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Sweet Tea in the South

How to Make a T-shirt Rag Quilt (the non-quilter’s quilt)

(This post contains affiliate links.)

I’ve decided to start a monthly series called “Making Memories Last.”  In this series, I will take old items with memories attached to them, and upcycle them to something new.  I’m pretty excited about this first post in the series.  I’ve had a bag full of t-shirts in my closets for a while now.  And when I say a while, this bag has moved with me 3 times.  At first I had great ambitions to make an official “t-shirt quilt” with the borders and binding–basically the whole sheebang (that’s a word, I promise).  Being realistic, I knew I would not have the patience to make the perfect square cuts, create a binding, or hand quilt to finish.  So in comes the t-shirt rag quilt, also known as the non-quilter’s quilt.  Previously, I made a baby sized rag quilt for a sweet friend, and I found that rag quilts are very forgiving. Please keep in mind that I am by no means a sewing expert (and that’s why I also did not make a “real” quilt).

 

Left:  front, Right: back. Definitely some oldies but goodies t-shirts in there! 🙂

Let’s get started.  Here is what you will need:

~Cotton t-shirts (I used 30 of varying themes such as Auburn, high school, college, races, etc.  You could also do an all race shirt or a college themed shirt for example).
~Rotary cutter and cutting mat are highly recommended for your sanity (you can buy a set at most craft stores–don’t forget your coupons!)
~Flannel (we will use this as the filling)
~Fabric scissors

First you will need to go through your t-shirts and see if any are smaller than the others.  I had one that fit smaller, so I picked that one to base all of my squares off of.  I cut my squares at 13inches x 13inches.  Originally they were 14 x 14, but I cut it wrong.  You know that saying measure twice, cut once?  Yea, I should probably do that haha.  It happens 🙂  Keep in mind, that if you have bigger squares you won’t need as many tshirts and vice versa.  It is up to you how big you want to make your quilt.

If you ever have the chance, you should definitely check out the Velcro Pygmies…they are quite the good cover band!

Once I had my first t-shirt cut, I used that as the template to cut the other shirts as you can see in the last picture on the right.  When you are deciding how large you want your squares, remember you will lose an inch or so to the seams.  I used both the front and back of my t-shirts by making one cut.   If I were to do this again, I would cut the front and the back of the shirts separately to ensure I got the best portion of the picture.  You could also use a piece of flannel as the backing. Keep in mind that the cuts do not have to be as perfect as those on a regular quilt because eventually you will be cutting the edges anyway.  But they do need to be generally the same.

For the filling, I used flannel.  I bought different colors so when the quilt is washed and frayed, the fray-age would be different colors. I recommend white flannel for the white shirts so a different color does not show through. I decided to use three layers of flannel in each t-shirt square.  If I were to do this again, I would probably use one or two layers of flannel.  My quilt ended up being very heavy, and it was very tough on my sewing machine.  Further, using three layers of flannel meant that I had to cut 90 flannel squares…

 
Now it is time to start sewing those squares together.  I used this sewing machine.  It wasn’t super cheap and also not super expensive/fancy–more of an in between sewing machine, but it got me through this and my other little projects 🙂 Lay the back of the t-shirt good side facing down, followed by the three layers of flannel squares, and finally the front of the t-shirt on top with the good side facing out.  You can decide if you want the front or back of the t-shirt as the ruffled side later.  I normally kept the square together using pins.  Next, you simply sew an “X” on each shirt.
See the “X” in the far right picture?  Yes, you have to do that on all of the t-shirt squares, which in my case, was 30…eeekk!
Here are some tips on sewing the t-shirt squares:
~Be sure to use the same thread on your upper and lower thread
~Go slow on the glossy print (your machine most likely will not like the gloss)
~Reverse stitch at the beginning and end of your “X”s to make them stronger
 
The difficult part comes after you have completed sewing all of your squares.  The placement.  Tip:  Be sure to vacuum your floor before you do this 😉  I spent about an hour staring at my squares and deciding how I wanted to place them.  I tried my best to spread out my Auburn, white, and race shirts.  Riley helped by immediately laying on the squares every time I rearranged them, hence the dog toy below.
Be sure to take a picture with your phone so you will remember your placement! Time to put that sewing machine to work!  I began my sewing each row together, then sewing all of the rows together. Remember to sew
your seams out–you will get use to this, I promise!  And don’t forget
to talk nicely to your sewing machine–in my case, when I sewed two
squares together, I was sewing through ten layers!  It is up to you whether you use pins or not.  Sometimes I did and sometimes I didn’t.  You also need to decide how much ruffle you want.  If you want a larger, more noticeable ruffle, leave more fabric exposed at the seams.  For less noticeable ruffle, leave less fabric exposed at the seams. I tried to keep my seams at half an inch.

See above how the seam is facing out?  That is what will ruffle after being washed to create the “rag” affect.

Only 5 rows to go!
Here is a pic of sewing the rows together.  Whenever it was time to sew the seams, I sort of folded them over as I went.

And finally all of the rows sewed together!

 
Be sure to sew around the border–you will want it to ruffle there too.  Now we are in the home stretch.  All that is left is the cutting. Cut a notch every quarter to half an inch or so.  Do not cut past where
you sewed.  And yes, you have to cut notches on all of the exposed
seams.  I know, there is a lot.  Trust me, I’ve been there 🙂
Once you have done all of the cutting, throw it in the washing machine.  For larger size quilts, you may want to consider taking it to a dry cleaners. There will be a lot of little strings from the fraying in your washing machine and dryer.  It will fray more with time and washes. And voila! Here she is all finished : )
I think Riley is just happy it is complete, and she can finally enjoy it!
While rag quilts are very easy, they can be quite time consuming.  Here is a suggested timeline to keep you from going insane.
Day 1–Pick t-shirts for your quilt
Day 2–Cut t-shirt squares
Day 3–Cut flannel squares
Day 4–Sew t-shirt squares together
Day 5–Decide on t-shirt placement and take picture
Day 6–Sew all of the rows
Day 7–Sew the rows together and sew border
Day 8–Cut notches on the exposed seams
Day 9–Wash and dry
Day 10–Enjoy!
Don’t forget to throw some breaks in there!
What theme of rag quilt are you going to make??
Thanks for stopping by!
Jess
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Comments

    • The back is plain with no ruffles. Check out the second picture at the beginning of the blog, and you will see a picture comparing the front (with ruffles) and back (without the ruffles). For the backs of my squares, I just used the other side of the t-shirt. You can also use a flannel square. Hope this helps!

