T-shirt quilts make a great gift for graduates. If you
have one in your future, these tips will help you make a cherished tribute
blanket!
The June Taylor T-shirt Transformation
Bundle is on sale until April 15 and it has everything that you need
for making T-shirt quilts. The square ruler helps with centering block sizes of
10”, 12”, and 15”. It also includes a pressing cloth and interfacing.
Here are some T-shirt quilt tips shared by Sew Inspired by Bonnie:
Wash Shirts
Make sure
that the t-shirts are clean and have been washed.
Keep Shirt Backs and Sleeves
Add
embroidery to blank shirt blocks for unique personalization or to fill in where
needed. Use back pieces to build smaller pieces up to block size.
Rough Cut Shirts to Start
Use standard scissors or a rotary cutter.
Don’t worry if your cut lines are not straight, you will straighten them up
when you cut out the actual blocks.
Press, Don’t Iron
When applying
Interfacing, press but don’t iron (or use a heat press) to keep shirt fibers
from stretching. Since your iron has a triangular head, alternate its direction
when pressing for good, overall adhesion.
Use a Pressing Cloth
Screen
printing on shirts can damaged by an iron unless you use a pressing cloth.
Determine Block Size
Think in terms of one block at a time. See
which has the biggest design because you want all the blocks to be the same
size. Sometimes oneshirt will stand out
as the center of attention. A squaring ruler helps center designs.
Arrange Blocks Before Sewing
Use a bed,
the floor, or back patio. It is much easier to get your arrangement just right
if you lay out the blocks before sewing.
Take a Photo
Once you have
blocks arranged to your liking, take a photo with camera or phone. That gives
you a visual reference when sewing the blocks together.
Use a Walking Foot
Because
everything has a tendency to shift, use a walking foot when sewing your
quarter-inch seams. Stitch with a 75/11 sharp, no need for a ballpoint needle.
Press Seams
When adding
sashing, press seams toward the sashing to eliminate bulk.
Embellish and Personalize
Add important
dates and names using fonts and
embellish with embroidery.
Debbie SewBlest