How to Make a Tshirt Memory Quilt – Week 1

Ever since the kids were little, I have been collecting t-shirts that have special memories in the hopes that someday I would be able to make a memory quilt! That day has finally arrived. My oldest son is graduating from high school so I’m ready to create a memory quilt using the special t-shirts that I have collected for the past 12 years. Join me as I make my first t-shirt quilt and create a one-of-a-kind blanket filled with great memories.

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How to Make a T-shirt Memory Quilt – Week 1

This is a project that you start years before you are ready to cut and sew. Years ago, I designated a plastic tote where I stored the tshirts that the kids outgrew. I didn’t save them all, but tried to save the ones that had special significance. After all these years of storing these shirts, it’s finally time to get started on this t-shirt memory quilt.

Materials Needed:

• T-shirts
• Scissors/Rotary Cutter
• Cutting Mat
• Iron/Cricut Easy Press
• Iron-on Fusible Interfacing
• Cutting template (plastic craft, poster board etc)

Directions:

Gather your t-shirts

I won’t deny that it brought back lots of memories as I sorted through this massive pile of T-shirts. So many stories in these stacks of shirts. I have been saving t-shirts for 12 years for three kids so I had quite a few to sort through. Pick out the ones you want to use and get started.

Decide on your block size & make a template

I decided to make my template 13 1/2 inches square because several of the logos are pretty large. This also gives me ample space for my seam allowance. To make my template I used leftover plastic craft and taped two pieces together. You can also use poster board or cardboard. I prefer the plastic craft because I can see the logo through my template and ensure that my logo is centered when I cut.

I made a mistake on my first block and cut my template too small. Then I realized that it would work better to make a larger square. So remember to measure your t-shirt logos before you start cutting

Cut your T-Shirts

• Start by cutting off the sleeves and neck ribbing. Cut down the sides so you have two pieces of your shirt. I don’t recommend cutting both layers at the same time if there are logos on both sides. For some of the t-shirts, I want to use both sides of the shirt because the logos both have special significance.

• Use a cutting mat and rotary cutter (or scissors) to layout your t-shirts and start cutting your blocks.

Cut the Iron On Backing

Use your template to cut the iron on fusible backing for each of your t-shirt blocks. Save any extra pieces to use for future projects.

Iron the Backing

Use an iron or Cricut Easy Press to iron on the fusible interfacing. Follow the directions on the iron on interfacing to attach it to the t-shirts.

Remember to keep a t-shirt or piece of paper between your iron, the t-shirt and the fusible interfacing. The iron on fusible interfacing will melt on your iron if it touches.

The T-shirts will be warm and the backing a bit sticky when you remove the paper from the interfacing after you iron. Let it rest on the table to cool before you stack them up. Continue cutting and ironing until you have all your t-shirt blocks ready for next week.

Are you going to make this t-shirt memory quilt with me? I’d love to see your progress!

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Looking for a different quilting project? How about a blue jean/flannel rag quilt instead?