Making T Shirt Quilts | How to Stabilize T-Shirts for Quilting

One reason we all love wearing t-shirts is because they are made from such soft, stretchy knit fabric. When it comes to making t-shirt quilts, though, their stretchiness poses a problem. The same give that makes t-shirts so comfortable also makes them get distorted and wonky if you sew them without preparing them in advance. Being a lazy quilter, I have actually tried this, and the end result isn’t pretty.

That’s why you need to stabilize your shirts before you use them in a quilt or any other sewing project. You do this by applying a fusible backing to the t-shirt fabric. The backing helps the shirt hold its shape while you cut and sew it. The softer and more worn a t-shirt is, the more it needs stabilizing before you try to sew with it.

Steps in T-Shirt Quilting

Making a t-shirt quilt involves four steps:

1. Deciding on a design.
2. Getting the shirts ready to quilt.
3. Sewing the quilt top together.
4. Quilting and finishing the completed quilt top.

This post covers Step 2, how to prepare the shirts for t-shirt quilting.

Supply List

Here’s what you will need:

• Light-weight, iron-on interfacing such as Pellon Shape-Flex® (woven) or Therm-o-Web Heat’n Bond (non-woven.) Either woven or non-woven interfacing will work fine.
• A press cloth you can dampen for pressing the fusible interfacing to the t-shirts.
• Steam iron
• Ironing board or ironing surface

Step by Step Stabilizing Instructions

1. Cut a square of stabilizer big enough to cover the whole image you want to feature, plus at least a couple of extra inches all around the image to give you plenty of space for trimming and seam allowances.  Be generous with the extra inches.
2. Turn the t-shirt inside out. Lay the stabilizer square with its glue side (the rougher side) of the interfacing against the reverse side of the t-shirt image. Read the interfacing manufacturer’s instructions to make sure you have the right temperature and steam settings before you put that hot iron on the interfacing. Because once you do that, you’re committed!
3. Press the interfacing to the t-shirt. Cover the whole thing with a damp press cloth to avoid melting the inks or any rubberized parts of the t-shirt image. I just dampened a piece of cotton batting I had lying around. Use firm pressure and hold the iron steady for 10-15 seconds in each spot to make sure the interfacing and t-shirt are thoroughly fused together. Overlap the pressing areas to make sure you cover all parts of the image.
4. Turn the t-shirt right side out again. Cut out the image using a rotary cutter and a see-through cutting ruler. Leave plenty of extra room around the image for trimming and seam allowances. (Having that extra room is important. Don’t ask me how I know.) If you plan to cut a lot of t-shirts into the same shape, you may want to make a cardboard template that is the size and shape you want. That will speed up the cutting.

Here’s what the stabilized t-shirt image looks like once it has been cut out.

The t-shirt will now hold its shape as you sew, trim, and quilt it.

Learn more about t-shirt quilting at Quiltersdiary.com. 

Make Tee Shirt Quilts to Preserve Special Memories

Fellow quilter, wouldn't you like to do something fun, useful -- even beautiful -- with all those old worn-out tee shirts you just can't bear to part with?  If the t-shirts taking up space in a drawer or cupboard  belong to someone else, clearing out the space by making them into something your loved one will enjoy feels even more satisfying.

Here's a suggestion: take a set of favorite old shirts, cut out the interesting parts, and use them to make a tee shirt quilt.

It's easier than you might think to make a good-looking t-shirt quilt. There are three steps:

1. Choosing which t-shirts to include in the shirt. You may want to organize the shirts in the quilt by color, by event (such as a set of annual shirts from your favorite football team or fun run), by theme, such as a set of shirts from your favorite rock bands, or by size. 
2. Deciding on a design. The traditional way is to sew the shirts into a simple grid with sashing to separate them, like this:but there are lots of ways to give your quilt a bit more style. 
3. Prepare the tee shirts for quilting. The fabric in t-shirts is stretchy, so you need to stabilize it before you cut and sew it, to avoid pulling the shirt out of shape. 
4. Sewing  the tee shirt blocks together, quilting, and binding the quilt. 

Making a T-Shirt Quilt a Memory Quilt

You can add interest to a tee shirt quilt by including photos, autograph quilt blocks, and traditional blocks with a related theme. A bear's paw block makes a great element in a quilt featuring tee shirts from the University of California at Berkeley Bears football team.