T-Shirt Quilt

Designers: Elizabeth Tisinger and Hanna Piepel

Machine-Quilter: Nancy Sharr

Because T-shirt logo size can vary widely, it can be tough to fit them into traditional quilt patterns. Use this to your advantage and design a quilt around a special shirt collection.

• 15 or more T-shirts with logos
• 6 or more solid-color plain T-shirts
• 5/8 yard solid black (binding)
• 4 yards backing fabric
• 70x81" batting
• 10 yards fusible tricot interfacing

Finished quilt: 64x75"

Unless otherwise specified

Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics. All measurements include a 1/2" seam allowance. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Some people think sewing stretchy fabrics is tough, but we've made it easy by giving you the secret-fusible tricot interfacing. Without adding a lot of bulk, this lightweight knit interfacing prevents T-shirt knit from stretching out of shape while you're cutting and sewing. Look for interfacing brand names such as So Sheer or Fusi-Knit.

The greatest stretch of most T-shirts goes around the body (crosswise). To stabilize the shirts, place the interfacing so its stretch goes opposite the T-shirt's stretchiest direction. (Usually, this means putting the interfacing's greatest stretch running lengthwise.)

1. Cut each T-shirt up the sides and across the top to separate the front and back; remove the sleeves.

2. Cut large rectangles of fusible tricot interfacing to cover the fronts and backs of the T-shirts you're using.

3. Place each T-shirt front or back wrong side up on your work surface. With greatest stretch going in opposite directions, place fusible-web rectangles on T-shirts, fusible side down. Following the manufacturer's instructions, fuse in place; let cool.

4. Divide prepared T-shirts with logos into two piles-a narrow pile (logos that will fit best in a 6"-wide-finished row) and a wide pile (logos that will fit better in a 13"-wide-finished row). (Depending on the size of T-shirts you're using, you may wish to adapt the width of your rows to better accommodate the logos.)

From each interfaced logo shirt in wide pile, cut:

• 1--14"-wide rectangle, centering logo across width and cutting at least 1" above and below logo where possible

From each interfaced logo shirt in narrow pile, cut:

• 1--7"-wide rectangle, centering logo across width and cutting at least 1" above and below logo where possible.

The quilt top will be assembled in seven vertical rows-four narrow and three wide (Quilt Assembly Diagram). To cut the solid-color rectangles you'll need to fill in the spaces between logo rectangles, refer to the following:

Wide rows: Add heights of 14"-wide logo rectangles (subtracting 1" from each height for seam allowances). Subtract this amount from 250" to get an estimated total amount needed.

Narrow rows: Add heights of 7"-wide logo rectangles (subtracting 1" from each height for seam allowances). Subtract this amount from 350" to get an estimated total amount needed.

From interfaced solid-color plain shirts and scraps of remaining logo shirts, cut:

• Enough 14"-wide rectangles in heights varying from 2" to 6" to equal amount determined above
• Enough 7"-wide rectangles in heights varying from 2" to 20" to equal amount determined above

From solid black, cut:

• 8--2-1/2x42" binding strips

1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out all pieces in seven vertical rows, distributing logo rectangles evenly throughout the rows.

2. Join pieces in each row using a 1/2" seam allowance to make four narrow rows and three wide rows. Press all seams open. If necessary, trim each row to 75" long.

3. Join all rows to complete quilt top. Press seams open.

1. Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste.

2. Quilt as desired. Using black thread, machine-quilter Nancy Sharr stitched an allover stipple over the quilt top.

3. Bind with solid black binding strips.