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January 13, 2015

I just can't get enough -- TSHIRT QUILTS!



I am really loving these t-shirt quilts!  I've now made three using the same method, and each one is better and better.
I made one for a relative for Christmas, and another for my husband, and here are a few pictures I took...

For the original post, and complete tutorial, click here.  


Above is a picture of all the pieces sewn together, before it was quilted.  I've found that around 50 t-shirts makes a nice size quilt.  

Below are some of the funky quilting designs I used.  I quilted this on a long arm quilting machine, which really helps because of the bulk!


I describe extensively how I put these quilts together in my original post, but here is another picture of my list...
A description of the shirt, the shirt color, the size I end up deciding on based on my pattern (below) and the size I need to cut the shirts, with seam allowance.


I've improved my process for making patterns.  I still zoom out as far as possible in powerpoint, create squares in real size, and make them the same color as the t-shirt they represent.  I also like to add the dimensions in parenthesis, so I don't have to click on each individual square and look in the formatting tab for the size every time.  Pretty cool, if I do say so myself ;)


If you compare the above picture with the one below, you'll see how they coincide.  There were quite a few more oddly intersecting pieces in this quilt than in my original, but if I sewed with 1/2" seam allowance, and stopped 1/2" from the end when sewing those odd sections, eventually everything matched up ;)  It's not for the faint of heart - but it is doable!


Below is a picture of the second quilt I made this holiday season - all quilted and ready to be trimmed and bound.  I always like the simple, swirly quilting design.  As you can see, I used much larger pieces in this quilt - and had a lot more white space.  I had fewer t-shirts to work with, but still wanted a good size quilt.  I prefer when things are cropped tighter, but if you don't have the 50 or so t-shirts needed to make a large quilt, you can always do as I did and leave a lot of blank space around the logos.

On all three I've used soft, neutral colored flannel for the backing, and warm and natural cotton batting.


These create such a wonderful, useful and unique keepsake!  I definitely see more in my future ;)  My girls have already started setting aside their sports t-shirts at the end of each season for some day when I'll make one for them!  


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7 comments:

  1. Hey Lindsay, these are GREAT! You should start a business. I would definitely pay for you to make one for my son, Jacob. I've been wanting to get one done for him, with the 1 million t-shirts he left here when he went on his mission.

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    Replies
    1. Ha, thanks SusieQ! I haven't thought about making these into a business. They are a serious labor of love, that's for sure :) Congratulations on your son's mission - I've known a few people to make these quilts for their children at around the same time in life.
      Best,
      Lindsay

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  2. I'm having issues with the 10%. When i do either the single block or the whole page, it makes it so small that i can't do anything...what am i doing wrong?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Brenda,
      I'm not sure I can give you much advice with this little bit of information. I'm using the 2010 version of powerpoint, which may make a difference. If you make your boxes true to size (mine were as big as 15" wide/tall sometimes), then making it 10% should make each block LOOK like it's about 1". 15" is wider than a piece of paper, so at 100% one block could be bigger than your screen. That is why I shrunk the view to 10%, so that many blocks could be viewed on my screen at one time.
      Hope this helps! Feel free to email me with more specific questions if needed - craftyladylindsay@gmail.com
      Lindsay

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  3. Hi, this quilt is amazing! I've been wanting to do one for a while now but I think I finally have enough shirts! I love this pattern and was wondering if you would mind if I used it? Also, I'm a little intimidated by the odd borders on the pieces so I was wondering if you could explain what order you sewed the pieces together like you did in the original post? Thank you so much, and again, amazing job!

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