How to Make a Custom Quilt from T-Shirts Part II - Assemble the Quilt Top

T-shirts are great collectables and many people bring them back from college, school, vacation, and clubs. Here's a way make your own handmade quilts from T-shirts.

After you have prepared your shirts for the Quilt move on to this step.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 5 Yards backing Fabric (I used navy)
• 1.5 yards Sashing Fabric (I used red)
• Thread
• Sewing Machine
• Basic Sewing supplies
• Rotary Cutting Mat
• Rotary Cutter
• Quilting Ruler
• Prepared T-shirts from Part I

1. After your T-shirt squares are ready, it's time to prepare the quilt top. I am using red fabric for my sashing fabric that frames the shirts. I am using Navy fabric for the Cornerstones that accent the quilt. First, wash, dry, and iron your fabric.

2. 
    
   These are shown in stacks of 4

   Cut the sashing fabric (red for me). You will need 3 pieces of 15" by 12" sashing and 16 pieces of 15" x 2" sashing.

3. 
    

   Cut the cornerstones (navy for me). You will need 4 pieces of 12" X 2" fabric.

4. 
    

   Arrange the strips alternating cornerstone, sashing, cornerstone, sashing, cornerstone, sashing, cornerstone.

5. 
    

   Sew together along the 12" seams.

6. 
    

   Iron the seams toward the sashing (again, red for me).

7. 
    

   Fold the entire piece lengthwise 4 times and carefully align on the cutting mat.

8. 
    

   Trim off 1/2" on the sides and cut into 5 2" strips.

9. 
    

   Plan and arrange your T-shirt squares for the quilt.

10. 
     

    Sew sashing strips between the squares so you have 4 rows of three shirts with 4 sashing strips.

11. 
     

    Press the seams toward the sashing strips.

12. 
     

    Pin the premade horizontal sashing and cornerstone strips to the T-shirt rows. the end row will have a top and bottom sashing strip.

13. 
     

    Be sure to match the seams precisely for a neat seam in the corners.

14. 
     

    Use a pin on either side of the matched seam to be sure the seam will not slip.

15. 
     

    Sew the horizontal sashing strips to the T-Shirt rows.

16. 
     

    Sew the T-shirt rows together in pairs. It's starting to look like something now.

17. 
     

    One more row to sew. Sew the middle row together and the quilt top is done. Next is the quilt back.

18. Quilt back. This step is really easy.
    Cut two pieces of backing fabric the length of the quilt plus 5".

19. Sew them together along the long edge with a 1" seam allowance. Cut off the selvedge.

20. Fold the quilt in half vertically and the quilt back in half vertically. Using the quilt top as a guide cut off the sides of the back leaving a 5" border. Save the remainder to use later in the project.

Resources

• PSHQuilts.com
• How to Make a T-shirt Quilt Part I - Prepare the Shirts
• How to Make a T-shirt Quilt Part III - Quilt Sandwich and Tying
• PSH Quilts on Etsy
• PSH Quilts on Twitter
• PSH Quilts on Facebook

[omghow]

on 7/5/2009 Thanks for sharing you love craft.

[vikki9]

on 6/24/2009 I love this energetically-sound idea. Thank you for these clear instructions.