Recycle Old T Shirts into Quilts
Bring a Unique Touch to Quilting and Sewing Projects.
A t-shirt quilt is a good way to recycle t-shirts whilst making a useful quilt or throw. A quilt made from t-shirts will also contain a wealth of memories, with each t-shirt representing a snapshot in time.
Gathering T Shirts
Cotton t-shirts can make great quilts. Typically made from cotton jersey, the t-shirts will provide a source of good hard wearing fabric. Squares are cut from t-shirts and these are pieced together to form an eclectic mix of patterns and styles. Any old t-shirts are fine for making quilts; however the better quality the cotton, the heavier the finished quilt will be. T-shirts can be used from your own collection, or bought cheaply from charity shops, thrift shops or garage sales.
It is possible to theme t-shirt quilts, for instance to gather together or collect t-shirts from band tours or promotions and piece these together to form a band specific quilt. Online auctions are a good place to hunt for specific band t-shirts; however this can work out quite expensive if the t-shirts in question turn out to be collectors items.
Another variation would be to collect t-shirts from family members and piece these together to form a family memory quilt. These might include school t-shirts, souvenirs from holidays, old favorites etc.
T-shirts of a particular color theme could be combined to form a color co-ordinated quilt, or random colors chosen for a varied effect. The options are almost limitless!
How a T Shirt Quilt is Made.
Making a quilt from t-shirts is no more difficult than any other form of quilting. The t-shirt material, being stretchy cotton, will need to be stabilized to stop it from pulling and stretching out of shape. Stabilizer, however, is easy to work with and there are many different types available.
The quilt can be made by using blocks or squares of the same size and shape, or for a more free form quilt the blocks could be different sizes. Piecing together different sized blocks is probably best undertaken by a more experienced quilter.
The finished quilt needs to be backed onto another piece of fabric. Woven cotton, fleece or flannel are ideal for the backing. Some people like to add sashing and borders to their t-shirt quilts, and any cotton fabric will be suitable. This is by no means necessary, although it is a good way to make a few t-shirts go further. Batting can be incorporated to make a warm cozy quilt, or this can be left out for a more lightweight quilt.
Tutorials and further instruction can be found online:
Straw.com - How to make a t-shirt quilt.
PSHQuilts.com - Instructions for a 20 t-shirt quilt
Ideas for T-Shirt Quilts
- A small quilt made from baby t-shirts and clothes would make a lovely present for grandparents. It would also make a great heirloom for baby’s first child.
- If the t-shirt quilt is being made as a gift, then an accompanying photo montage of people wearing the quilts would make the present even more personal.
- If you don’t have enough t-shirts for a full sized quilt, think about making a knee blanket, pillows or floor cushions.
Further reading: 5 Sewing Projects using T-Shirts.
For more interesting reading, take a look around the rest of the Suite101 Sewing and Needlework site.