      Reply

      • Love this idea. I read through all the comments and all my questions were answered with lots of great tips, too. Thanks for sharing

        I

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  4. My daughter was a competitive figure skater and I have her T-shirts from competitions that I really wanted to do something with, this is perfect! Thank you!!!

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  8. My daughter and I go to several big barrel races a year and usually purchase their T-shirt. This will be a great way to remember the fun times we had going down the road.

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  9. My Beautiful Granddaugther want's her & I 2 make a t-shirt quilt. She is a senior this yr and has been cheering High School & competive for yrs. We really have a great bond. Ur way 2 make this quilt may just keep us from hating each other. This is the thang. I sew really well, but HATE it. She not some much, & loves it. to make it worst she is a lefty!! , blond, & high IQ but dumb as dirt. BLESS HER HEART! love her though, so Thanks for the wounderful help!

    ,

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  10. I made an actual t-shirt quilt. I finally paid to have the binding finished and quilting. I have a lot more college t-shirts to put into a quilt and I think I can do this. Thanks.

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  12. A friend of mine had a 13 x 13 piece of Plexiglas cut to use as her template for her squares. It made center the design very easy!

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  13. Wow! My husband has an amazing T-Shirt collection. I am going to see if he will let me try this. I do not sew — except for hemming and perhaps a simple curtain. Hope you keep your blog, as I may have questions. Thanks for sharing! Great project for cooler weather!

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  14. I love this idea, going to try it on all the t-shirts i have stuffed in the drawer and don't use anymore. Great Idea thanks for sharing.

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  15. I have all my sons tee shirts I have been going to have made into a quilt for 12 years now this might just work I like it bettr than a real quilt thanks for sharing

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  16. Really good idea, I am going to make one of these from my son's old t-shirts, He was killed in a car accident this year and I wanted to keep some of his favorite shirts and this will be a great way to do it!!! Thanks for sharing this!!

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  17. I have a stack of t-shirts I have been going to make into a quilt. This is way better than a regular quilt!

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  19. you can iron the shirts onto interfacing before or after the cut and will not need to sew an X if you use the interfacing. Just another idea

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    • Wouldn’t the stabilizer be rough when the seams are snipped and showing instead of soft and raggy

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  22. have many family reunion shirts and music shirts . am the worlds greatest procrastinator,but I am really going to try this I hope.

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    • I actually washed mine a few times after I finished to make it ruffle more. I washed it on the delicate cycle–mine ended up being heavy so I didn't want it to mess up my washing machine. Be sure to check the washer in between washes to clean out any strings from the ruffling–and the dryer, mine had a lot of lintage!

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  25. When sewing strips together, do you open up seams or fold one way at the squares corner? I could not tell what you did on the picture.

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  26. About 10 yrs ago I got an idea for a quilt for a Christmas gift for my mom. There are 8 children in my family and I gave each one a package of enough muslin squares, embroidery thread, hoop and instructions to trace their hand on the cloth and then do their own stitching and also stitch their name on the panel. Included in the package was enough for their children to do the same. The children ranged in ages 3 to 33. Each family had their own color of thread. So 8 children, 15 grandchildren and the center block had my mom and dad's wedding picture transferred to a block of muslin to make the quilt complete. They all had the same printed instructions for a simple embroidery stitch but you wouldn't believe the difference in the panels. All but 2 of the grandchildren could complete their own and the younger ones sat on the moms lap and at least helped in doing their own sewing. Yes, I did leave the in-laws out of this project but they understood. I needed enough blocks for a queen size bed. The quilt turned out beautiful. It was the first one I had ever made and it was not perfect but you could never convince my mom of that. It has served as her bedspread ever since.

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  27. I kind of did the same thing only with jean squares sewn together, cut and frayed, a middle layer with quilt batting and a bottom layer with red handkerchief fabric. Then I tied the corners and middle of each square with red embroidery floss. I included a few jeans pockets on the squares.
    I turned out really neat and gave it to my son for high school graduation. He's 27 now and still sleeps with it.

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  28. This is great. My daughter-in-law's mother made her a quilt from some of her high school and college softball tees, with a "flap" of sorts at the top so that when she wanted to take it with her, she could roll it up and tuck it into the flap. I was a little intimidated by this but I have a lot of tees that were my daughter's from her sorority days in college and I wanted to do something with them for her. This is PERFECT. And, you are VERY good at explaining any problems that may arise. And, you are pretty funny too. Thanks.

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  29. That's awesome! I see that you used a Velcro Pygmies shirt! My husband was in that band for 8 years. His name is Jason Reed. They call him Dep. So awesome that I found this! I'm going to make one myself!

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  31. I have been saving my hubby, son and grandsons weightlifting t-shirts for over 25 years just to make quilts, but had no idea how to do it. Thank you so much for sharing this. Now my winter days will be very busy.

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  32. Wow! Thank You! I am so glad I found this! I have enough t-shirts I can't seem to part with that I don't wear anymore I can probably make 2 of these. I've been trying to figure out a way to make some sort of blanket or quilt with them and was just asking my sister for advice a few days ago. I can't wait to get my sewing machine back so I can get to work.

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  33. These are great quilts to make. I've made a lot of them for baby shower gifts. I also make rag quilt purses / bags using the same concept. They also look great if you can monogram your name or initials on it.

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  34. I have a lot of Harley Davidson T-Shirts that I want to make a quilt with I saw it on facebook but with no directions thanks I will get busy asking friends for there HD shirts they no longer want but I have a good start with my own. I will use the backs of the shirts because many of them tell where you've been. Also I will search all the good wills stores in the area for more shirt with different shirts for another one thank you for posting the directions. Marcia Luce from Katy, Texas

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  36. Love to sew. this is great. i have sixteen grandkids and make blankets for each. these should be easy to finish.

