Is it possible to make a "t-shirt" quilt with little (or no) sewing experience?

Question

I have tons of old tshirts that i love but can't or don't wear anymore but they are all special to a certain time or event. I want to cut the fronts (or backs) off and use them to make a quilt/blanket. I assume I'd need to stitch them together and get a piece of cloth for the back and some crap to stuff inside, batting, or whatever it's called. Obviously I dont know anything about sewing nor do i have any sewing equipment.
Any suggestions? Would it be possible to do with one of those cheap hand stitchers?

Answer 1

I certainly wouldn't recommend a cheap hand stitcher. I've made a tee-shirt quilt, and my sewing machine was essential.

Wash all the shirts first with detergent but no fabric softener. Stabilize the shirts with fusible (iron-on) interfacing, then cut into squares. Sew strips of contrasting fabric, called sashing, between squares to make rows of shirt squares, sew long sashing strips between the rows, then sew the rows together. Frame it in a border of contrasting fabric. This is your quilt top.

Sew together lengths of fabric to make a quilt back a couple of inches larger than the quilt top. Lay the back out on the floor or a table with masking tape at the corners to keep it from shifting around. Lay the batting layer over it, then the quilt top to make a three layer quilt sandwich. Baste or use safety pins every four or five inches all across the quilt top to hold it all together.

Now it's time for the actual quilting. The easiest, fastest way to do this is to tie the layers together using a needle threaded with six-strand embroidery floss. From the top, at the corner where vertical and horizontal sashing intersect, put the needle through and pull it back up 1/2 inch away. Tie the ends of the floss together and cut it off, leaving a 1 to 2" thread tail. Do this at every sashing corner.

Instead of tying, you can stitch by hand or machine around every square. This is sturdier and looks better.

After all the quilting is done, trim the edges so all three layers are even and sew binding around.

Here is a link to clear, step by step instructions for a tee-shirt quilt. http://www.goosetracks.com/T-ShirtQuiltInstructions.html

Answer 2

I wouldn't try it with a hand stitcher, but you could probably do it with a small, inexpensive sewing machine. All you need is a straight stitch. For the most basic quilt, get some light weight iron on interfacing. Iron this to the back of your t-shirts so the area that you want to use is completely supported. This will keep them from stretching. Get some cotton fabric to use as "sashing" - fabric that goes between the t-shirt squares. This does not need the interfacing. It's easiest if all of the squares are the same size, but you can add cotton fabric to increase the squares if necessary. Cut out your squares, cut strips of the cotton fabric as wide as you want the sashing to be, plus 1/2". Sew sashing to one side of each of the t-shirt strips, then sew them together into rows. Sew a long piece of the sashing fabric to the bottom of the first row, then sew the next row to the sashing, then another sashing strip, then another row, etc. Sew a long strip around the outside edges to form a border. You can add a second border if you like.

You can buy bagged batting that is pre-cut to standard sizes. You also need enough cotton fabric to equal the size of your quilt top, plus a little extra. You may have to cut it and sew it back together to get it into the right shape. Spread your backing fabric out on a hard floor and smooth it down, then tape it to the floor. Smooth the batting over it, then smooth the quilt top over it. Use a large embroidery needle and some embroidery floss to "tie" the quilt. Stitch through all three layers and then back up right next to it, then tie a square knot (left over right, right over left -- OR -- right over left, left over right). If you do the knot wrong, it could come untied, so practice your square knots. Pull it tight, cut the floss so you have a short tail, and tie it in the next spot. Read your batting instructions to find out how close you need to put the ties. Some battings can be 10", some need to be as close as 3". Check this before you buy the batting!

After it's all tied, cut the excess batting and backing off so it matches the top. Cut several strips of cotton fabric for binding. This is MUCH easier to explain with pictures, so check the links below for binding instructions.

Good luck!

Answer 3

You defiinitely wouldn't be able to do it with a hand stitcher. I burned one out just by putting tags on some clothes.

You might want to try a starter project before you cut up your favorite t-shirts. There are several skills skills you'll need to practice:

-cutting straight lines using a rotary cutter, mat and rulers
- using interfacing (the craft store can show you what weight to buy for t-shirts)
-running perfectly even, straight seams on the sewing machine without the thread tangling
- basting the finished top to the batting and back
- sewing the 3 layers together with no bunches or loose spots
-applying a binding

You will be surprised how many small things will go wrong that will hold you back. You might want to try small projects first, just to learn how the machine works before you ruin anything that you can't get back.

Answer 4

By all means yes! I would love to help you out. Feel free to email me. Thank-you!
Diane B.