Making a quilt out of T-shirts
Do you have a drawer full of memories in the form of T-shirts? Why not get them out of your drawer and on to your bed in the form of a quilt? It's easier than you think!
Start by evaluating your T-shirts. Are they all the same size or color? Do they have a theme, such as sports? Do they have a logo or a saying that you would like to emphasize - or deemphasize? Will this quilt be for a bed, a lap or a wall? The answers to these questions will help you decide how to lay out the quilt, which will tell you how to cut your T-shirts.
 The simplest layout is a straight grid. Four rows of four T-shirt blocks (maybe in sashing) will make quick work of 16 shirts. As a very general rule, each tee shirt will give you a 14" x 14" square, so a 4 x 4 layout like this one will make a 60" square quilt, assuming no sashing and a small border.
If you have smaller shirts - say, babies or children's shirts, try putting them in sashing. Or, you could make them the center of a block, like a square in square block (right) or a log cabin. Putting a block on point might also help you to cut around stains or designs you don't want in the final product.
Start by preparing your T- shirts. Wash them (don't use fabric softener) and take them apart, removing knitted cuffs and neckband so they lay flat. Since they are pretty stretchy, you will want to iron on some non woven fusible interfacing to stabilize them. Don't use a stretchy interfacing made for knits. Read the package - some interfacing needs to be pre-shrunk to avoid problems after fusing. If you are going to use your T shirts without sashing, you may want to staystitch the edges by stitching 1/8" away from the side. If you are using cotton fabric for sashing, you can skip this step.
The sashing and borders is a good place to give your quilt some personality. Consider using blue jean fabric, flannel shirts (also stabilized, if necessary) or decorator fabric to add some interest. You can also embellish the sashing or borders to personalize it. Note the quilt at Tshirtquilt.com which has Boy Scout patches in the sashing.
For best results, try to use fabrics that are the same weight as your stabilized T-shirts. This means you might need to use heavier weight interfacing on the T shirts, or no interfacing on the sashing and border strips. The weight doesn't have to match exactly, just come close to feeling the same.
 Cut your shirts to the size you need for the blocks. Don't forget the seam allowance! Once you have stabilized them, you can cut them just like you cut any other fabric although you may prefer to use a template if you are fussy cutting. Don't think you need to make all your blocks square, or all the same size. You can fill in gaps with filler strips or strips of smaller blocks, not necessarily made with T shirts. The block to the left has a filler strip made with blocks.
  The quilt layout to the left has same size square in two different layouts which alternate on the quilt. One block is set on point in a square in a square; the other block has filler strips around two sides to make it the same size as the square in a square. This layout is a good option if you only have a few shirts, or they are small. The quilt to the right is a nine block layout with extra sashing to make it bigger.
To help you make your decision, lay all your blocks out with your chosen design in one place. Stand back and look at it. Would the blocks look better with sashing or without? Should you put them in a different place in your quilt? Now is your chance to make changes!
Use your walking foot to sew your blocks into rows, then sew your rows together. It will help you keep the layers together. Add the borders if needed.
Are you going to put batting into your quilt? If you just put the shirts together, a puffy batting tied to a fleece or flannel backing will make a cozy quilt. If you have found a prequilted fabric you like, you can sew it to the top all the way around the outer edges, right sides together, leaving a space for turning it right side out like a pillowcase. Quilts with cotton sashing and borders can be machine quilted.
Whatever you do, be sure to add a label telling the story of your tee shirt quilt!
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