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  38. I'm a quilter and just made my first tee shirt quilt (donation for Pink Heels) and I said never again BUT this looks great. I have been asked to make for breast cancer survivors who have saved all their tee shirts from various BC events now I can say yes for them.

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    • You can also starch the shirts making them stiff for cutting and sewing. I wish I knew this tip before doing my first T-shirt quilt. Buy the cheap blue bottle of STA-FLO. Put it into aspray bottle and spray on the back side or inside of the shirt. Put a covering over the wet shirt like baking paper or iron on vinyl. (You don't iron on the vinyl but use that piece with the paper side up and iron the T-shirt hat way.) Hope I am making sense. Then you can cut your T-shirt to size. When your quilt is finished you can wash and dry it and the starch will come out of the fabric. A lot cheaper then using interfacing. Shake up he starch before using it.

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  40. WOW!! I have wanted to make a t-shirt quilt for my son for a long time and this is the best idea I have ever seen. I am an accomplish sewer with just too little free time. But this will work. It is amazing and you are wonderful! Thank you so much for being so generous to share your great idea!!

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  41. I made a huge t shirt quilt with log cabin quilt squares in between…it was my first attempt at making a quilt top… Let me give those here a couple of tips that will save you a lot of swearing, and end up with a nicer quilt….
    First, measure the t shirt Fronts, and cut ALL of them the same size as the LARGEST ONE…
    Second, there is an item called T SHIRT STABILZER FABRIC, you can buy at Hancock Fabrics, that you iron on the back to keep them from streching too much while you sew…it doesn't affect the softness, it just keeps it from bunching up, and creating a jam in the feed dogs of your machine…
    Third, invest in a walking foot attachment for your sewing machine… They help to make sewing several layers of fabric MUCH EASIER…

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    • I have done a sweatshirt rag quilt. Single layer for a lighter blanket. I used my kids old tops and pants for my squares. Works great. You don't have to sew the X if it's only one layer so it was a quick project.

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  44. I made a quilt from men's shirts like this ,but I used Felt for the batting instead of Flannel. It came out great, now the son has memories from his dad.

    Dorothy

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  46. My husband passed away May 2, 2013. I've been wondering what to do with his clothes. Now, if I had a sewing machine and knew how to use it, I'd be into this. My babies (3 and 4) would love a blanket with Daddy's clothes!

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    • I'm sorry for your loss. What a lovely idea; maybe there's another way to preserve some memories if you're not able to make a quilt. How about putting 12×12 squares cut from the shirts into a 12×12 scrapbook? You'd even be able to take those squares out of the scrapbook and make a quilt sometime in the future if you want.

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  47. I am great at starting crafty projects but not so much at finishing them (I have a bag full of half done cross stitches in my attic). Aside from the schedule you provided do you have any other suggestions? Also, to be honest, the last time I tried to use a sewing machine was in 8th grade home ec class which was 25 years ago. When my grandma passed my mom gave me her machine. It's not fancy but is still very intimidating to me. What can you offer suggestion wise to someone who is so far beyond clueless I make Paris Hilton look like a Einstein type genius? Thanks!!

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    • I totally understand. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any unfinished projects lying around. My main motivation for completing this was that I had a deadline. I auctioned off a t-shirt rag quilt, and I wanted to use my personal one as an example. That being said, I have not started the t-shirt rag quilt for the auction winner.

      For the sewing machine, I would practice on some scrap fabric. When I was first starting out I had to look up EVERTHING in the manual. And that is okay!

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  48. These quilts are so fun! One tip that I received that has been helpful is to cut the fleece/felt/flannel/middle layer an inch smaller on all 4 sides and center it in the middle. Sure, it won't add to the fray, but it's also less fabric to have to send through your seing machine, and the smaller square inside makes a nice guide for those who aren't super-proficient sewers. 🙂

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  49. When my husband died I decided to take all of his t-shirts and make a king sized quilt. I used the fronts and backs that were cute. If it had a small logo I would add it on the quilt for accents. I did not have a space big enough to lay out these on the floor, so I started in the center and placed them on top of my sized bed. After I did the middle of the quilt and had it sewn I added to it and made it long enough to hang off the bed nicely. Hate short quilts that dont cover enough. I used cotton for the back. But I needed to live up north to use it. Haha very sentimental but very hot. Waiting for a cold day in Florida.

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  50. Thank you for posting this! My three year old son died of cancer in 2010. I saved his favorite shirts and have wanted to make a quilt out of them but am not a seamstress! You gave very clear directions and i think i can do it. I guess my squares would just be smaller right?

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    • I'm sorry to hear about your son. If you want a finished size that's larger than the # of tshirts you have, you could use the backs (or other similar fabric) to make plain squares between the tshirt squares. I think there are companies that can print photos onto fabric…that could be nice thing to include, too. Or you could use some solid-color fabrics and write on them with fabric markers. Little notes to your son. Or favorite, comforting Bible verses if you're spiritual.

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  51. Seems like you could just cut your filler 1 inch smaller around than your squares (for 1/2-inch seams), then just the T-shirt fabric would be in the ruffle. Might be easier to sew.

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  52. You have inspired me to get those unused T-Shirts off the hanger and onto the bed (as a quilt). Going to get some templates before I start and look forward to project #1. Who knows if I LOVE it as much as I think I will – Christmas is just around the corner. 🙂

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  53. So the back of the quilt is flush because all ruffle layers are to the front or did you ruffle front and back?

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  54. Ruffle are on the front the back is flat! they are so nice. I make mine out of Jeans and flannel same method. Save old jeans cut them in squares put what ever flannel you want for the other part, no need to have a filler plenty warm.

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  55. Love this rag T-shirt quilt, I have a ton of Tees! Going to make one for sure.
    Thanks! I like all the helpful comments, too.

