T-Shirt Quilt Making Advice
 

I have a pile of my GD's T-shirts from her sports days. In the mix are some jerseys. Would you mix a slinky jersey with cotton T-shirts? There is also a Canadian flag that has been signed by members of the women's Canadian soccer team. I thought of putting the flag on the back (it's huge). Would it be best to add the jerseys to the back as well? Should I just skip the flag and jerseys? This is my first T-shirt quilt and I'm feeling cautious.

I would worry about using the flag only because if you wash the quilt the autographs may wash out. Has it been washed before?

I know you are in Canada and the rules may be different from the United States. In the US using a flag for something like that would be a no-no. But you can use the slinky jerseys and the cotton t-shirts in the same quilt. Stabilize everything first

Isn't ironing the stabilizer onto the nylon shirts going to cause them to melt?

You do not need to use the highest heat setting on the iron. In addition , use a damp pressing cloth, teflon sheet, or a product like the Bo-Nash Iron Shoe.

The slinky shirts are usually polyester, not nylon. Polyester has a higher melting point that Nylon.

The types of shirts that are net can simply be lined with a light weight broadcloth or batiste, baste them together in the seam line.

Some people love T-shirt quilts, some of us try to avoid them especially after having made one! But they are always a wonderful gift and tribute.

Good point. And the thought of washing a flag just doesn't sit right with me.

What stabilizer do folks recommend? I need to shop for it online and don't know what weight to order. Pellon 950f shirtailor is recommended - by Pellon. I don't want the quilt to be stiff.

I love doing tee shirt quilts. I use the pellon 906 fusible. It’s lightweight so doesn’t add weight to the quilt. I’ve used all sorts of tee shirts and jerseys. So far, only ones that haven’t worked are the jerseys with lots of holes in them. My long arm quilter does not recommend using tee shirts on both sides so I use a quilting cotton on the back.....wide if I can find one. Feel free to reach out if you have questions....glad to help you through the process.

These can work together well be sure to stabilize all your pieces well. I would not use the flag in the quilt at all. You may want to frame the quilt and hang it on the wall for her instead. Be sure to wash all your t-shirts and the jersey first to be sure the colors are not going to run before you start be sure to leave enough around each part of your shirts for your seam allowances. I know these little things should be easy to remember but you have no idea how many people will cut a t-shirt and not leave enough for a seam allowance. With this being your first t-shirt quilt take note of the different stabilizer mentioned in other post this is very important. Be sure what ever fabric you are using as a sashing between each t-shirt is equal to the the t-shirt/stabilizer just in case you have to add stabilizer to the the sashing. You will be fine with the t-shirt and jersey in the same quilt. Have a lot of fun and show us when you are finished.

I use pellon p44f. Joann has it for .49 right now. Not sure how much it will be in Canada, but its basically the cheapest one here in the US. For the jerseys, use a lower heat, but go over it several times to make sure it adheres. I use fleece for the backs of mine and don't use any batting. The kids I make them for actually use them and wash them. So far, nothing has fallen apart. I love making them, some people hate making them. If you a perfectionist, this might not be a good project for you. Tshirts are all different weights, and stretch differently. I hope you enjoy making it. It gives you a peek into the child's heart to see what it really important the them.