T-Shirt Quilts: Popularity and Process of Making

How does recycling, reducing, customizing, and capturing memories fit together? Well they are all accomplished when designing a t-shirt quilt. A t-shirt quilt is a type of memory quilt composed of designs from a variety of t-shirts that have been cut into equally-sized blocks. The popularity of the t-shirt quilt can be attributed to many factors: 1) it is the perfect solution for reducing and recycling a large quantity of used t-shirts; 2) it is custom-made; and 3) it preserves memories of unlimited occasions including elementary through college years, vacations, memberships to organizations, sports, reunions, concerts, etc. The thing I like most about a t-shirt quilt it that it allows me to make use of special t-shirts that I've outgrown such as my elementary school t-shirt that lists the names of all the students during a certain school year. For all of these advantages, a t-shirt quilt makes an ideal gift for holidays, graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings. The process of making a t-shirt quilt is described below.

A t-shirt quilt allows customization whether it is self-made or professionally-made. A self-made t-shirt quilt is most ideal for quilters who have access to equipment such as quilting machines and rotary cutters. T-shirt quilt patterns can be found online providing a variety of quilt layouts. Examples of website that sell these patterns include etsy.com, amazon.com, and tshirtquilt.com. The basic process of creating a t-shirt quilt involves designing your t-shirt layout, removing the seams from clean t-shirts, cutting t-shirt images into equally sized blocks, fusing interfacing to t-shirt blocks, sewing together rows of blocks that are joined, using cotton fabric to make borders and sashing (fabric strips between blocks), applying batting (optional padding or stuffing to make quilt bulky), and attaching backing (cotton, flannel, or fleece). The size of your quilt determines the number of t-shirts to use. Assembling 42 (7-inch x 6-inch blocks) creates a queen-sized t-shirt quilt ( 105 inches wide x 90 inches long) and assembling 49 (7-inch x 7-inch blocks) creates a king-sized t-shirt quilt ( 105 inches wide x 105 inches long) according to the website tshirtquilt.com that offers the professional service of creating customized t-shirt quilts. Tshirtquilt.com is known for offering "high loft batting" that creates quality t-shirt quilts and quilt/pillow sets. This professional service charges by the block as detailed on their website.

On a final note, not only does a t-shirt quilt make a creative bedding accessory, it also makes great home or public décor. Specifically a t-shirt quilt makes an ideal wall hanging that may be displayed in living rooms, schools, offices, and museums. A t-shirt quilt is definitely fascinating!

Sources

"T-Shirt Memory Quilts."Tshirtquilt.com.

"T-Quilts Product Information."Tquilts.com.

"How to Make a Tee Shirt Quilt - Free T-Shirt Quilt Pattern." Straw.com.