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  56. You could also use one layer of flannel and fusible batting. Cut the batting an inch shorter, but still have the flannel for ruffling. That would eliminate sewing the X, but, I liked the look of the X pattern on yours. Great idea and I may be trying this!! 🙂

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  57. I make tshirt quilts. Small pictures or wording on shirts may be sewn together to make a square the size needed to avoid a lot of a square being just colored fabric. Pictures or wording on pockets or sleeves may also be done the same way. Sometimes the hem has to be taken out of the sleeve. When I make a tshirt quilt the shirts are not cut the same size. I have them machine quilted. I like the ragtime idea. I have made lots of ragtimes out of old blue jean squares. They are fun.

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  59. I have a lot of Beatle t-shirt—–what a great idea for all my memories of my favorite band ever. I'm not much of a sewer so I better practice on some scrape material before cutting my beloved shirts

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  60. I have several sweat shirts with x-stitch pictures that my mother did for all of the children. She is gone now and the sweat shirts outgrown. Do you think I could do the same thing with the sweat shirts?

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  61. WAR EAGLE! I would love to make one for my son with all of my Auburn t-shirts. Thanks for sharing!
    A proud Tiger mom.

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  63. If I vould only sew. Lol. Would love to use all my daughters old softball jerseys thru the years to do a memory quilt. Dang

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  64. What is the reason you cut the inner flannel in squares – VS – leaving it one big piece? To make it ruffle more? Seems it would be easier to sew the rows of T-shirt squares all together, then attach top, middle, & back by stitching around the outside edge. Never made one, just running this through my mind so maybe there is a reason this wouldn't work.

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    • Technically you could, but you would also need to go back and sew along all of the t-shirts so that they wouldn't move. There would also be less ruffle. Once I made a bandana quilt by sewing all of the bandanas together for one side and then sewing it to one big piece of fabric. I had to go back and sew together around all of the bandana squares so it would stop moving around. Hope that makes sense?

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  65. LOVE IT!!! Living in Florida I think I'll just use 1 piece of flannel/ fleece for in between. With your multiple layers between shirt front & back, did you use all the same color for a square or were they all different?

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  67. Sounds really great. I made a "Relay For Life" quilt (King Size) for a raffle for Cancer. It turned out okay but had I know about this idea I would have done it. This looks much easier and less time than what I did. I'm sure the weight is hard on your machine but so worth it. I may have to try this later with my husband's T's. I just lost him 2 weeks ago….it's a sad time for me right now. It was very comforting reading all about the quilts. Thanks.

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  68. I am going to ask my daughter-in-law for the baby tshirts from my granddaughters. They outgrew them so fast that they are like new, and have the sweet messages on the front. And pretty pastel colors. Great idea! I have a question about the flannel. when I think of flannel I think or woven fabric, which might fray. Did you use woven or knit flannel? Also, if I were doing this I would wash the flannel first because it shrinks like crazy and would cause your quilt pieces to twist…..thanks for this great idea!

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    • I believe it is woven (it is the cozy flannel brand from JoAnns), but I wanted mine to fray on the edges to make the ruffle. I rarely wash my fabrics first. I can hear all of the serious sewers gasping haha. Usually I just really want to start my project or I am being lazy. I haven't had an issue….yet. Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself! 🙂

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    • I don't think it would work as well for the fraying. Also, at least with my sewing machine, it did not like the glossy material (like a number). Some nicer sewing machines may be able to handle it better. But you'll never know until you try!

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  72. You cut all your notches on the same day?? I made a rag quilt a few years ago and never finished notching. I thought I might get carpal tunnel!

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    • I did! If I remember right I was watching a marathon on television, and I would make little goals for myself (finish a row then take a break). I also had a deadline on this one since I was using mine as an example for an auction item, so that helped a lot too! lol

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    • I have carpal tunnel so I purchased a pair of special ragging scissors that have a spring return after I made my first baby sized rag quilt. It was so much easier and I have been able to make a dozen quilts since, including a king size with 5" squares.

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  75. Did you cut notches around each square like you did the outside edge of the finished quilt? Or does the ruffling occur simply because of the layers of material? BTW – love the finished project.

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    • Yes, around every single square : ) Put on a good tv show and go for it haha! The ruffling occurs after washing. The more washes, the more ruffles you will get. Also, the more layers, the more to ruffle, but harder on your sewing machine. Hope this helps 🙂

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  77. Is there a reason that you used flannel instead of batting, other than the look? I am trying to figure out what will make my quilt as light as possible.

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    • I used flannel on this one so there would be more ruffle. If I were to do it again, I would only use 1 layer of flannel rather than the 3.

      I did use batting in a baby size rag quilt because I did not want there to be as much ruffle.

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  78. Think I found my end-of-summer project before heading back to school! Looks do-able with the little more than a week I have left, especially since I thought of doing this last year before my freshman year of college, but was too lazy and felt too inexperienced to make a full-on quilt.

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  79. I'm thinking about using one layer of fleece instead of 3 layers of flannel. If so would I still need to sew an X on each T-shirt square? Have you tried using fleece?

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  80. I figured out why fleece would not work. it is too stretchy like the T-shirt material. The flannel prevents the T-shirt material from going gee-haw. The X needs to be sewn so the material doesn't separate during washing. I've decided to use white felt instead of 3 layers of flannel. I'm getting excited about making this "quilt". Thanks for this neat idea!

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    • Hi Karyn, I do not remember exactly how many. I do remember having to go out and buy more. I used a lot of flannel since I did three layers in between the t-shirts. I'm about to start another t-shirt blanket for an auction item with only one layer in between…I will try and remember to update you with how much I used. Sorry I couldn't help more right away.

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  84. Recommend buying rag quilt scissors, easy on your hands, blade works great and keeps you from your seams. Rag quilts are easy for any cotton or flannel material. Use coupon if you have a Joann Fabrics and spend about 15 for the scissors well worth it. Interfacing helps!

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  85. I just finished cutting some of my National Guard t shirts into 16×16 squares for a themed quilt!!!!! =) I am not going to use flannel or a filler of any kind. It is heavy enough for me as is….I may regret that later, but it is what it is. I figure I will end up with a 60×60 quilt. perfect for cuddling on the couch!!!!
    Thanks for this great (and easy to sew) idea!!!!

