannel middle but my machine (Baby Lock Melody) will not sew over the t-shirt decal. It bunches up the fabric underneath and I've had to tear it out.

Next I tried doing a block w/o the flannel in the middle - same thing. I can sew up till I get to the design on the t-shirt and then I get the bunching again.

Some t-shirts have the design over the entire shirt.

Any suggestions on how I can make my sandwiches or how to sew over these decals? I changed my needle, cleaned the race and am using a longer stitch length, but no luck.

Thanks!

Generally we do not stitch through the decals on the t-shirts, we stitch around the designs. If you feel you have to stitch through them I would use a New, Sharp needle in the smallest ( finest) size my thread would allow. Loosen the tension a bit. I don't think the layer of flannel is causing any proble!, its the rubbery substance the decals are made of.

The plastic-y surface of the decal is catching on the underside of your foot. Either try a Teflon foot (if you have one) or put a piece of tissue paper over the sandwich, quilt then tear the paper off. You will still be able to see thru the tissue and see the decal design.

A walking foot perhaps?

I just saw a tip for sewing with vinyl. Use clear tape on the bottom of your foot. Put the tape over the whole foot and then cut out where the needle goes. Might work.

I did try my walking foot, but good suggestion!

I knew I'd get some good suggestions here. I'm going to try the tape right now and I'll let you know how it works! :)

I like your sig line!

I tried something a bit different
 

The tape worked. The only problem was that I really didn't want an X going through the t-shirt designs. So I decided to give something a try: I took the backing and the flannel and sewed the X on them. Then I took the t-shirt block and on the wrong side, I squiggled Aleen's ok-to-wash-it, let it set up for 3 minutes, and pressed it on to the backing/flannel block. Since I put sashing around the t-shirts, I made sure I didn't get any glue on that. Now my t-shirts are sitting to dry and it worked like a charm!