A Twist on T-Shirt Quilts

I love making T-Shirt Quilts! They are the best way to preserve old memories! 

But what if you just want to display a few?????

Well, my husband came up with the answer to that! How about a wall hanging?

My husband reads and collects comic books and has received and bought many t-shirts over the years. He wanted a fun way to display some of his favorites that he no longer wears and
this was the perfect solution.

Here's how I did it!

Step 1 - Select Shirts - Shirts should be clean and in good condition.

Step 2 - Fusible Interfacing - Each shirt must be backed with non-woven fusible interfacing to prevent it from stretching. Buy enough fusible interfacing to make a 17" square for each T-shirt. I suggest Bosal 312 or Pellon 906F.

Step 3 - Fabric for Sashing/Border/Binding - Sashing strips form a decorative grid between each T-shirt block. Plan on 2" sashing strips (1 1/2" when finished) between the blocks, 2 1/2" strips (2" when finished) for the border, and additional fabric for the binding. Calculate the amount needed and be sure to wash it before you use it - you want to be sure that the color won’t run and that the fabric will not shrink after the quilt is finished.

Step 4 - Cutting Shirts - Separate the front of the shirt from the back. Make sure the shirt is smooth, iron if necessary. You want your shirt side to be larger than 15 inches square  - ideally larger than 17 inches to fit the interfacing.  After you apply the interfacing you will cut the shirt square to the desired size.

Step 5 - Fusing - Cut interfacing into 17" squares - one for each shirt. Don’t piece the interfacing, it will show through. Position the interfacing with the resin side down on the wrong side of the t-shirt, trying to center the design as much as possible. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for fusing to the back of each T-shirt. Use a press cloth so you don’t get any glue on your iron.  Beware of wrinkles - once cool they won’t come out!

Step 6 - Cutting the Squares - This is where you cut your t-shirt square. Square up each fused shirt to 15".  Make sure you center the design and lettering - measure twice - cut once! Cut with scissors or rotary cutter.

Step 7 - Arranging - Lay out squares on the floor and arrange. Alternate light/dark, busy/not so busy. Make sure the blocks can be read from the desired direction.

Step 8 - Completing the Quilt Top - add sashing - Sashing strips are the horizontal strips between blocks. The horizontal strips should measure 15" in length x 2" wide. Cut enough sashing strips to add to all the t-shirts. Then sew horizontal strips to the bottom of each block, and add one addition strip to the top of the top block. Sew blocks together to form column.

After all the blocks are sewn into column, make long 2" sashing strips slightly longer than length of the  column. Sew the 2" sashing strips onto the vertical sides of the completed columns. Cut off excess fabric.  Press toward sashing.

Finish - Layer backing batting and quilt top. Baste or safety pin together. If you have some experience machine quilting you can quilt your quilt or you can tie it to hold the layers together. Bind your quilt and be sure to add a label.

*Original directions from www.goosetracks.com