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  86. Thanks for the great pattern. I'm at the cutting-the-ruffles stage. I had enough tshirts to make it double sided. I can't wait for the finished product…. maybe some time this evening.

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  87. Thank you for sharing! I love the finished product! The backing pieces are sewn together, then as one whole piece sewn to the finished front ? or …something else, like backing sewn to front all of a piece ? Can you say more why you only wanted white felt on white tee? Would it 'fight' or something? Also, can you say any pros and cons that you're aware of this kind of quilt to other/regular type of quilt? When lying on top of it, does it poke you because of the frays?

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    • Hi! Sorry I'm just replying—silly holidays! I layered the front of the t-shirt, then the felt, then the back of the t-shirt and sewed them together by making a "X" across. Then I sewed all of those squares together. I only wanted to use white felt on the white felt because I was scared a darker color may show through the white tee.

      Pros: easier than a regular quilt, very forgiving for a beginner
      Cons: frays can loosen into the washing machine/dryer

      I normally just use it as a blanket and don't really lay on it. I think the frays are pretty soft though

      Hope this helps!

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    • I would think you can. I haven't done it, but I think you could sew a row to add onto one of the sides or bottom. It may be a little difficult sewing it on with the ruffled edge. And keep in mind that the newer ruffles won't be as ruffled 🙂

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  89. I'm no seamstress, but I think I can do this because you gave excellent instructions! I'm ready to do the X. Just wondered what length stitch did you use? Thanks!

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  91. Hi! Would this work with all cotton infant onesies? I have all of my sons special onesies from when he was a nb up til 12 months. I would love to make a blanket out of them!

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    • Hi Amber,

      If the onesies are not too stretchy I think it could work. I would definitely be a lot more delicate with it than regular t-shirts. You could make smaller squares or sewing a few together to make a square.

      Good luck!
      Jess

      Reply

  92. Hi there! First, let me say how grateful I am for your amazing blog. I’ve always wanted a t-shirt quilt and I finally decided to google around to find someone who could make it for me. After picking myself up off the floor upon seeing some prices, I stumbled upon your blog. Being a 39 year old male who hadn’t sewed since 10th grade (I made a fierce pair of denim overalls back in 1991), I thought maybe I could just pull this off. Thanks to a sweet Black Friday deal on a sewing machine, I now have one quilt under my belt. I have a question that I am hoping you can help me with, though… is there a trick to sewing across the t-shirts with logos that the needle doesn’t like? (the plastic/rubbery kind?) I know that’s not a great description… I ruined a Justin Bieber and High School Musical shirt the first time around. (gasp!) I am currently making a quilt made from t-shirts of each member of our staff (I teach) and I have already ruined two. (It takes me awhile to learn my lesson- I’m a big believer in ‘keep your fingers crossed and bite your lip’.) Anyway, I have two shirts left, and I think I will ruin them, too. I don’t know if there’s any magical advice you can offer me, or if I just need to avoid shirts with the difficult logos. I’m sorry that’s such a long and drawn out explanation/question, but hopefully you can help save the day. Thanks again for an amazing blog!! jimmie taylor.

    Reply

    • Hi Jimmie! I had that issue with a couple of my shirts too. I believe that I went slower on those shirts and sort of pulled them through. I may have used a more heavy duty needle of my sewing machine too. Hope this helps–best of luck! –Jess

      Reply

    • I would recommend using a brand new sharp needle (small sized, like an embroidery) needle to get through these. The other thing you can do is put waxed paper (the kitchen kind) over the design when you sew it. I've done this when working with slippery fabrics.

      Reply

    • I am currently on my third t-shirt quilt, thanks to the helpful hints on this website. Since the ‘X’ is meant to stabilize the t-shirt fabric and attach it to the flannel in between the layers, on some tees, I stitched around the design. For example, instead of stitching through a shiny, slippery team number, I simply stitched 1/4″ away from the outside edge of the numbers. If it is small, you could still stitch out to the corners from there. If you want all your squares to have that same ‘X’ look, you might not like this idea, but I thought it really added to the quilt.

      Reply

    • Hi Angela, I do not have a specific easy print button yet. You will have to print the whole blog–I recommend printing a few pages at a time so you do not end up also printing all of the comments.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

    • Angela, One way to print is to copy and paste [only the parts wanted] into a document. Then print.

      Reply

    • Hi Jennifer,

      If you hover over a picture, a "Pin it" button will pop up. It does not look like the normal "Pin It" button, it is more square and matches with the design of the blog. Hope this helps!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  95. I have never had any luck sewing on T shirt material. The needle leaves little holes that run, sort of like pantyhose. Your secrets, please?

    Reply

  98. We are working on one from the musicals our family did in high school.
    My mom noticed that the printed areas feed through the machine much easier with a little baby powder sprinkled on them. It makes a world of difference!

    Reply

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  101. Thank you so much for this easy to understand tutorial. When our son was 3, I decided to start saving all of his sports/event tee’s with making a quilt in mind. The last thing I wanted was a box of old tshirts laying around doing nothing, only to burden him later on in life (ie: the box my MIL has for my husband. LOL) After the first few years, I remember thinking how long I had before I would have enough tshirts to make said quilt. Well, after a blink of an eye, he’s now 16. Thanks to your guide, I am now about 1/3 of the way finished! Being of a minimalist mindset, I’m beyond happy to be turning “nothing” into something useful and practical, all the while being full of fun memories…and, YAY for reclaimed closet space! I can’t wait to finish and give it to him to enjoy.

    Reply

  102. I thank you for all the help in making this quilt. Such a great way for our grandkids to use all their memories of their school days.

    Reply

  103. I’ve been saving t-shirts for over 20 years, wanting to have quilts made. I love this way to get them made and believe I can do it. Please don’t remove this blog because I’ll surely need your instructions and pictures to get it done!

    Reply

  104. I’m don’t really sew but I’m really excited about trying this! This will make an amazing quilt to keep because I have a ton of t-shirts that I hang on to just because they mean something to me.
    Also I love the Velcro Pygmies shout out!! I’ve seen them so many times starting as far back as 16 years ago 🙂 Great guys!

