Give a new life to your favorite T shirts by turning them into a T shirt quilt! I'll
show you how easy it is in this step-by-step video.
Hi, I'm Angela Walters! To get started on your t-shirt quilt, gather tee shirts that
have sentimental value. Don't worry if they don't all match in color--the memories they
represent are the most important part of this quilt.
Sixteen shirts is the perfect number for a small lap quilt, it will give you four rows
with four shirts in each row. You could use more or less depending on how many shirts
you have or how large you want the quilt to be.
Roughly cut out the front of the shirt with scissors. The cuts don't have to be smooth,
we will straighten them out later. Since tee shirts are usually made out of knit
material, they can be stretchy and a little tricky to work with.
To help make cutting and sewing the shirts easier, we are going to use fusible interfacing.
Use an iron to bond the interfacing to the back of the shirt. Be sure to read the manufacturer
instructions for specific iron temperatures. Now that the shirts are stable and easier
to work with, it's time to trim the shirts. / It doesn't matter what size they are as
long as they are all the same, and the graphic or design is as centered as possible and doesn't
get cut out of the block. For my quilt, I am going to cut the blocks
12" square. Using a t shirt ruler like this, or a clear plastic template will help you
see where the design will be once the shirt is cut.
I'm using a rotary cutter and ruler mat to carefully cut out the block, but you can use
scissors. Once the blocks are cut, it's time to decide
how you want to layout the quilt. Arrange the blocks in rows until you are happy
with the design. You could order them chronologically, or by color. There is no wrong way to make
your t-shirt quilt. HERE I'M JUST USING FOUR BLOCKS (ON CAM)
Line up the edges of your blocks and pin them together to prevent any of the layers from
slipping while sewing. Sew the blocks together with a 1/2" seam allowance.
If you have a walking foot for your sewing machine, be sure to use it. It will help feed
all the layers evenly as you sew. Press the seams open - ironing them flat will
make the quilting process easier. Now line up the seams so that all the points
are matching, and pin. / Take it to the machine and sew, again with a half inch seam allowance.
Make those seams are sewn open. / Press everything nice and flat and your quilt top is finished!.
Now we have to turn those blocks into a quilt by - guess what - quilting it!
Pick out a fabric for the backing. Cut it at least 2 inches bigger than your t shirt
quilt top on all sides. With the backing face down add a layer of batting and then place
the t-shirt quilt-top face-up. Baste the layers of the quilt together using safety pins.
Now it's time for my favorite part, the machine quilting.
Grab a walking foot and lower the feed-dogs on your machine. (use SF014, lesson 9, shot
9-4 for feed dogs) (use SF018, lesson 5, shot 5-22 for walking foot)
Place the quilt sandwich under the needle and begin stitching - I like to start in the
center of the quilt and work outwards but you can start wherever you like. See how the
walking foot helps feed the thick layers of fabric through the machine.
Stitch your way back and forth across the quilt, avoiding thicker emblems or heavy paint.
Quilting through those areas is no fun. Continue until you've quilted the whole thing.
You are almost done, all that's left is to bind the raw edges of your quilt.
First, trim the edges of your quilt sandwich so that they are straight.
Choose your binding fabric and cut it out into strips using a rotary cutter and ruler
or scissors. I cut mine to 2 1/4" wide. Then connect the strips together.
One the end of one strip draw a 45 degree angle from one corner to the opposite side.
Then at the machine lay that strip face down on a second strip to form a right angle.
Sew carefully along the line. Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line.
Repeat with the rest of the strips to make one long strip of binding that's as long as
the 4 sides of your quilt. Using a hot iron, press each seam to one side
and then press the whole strip in half giving yourself a nice crisp edge.
Open one end of the binding and trim it at a 45 degree angle, then iron the edge in 1/4"
Now it's time to attach it to the quilt. With the quilt under the machine foot, place
the open edge of the binding along the edge, open it up and stitch about 1". If you want,
use some pins to hold it in place. Stop stitching, fold the binding over lining
it up at the raw edge and then stitch again from about 2" from where you started.
Stich 1/4" around the quilt, with the raw edge of the binding lined up with the edge
of the quilt. When you approach a corner, stop sewing about
1/4" away from the edge. Rotate the quilt so that the next side of
the quilt is ready to sew. Fold the binding up so that it is even with
the next side of the quilt. Then fold it back down on itself to form a neat, mitered tuck.
Continue sewing the binding all around the edges of the quilt.
Once you get close to the beginning, trim the end of the binding, tuck it into the opening
and stitch the rest of the way. Can you see how neat it looks?
Now, you're almost done! We just need to attach the other side of the binding then you can
finally cuddle under your special quilt. Flip the quilt over and pull the binding around
the other side. Starting at a corner, sew a scant 1/4" away
from the fold. This way the binding will look good on both sides.
When you get about 1" from a corner, stop sewing, leaving the needle in the down position.
Fold the binding around the corner - pin it or hold it in place to continue sewing.
Pivot the quilt while the needle is about 1/4" away from the edge. This way your corner
will look good on both sides! And continue working your way around the quilt.
Once the binding is on, all that is left to do is enjoy your newly finished quilt.
Thanks for watching! To get the free pattern for this project, supplies, and more expert
instruction, be sure to click the "i" in the top-right corner of this video.