The first thing I do in creating a T-shirt quilt is look carefully at the shirts and consult with the customer on what is desired of this quilt. Is it for a graduate? Will it cover a bed? Is it a lap quilt? Is there a minimum or maximum size requirement? Are there any shirts which require modifications? I ask lots of questions and form the plan for the quilt. From there I figure out yardage and help the customer in deciding on a color scheme. Once the fabric has been selected and the shirts with fabric are in my care, I can begin construction. The Process
I’ve been asked numerous times about my prices and “what I do.” I find it helpful to give a quick account of the steps in making a T-shirt quilt. The average quilt takes about 20 hours to complete. The T-shirts need to be washed, cut and fused to a stabilizing interfacing. I also wash and press the fabric used in the quilt to minimize future shrinkage and check for color fastness. Once fused, the shirts are ready for squaring up to be put in the quilt. If sashing is being used, I cut the sashing strips and cornerstones if requested. The entire quilt middle is sewn together and carefully pressed before adding the borders. Once the top is complete, the material for the back needs to be pressed, cut and sewn. The quilt is then taken to the machine quilter for stitching. I pay a professional machine quilter to use her machine and do the machine quilting myself. I also machine tack across the logos with my home machine with matching thread. The final step is to add the binding. The binding is prepared and stitched by machine first, then around the entire quilt by hand. Types of Quilt Layout Standard Quilt
There are many different ways a quilt can be laid out. The “sashing style” quilt is the most popular. “Sashing” refers to the strips of fabric in between the T-shirt logos. “Cornerstones” are the little squares in the corners of the T-shirt logos. This type of layout has 2 borders, a small inner border of a contrasting color and a larger outer border that matches the sashing. It is by far preferred by customers which is why I call it the “standard quilt.” This type of layout can be done with any grid of shirts so the 4,6,9,12,16,20 shirt options seem to work best. (Though if you have an odd number there are things we can do to work with it!) Standard Quilt Diagram - Sashing Style Examples of Sashing Style Quilts Economy Quilt
The “Economy Quilt” or “No Sashing Style” quilt is a way to get more shirts into the quilt at a reduced price. Here the T-shirts are side by side, no fabric separating them. There’s a simple outer border. The quilt is still professionally machine quilted and has a binding on it. In this layout, more shirts can easily be accommodated because there’s no sashing taking up space. As well, there’s less fabric and less time involved so it’s less expensive. Economy Quilt Diagram - No Sashing Style Examples of No Sashing Style Quilts Custom Sashing
Sometimes a custom sashing can be a lot of fun on a T-shirt quilt. There are lots of options available for a custom layout. These quilts take a bit more time in planning, cutting and sewing so there is an additional fee. Here are some examples of custom sashing layouts that I have done in the past. Examples of Custom Sashing Quilts Wall Hangings & Pillows
If you only have 1 or 2 shirts and would like a wall hanging or pillow made, I can do this too. This is often a nice way of accenting a favorite shirt or using an additional shirt that you found after the quilt was already together! Examples of Wall Hangings & Pillows | 