    Reply

  106. I’ve made numerous quilts like this and love them. I use flannel on the back and make a 2 inch sash and a 5 inch border using the flannel, it really adds to the quilt.

    Reply

  107. I have made many rag quilts and a few t-shirt comforters–tied with yarn, not quilted. I love the idea of combining the two. I think I will probably make mine 3 layers total, T-shirt, flannel, and the back either flannel or T-shirt fabric. I use sand paper as my template. When cut to the desired size and placed sand down on the fabric, it will stay put and make cutting very simple whether using a rotary cutter and strait edge or using scissors.

    Reply

    • Great tip about the sandpaper! And I agree on the 3 layers too…mine ended up being very heavy with the three layers of flannel!

      Reply

  108. This sounds so easy! I have been saving my twin grandson’s t-shirts for several years now. I plan to make them each a quilt for when they graduate high school. Your quilt idea is the best one I’ve found! I can hardly wait to start! I have time, though they are just going into 6th grade! Thanks so much!!

    Reply

    • Hi June, I’m trying to figure out a way to add a “quick print” option almost like a recipe. I’ll let you know once I figure it out : )

      Reply

  110. June, One way to print is to copy and paste [only the parts wanted] into a document. Then print.

    Reply

  111. Thank you for this idea. My brother in law just passed away and I wanted to make something for my sister to keep him by her even if it is just old shirts he used to wear.

    Reply

    • Hi Julie, sorry I don’t currently offer the service. That pesky full time job gets in my way 😉 But I’ve seen some shops on Etsy that offer the service. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  113. Thank you soooo much!!!! My granddaughter is a tumbler and she gets a couple t-shirts at every competition plus the State meet and Nationals. She asked me if there was something I could do with the t-shirts when she grows out of them so that she will always remember the good times. I told her I would make a quilt for her. Then I tallied up all the t-shirts that she would be getting through the years and it was a little daunting (to say the least). This is a FABULOUS idea. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply

    • Hi Denice, currently I do not offer that service. I’ve seen a lot of shops on Etsy that offer the service though : )

      Reply

  115. Love this! I have been working on a denim rag quilt but when going through boxes found a ton of old sailing t-shirts from regattas that I participated in. Now I know what to do with them!

    Reply

    • Putting the seams right side together would make it look more like a regular quilt. Plus the cuts would need to be much more accurate to line up correctly. Hope this helps : )

      Reply

  118. Now that it has been almost a year since you posted this, I’m wondering how many times you have washed it and how the quilt has fared during that time. Are the ruffled seams holding up or are they fraying to the point of causing some of the seams to fail?

    Reply

    • Hi Charity,
      I’ve only washed it a few times. Seams wise it is holding up great. I’m hoping the ruffles will fray more with more washes : )

      Reply

  119. This is a PERFECT first project for my 10-year old, who asked me to teach her to sew this summer! I have a box of t-shirts, saved for just this sort of thing, all that was lacking was a good way to turn them into a quilt. I’m fair to partly crafty, so this is perfect for both of us. Thanks!!

    Reply

  121. I have some of those Auburn t-shirts myself! I am in the middle of making two of these quilts, one for each child. I have the squares cut and sewn and I know my arrangement. I am going to start putting them all together tomorrow. Thank you for the tutorial, it has been very helpful.

    Reply

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  123. I also make my filler squares 2 inches smaller than my other squares. They rag so much better.

    Reply

  124. We just started making a quilt from old school, sports, band, choir, drama shirts. My mom who is helping me suggested a plexi glass square ( we are doing them 14×14) so we could make sure the designs were centered when we cut the shirts. We had one cut at Lowe’s. It was about $9. It has made the cutting soo easy!

    Reply

    • Exactly what I did! I had a 12 x 12 piece of plexiglass cut at Lowes and then found that I could buy them in the quilting craft section at Walmart. Oh well, live and learn! It worked great and was worth it. Have fun!

      Reply

  125. I planned to hire someone to make my daughter’s t-shirt quilt, however, your post has given me the confidence to attempt this project! Completely agree that the clear plexiglass cut to size (ours is 14 x 14) is priceless! That combined with the rotary cutter & cutting mat have made the t-shirt cutting SO much easier! Jess – I have a question for you. We have decided to make her quilt 30 squares big. We are only using the fronts ONLY of most shirts. We want to design the front AND the back of the quilt with various shirts. We plan to use 2 layers (white) between the shirts. Your directions say to sew the “X” thru the front square, two layers and the back square. Would it be okay to sew together (with the “X”) a shirt square and ONE of the layers. Then we could more easily figure out the ideal layout before committing to BOTH sides of the quilt layout. Does that make sense? Just wanted your thoughts on that. Thanks so much! PS my daughter will be a sophomore in college this Fall and this is a fun way to spend time with her while she is home this summer 🙂

    Reply

  126. If you put the quilt into a pillow case and sew it shut before you wash it that will contain all the little threads rather than having them loose in washer and dryer.
    My SIL made a shower curtain with several of my brother’s Harley Davidson T-shirts and backed it with orange. cool to look at when you’re sitting in the bathroom. 😉

    Reply

  127. I’m a guy and don’t know how to sow a stich. My question is:
    Once you sow each row , and then sow two rows together, how do the four corners come together? It seems to me that one would have a big wad where the corners come together. I would like to try making a blanket, just a lot of???

    Thanks for all the info.

    Reply

    • Hi Roger, when I was sowing my rows, I did my best to sort of folded the row over as I went to prevent the wad you are referring to. Hope that makes sense : ) Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  128. Ah, your instructions and tips were great. I initially found this on a pinterest board, and was prepared for a pinterest fail, but it really came out awesome! And I haven’t sewn since 7th grade. Currently almost 30.

    I will say, I recommend folks who haven’t sewn in a while, be prepared to rip out some stitches and try again sometimes, but over all, easy, fun, and awesome! Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply

    • So glad your quilt turned out awesome! I’ve had some Pinterest recipe fails, but no projects yet…fingers crossed ; )

      Reply

  130. I have a question? Do you have any issues with the Tshirt moving are shifting? I know sometimes this fabric is hard to sew without it moving, any tips on this?

