I’m back this week with a new Q(uilting) & Answer video! And this week its about how to get knits and t-shirts ready to use in those classic t-shirt quilts. You know the ones everybody wants to make with their high school/college t-shirts, or the baby’s clothes?

I once had someone tell me that they “only want to make a t-shirt quilt, I don’t want to learn to quilt”.

😳

T-shirt quilts are challenging. The idea of one sounds cozy and comfy, but honestly, wrestling stretchy knit fabrics into a nicely made patchwork quilt isn’t the easiest or most fun way to make a quilt. But it can definitely be done. But for anyone wanting to make their first quilt, I wouldn’t recommend a t-shirt quilt for that.

However, if you are familiar with your sewing machine, and are willing to spend a few extra minutes of time prepping your t-shirts (or baby clothes), you can make a beautiful t-shirt quilt, or baby clothes quilt. In this week’s video, I walk you through how I cut up a knit shirt (cut away seams, etc) and how to prep it to use in a quilt. I iron fusible interfacing to the back of every single piece of knit I use in a quilt. It removes the stretch factory and makes the fabric basically a dream to work with.

I’ve made many t-shirt quilts and quilts of baby clothes and this method has never failed me.

“Baby” from Wise Craft Quilts book

Commission quilt made for the founder of the Sasquatch Music Festival