T-Shirt Quilt - Rescue me!
#1
T-Shirt Quilt - Rescue me!
My niece (who doesn't sew a stitch) has asked me to "help" her make a T-shirt quilt. Glad to do it. Recently emailed her some instructions on preparing the T-shirts based on information that I gathered from all you helpful quilters here on the Board. I have only made 1 T-shirt quilt for my 3 time NCAA wresting champ nephew. It has a prize position on his bed and is greatly loved.
Back to my niece - apparently, most of her shirts are the rubberized raised logos, which I told her we couldn't use (again, based on the recommendations from this Board, which I totally understand and agree with). She has emailed back to me questioning why we can't use rubberized T-shirts when she has seen other rubberized T-shirt quilts owned by her friends.
Now, I have been quilting for over 30 years. I am not a novice. However, I fully understand that quilting through rubberized fabric can not only break my needles, but can also throw off the timing of my machines. I have a Bernina 630 and a Juki 2010Q. I have paid too much for these machines to risk causing damage.
Do any of you more experienced T-shirt quilt makers have any advice or suggestions? I would really like to help her out, but I know that most of the work and the quilting will rest on my shoulders. Please rescue me!
Back to my niece - apparently, most of her shirts are the rubberized raised logos, which I told her we couldn't use (again, based on the recommendations from this Board, which I totally understand and agree with). She has emailed back to me questioning why we can't use rubberized T-shirts when she has seen other rubberized T-shirt quilts owned by her friends.
Now, I have been quilting for over 30 years. I am not a novice. However, I fully understand that quilting through rubberized fabric can not only break my needles, but can also throw off the timing of my machines. I have a Bernina 630 and a Juki 2010Q. I have paid too much for these machines to risk causing damage.
Do any of you more experienced T-shirt quilt makers have any advice or suggestions? I would really like to help her out, but I know that most of the work and the quilting will rest on my shoulders. Please rescue me!
#2
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,538
You can tell her that you can stitch between and around the rubberized logos but not through them. If that is fine then you can help her out, if not.....she's on her own. I am not trying to be mean but as you said, messing up your machine is not an option.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 981
I have quilted T-shirt quilts for clients that have used the rubberized shirts. I always have to do a type of meander that allows me to avoid quilting over the graphics. For a longarm this is easy to do but for a domestic machine it would present lots of problems. just my 2 cents
#5
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: kansas
Posts: 6,407
I do exactly like pewa88 does--if the logo is bigger than recommended with the batting, I think you could still quilt it if you went very slowly. I'd also recommend you use a larger needle--might want to check with your machine store on what would work best with your machines.
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 9,725
Just tell her that if she wants to use the rubberized shirts, you won't be able to do it on your machine. There's no reason to ruin an expensive machine just because someone who doesn't quilt and doesn't understand the harm that can be done to your machine wants you to.
#9
Totally agree with not quilting through them. I’m a longarmer and won’t sew through them. The stitching isn’t as good and the one t-shirt that I did quilt through, the stitching ended up coming apart after several washings. Lesson learned. I will stitch around the logos, but not over them. Unless the rubberized logo covers the entire shirt, stitching around them will work just fine. Plus, stitching around it “puffs” it up, making the logo stand out.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
mac
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
17
03-15-2015 09:44 PM