    Reply

    • Hi Sara,

      I sort of held it together when going through the machine. And if it did bunch up, whenever it started I would just straighten it out. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  131. Wanted to pass along a tip that worked for me. I don’t know if anyone else had this problem, but when I was sewing the “X” on the t-shirt/flannel squares, it kept “bunching” at the intersection of the “X”. To help prevent this, I’ve been sewing one diagonal (or one line of the X) as usual. Then to sew the other diagonal/line of the X, I start AT the intersection of the X and sew outwards toward the corner. I repeat for the other half of that diagonal. beginning in the middle of the square AT the intersection and sew out towards the other corner. No more bunching!

    Reply

  136. jess , I have made a couple regular t- shirt quilt. But not like your rag design. I’m wondering if you would put fuss able web on the back of the tee shirt , but stop at the sew line if that would get away from the stretching problem. But the edge would still get the rag effect to it?

    Reply

    • Hi Kim, I have never actually used fuss able web myself so I’m not sure. But if you try it, please let me know. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  137. THANK YOU for this tutorial!!!!! I finished a Special Olympic quilt for my niece last night. It turned out soooooo cute, I can hardly wait to give it to her. It was as easy as you said. Thank you for your humor as well. 😉

    Reply

  138. I have a question…when you are sewing all the rows together, how do you deal with the 4 corners at the intersection where the corners of the t-shirts meet up? Did you just sew straight across? I hope that makes sense!

    Carla

    Reply

  139. Help! Please. I would like to finish a tshirt rag quilt for my daughter, I started over a year ago! I have all the squarers , batting , backing pinned. I starting sewing the X and the t’s bunched up. A suggestion was given to attached iron on fuseabable onto back of each t. Did that. Tshirts still bunch. 🙁 Suggestions? (should have researched further and I would have found you sooner)

    Thanks so much, Lana

    Reply

    • Hi Lana, I’ve never actually used fuseable. I just sort of stretch it out as I go. I get a little bunch every once in a while but not enough to bother me. Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  141. This looked like something I could possibly do. Hope so , I am using my sons shirts from daycare through high school, karate, Boy Scouts,Eagle Scout,FFA,4-H and all. I had to actually make a couple of them bigger, with a seam and leftover bottoms of the shirt. This is something he can keep and I plan or hope to have it done by his birthday next month(23rd). I don’t have a lot of time to work on it, so wish me luck and Thank you!

    Reply

  143. I made one using my grand nieces out grown tshirts size 18-24 months. I used one layer of flannel in between each square and it came out great for being my first attempt. Thanks for sharing .

    Reply

  144. My dad fought kidney cancer for 8 years. Our family rallied around him and participated in Relay for Life every year. We have our own team named after him, “Our Ray ofHope”….my dad’s name was Raymond. He died 2 years ago. I have shirts dating back to 2007 plus one of his purple survivor shirts…I have been wanting to make this and my mom has promised to help. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  145. I just finished making one of these out of T shirts that my deceased mom had from places she traveled to, like Cedar Point, Bay Point, Alaska, Hawaii, etc. and it made a GREAT keepsake for my nice who traveled with her to all of these places.

    Reply

  146. I have decided to take on making a tshirt rag quilt for my daughter for graduation. I have read a few different instructables on making them and I wanted to run a question by you. Some say to use fusible interfacing, some don’t, some say to sew the X across. some don’t. I was assuming I needed to just do both, but after reading comments posted, I am not sure what would be my best route to go and wanted to reach out before I begin this project to hopefully ensure it goes smoothly. My plan is to use the front and backs of the tshirts for the front and back of the quilt so I am thinking rather than using 2 pieces of fusible web for each front and back of the shirts, I should ditch the fusible interfacing and use 1 piece of flannel and sew the X. Would this be your recommendation?

    Reply

    • Hi Dawn, I’ve never used fusible interacing. The X’s worked for me and have held together well. Sorry I cannot speak to the interfacing–I really am a non-quilter :p hehe!

      Reply

  147. Also…will I need a special needle for tshirt fabric? Or particular kind of thread? I’ve also read a walking foot will be helpful…just not sure if these are necessary. I am using my mom’s sewing machine…it’s a Husqvarna Viking Platinum 950E, so the foot on it may be sufficient for this project.

    Reply

    • Hi Dawn, I used a thicker needle so it could go through all of the layers. I’m honestly not sure what kind of sewing machine foot I used :/

      Reply

  148. I lost my 19-year-old son last year. I had been toying with the idea of having someone make a t-shirt quilt with some of his more memorable shirts (memorable to us). I came upon your rag quilt and thought tony self I can do this. I have cut out the t-shirt squares and I’m cutting the fleece squares today. The quilt has become quite the endeavor. I will send a picture when done.

    Reply

  149. Idk how long ago you posted this but I’d love to see your son’s quilt. I’m so sorry for your loss.

    Reply

    • I cut out the squares in late fall. I’m a teacher so I had to wait until summer break to work on it. I’m sewing the squares today. I have a question, sometimes the fabric puckers when sewing. I have the front of the t-shirt facing me. I will have one side of the “X” sewn and I’m going to finish the second side. It’s then that the backside of the fairy may pucker. Any suggestions to avoid this?

      Reply

      • Hi Edie, I had that problem in the beginning too. It helped me to stretch out the material a bit when sewing the X’s (especially on the second side). Hope this helps!

        Reply

  150. This looks awesome and I have been collecting my son’s play shirts all throughout high school. My question, is the flannel the same size as the square and then becoming part of the “rag” or is it cut smaller to not show? And are you tying them together?

    Reply

    • Hi Niki! I cut the flannel the same size as the square–after you sew the squares together (seam out) you’ll make cuts to get the rag affect. Thanks for stopping 🙂

      Reply

  151. Should I use regular thread or would invisible thread (it is kinda like fishing line) work? I don’t know if invisible thread lasts as long as regular thread do you? If I use regular thread should I use white or black as one side is lighter and the other darker.

    Reply

    • Hello! I’ve only used regular thread so I’m not sure how invisible thread would hold up. The thread color is really a personal choice–I used white for mine. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

      Reply

  152. I was able to get back to my son’s quilt this week. It is huge!!! It will fit a king sized bed. I have everything sewn and today I will snip the edges and wash it. How do I post a picture for you see it?

    Reply

  153. Thank you for sharing your quilt with us. I just knew I would find a fun easy way to use my old running t-shirts ( I never wear them) and your ideas worked great. I used only 1 layer of flannel between the shirts and it was still warm and thick. Fun, easy, thank you!! Wish I could attach a picture, but know, it came out great.

    Reply

      • I would like to make a lightweight quilt, using 1 layer of flannel. Could I use it also as the backing so then I would have only 2 layers, 1 t-shirt and 1 flannel. Does that sound like it would work or be too flimsy and limp? I love the easy instructions you shared.

        Reply

  154. Thank you! I was finally brave enough to cut up all my daughters shirts and the quilt looks amazing. The only thing I did different was to add a ‘binding’ around the edge that I then notched so that the outer edge had a thickness to it like the internal raw edges. I used strips of the same flannel to make the binding that I used in between the squares-so this also helped unify the colors. This outer edge frayed very nicely. Now if only I can bring myself to part with it….so many memories 🙂

    Reply

  155. Hello,
    I love this quilt and it seems so simple. Did you use stabilizer for the t shirts? I’m doing some research on this type of quilt and want to make sure i’v got it all down before I start.

    Thanks for all the helpful tips.

    Reply

    • When I made mine, I only used flannel in between the layers. I have made two more since posting. The baby quilts are ready and you can do them in one day.

      Reply

    • Hi Tonya, I did not use a stabilizer–just sewed an “X” onto each t-shirt square. I’ve also never used stabilizer before, so that may be a good option 🙂 Thanks for stopping by 🙂

      Reply

  156. I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for your easy to follow directions for making this quilt!! I just finished my first one for my daughter using all of her t-shirts from her high school years. It’s going to be her Christmas gift this year , and I am so excited to see her reaction when she unwraps it!! I know that I am impressed with the way it turned out!! Hopefully it’ll be something she shares with her children someday!! Than you again, and God bless!!

    Reply

  157. Love your quilt, and even as an Alabama fan, loved seeing the Auburn t-shirts in your quilt. I believe I will make one of these for two of my grandsons. One is a Alabama fan the other is a Auburn. War Eagle and Roll Tide!!!!!!

    Reply

  158. I made my daughters each one! They have so many tshirts!! It is so cute! I’m also making one for my in-laws with my brother-in-laws tshirts. He passed away this fall. Thanks for sharing your great idea!

    Reply

  160. Help! Any suggestions for sewing through the fabric for the rows? I was able to attach the squares together with no problem, but stitches kept skipping and leaving little tags of thread on the bobbin side of the fabric when I tried to put the first two rows together. I only used 1 layer of cotton batting (pretty thin) and my machine is a little workhorse. Anything you did special to make it sew well? Thanks! I loved your quilt (my husband got his MBA at Auburn) and am finally making one for our son.

    Reply

    • When the little tags of thread appear on the bobbin side, I usually have to adjust the tension on my machine. When you are sewing the rows together, you are sewing through 6 layers so the machine may need to be adjusted for that. Hope that this helps!

      Reply

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  163. I like the fresh design ideas that you have put up out here… but how much can you do with the simple & humble shirt? I have seen some of the best dress/casual shirts I’ve seen in ObeyClothing.com. I’ll be buying all the colors when I have some extra cash.

    Reply

  164. Mybson passed away last year. He had Cerebral Palsy and eas essentially a quadriplegic. Nothing stopped him, though, and he did more in his short 27 years than most able bodied kids his age. Which also meant he was an Eagle Scout and did tons of community service. I saved all of his school, scouting and volunteer t-shirts and have been organizing them to make at least 2, maybe 3 quilts. Thanks to your post, i now know a rag quilt is possible and will do one of them as a rag quilt. Thank you for your awesome turorial. It will be so helpful, and give me some memories to cuddle with.,

    Reply

  165. I love this, tried one of old school t shirts (my husband and I both teach high school. ) The ink heavy shirts were problematic for me. Beginning another for a friend’s daughters graduation, I tried a piece of parchment over the heavy ink shirts, works like a charm and the paper is easily removed after stitching without disturbing the stitches. Thanks for the inspiration to get started.

    Reply

  166. Thanks for this great tutorial. I made a quilt for my daughter and she just loved it! I used only one layer of flannel and used a wash away spray glue to keep the layers together.
    Thanks again!

    Reply

  167. Hi! Just want to say thank you for this tutorial!! I am in the process of making a throw blanket with this tutorial. I have a question? How did you sew the squares together where the corners intersect? Thanks!!!

    Reply

  168. i was procrastinating about making my t-shirt quilt until i saw your idea. i’ve made a rag quilt before and never thought of doing it with my t-shirts. Thank you for the great idea.

    Reply

  169. I would strongly suggest just basting two t-shirts together and then some with a filler. We used the thinnest flannel we could find, and the quilt is too HEAVY. While our quilt came out beautiful and my hubby doesn’t mind the weight, I do. I never dreamed cotton tees could be so heavy.

    Reply

  170. I love this tutorial! My sister and I used it to make a quilt of shirts from my aunt’s work last year for her birthday, and this year I’m using it as a way to keep all of my old dance shirts around!
    a tip I’ve figured out is if a shirt is too small, you can use an extra plain t-shirt to mount the logo off of the original on– it really helped with my early dance shirts that were tiny.

    Reply

    • Like your idea of using the extra white t-shirt. Shirts that one thought couldn’t be used can now be. Thanks for the suggestion.

      Reply

  171. I made a tee shirt quilt using this guide. I cut the front and back of the tee shirt separately and put one layer of fleece in the middle. Also, I figured the best size to cut after measuring all the print on the shirts than cut Plexiglas the size I needed to cut so I could see the print.

    Reply

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