And a closeup for all of you who want to know how it was done! And for those who love Elvis!
How was is done?
I cut out the portion of the T-Shirt that I wanted for the square with another piece of the T-shirt exactly the same size. This second piece could be any piece, since it was the inside layer piece and does not show except to add to the fringe. Many times I was able to cut the exact piece as the t-shirt lay on the table flat and I cut thru the two layers of the shirt, front and back. The printed section of the shirt was then fused on the back with a very lightweight interfacing to add stability. I thought that this was needed since t-shirt fabric is so stretchy. Then a third piece -- backing fabric, in this case, a gray flannel with pink polka dots--was cut to the exact dimensions of the other two pieces. These three layers were then quilted together on the machine into a block. All shirts were done this way, until I had enough blocks to sew together in rows. Rows were sewn with the backing fabrics together, this insures that the eventual fringe will be on the t-shirt side of the quilt. After the top is all together, you will need to clip all the ragged seams with a rag quilt snip at about 1/8 to 1/4 inch intervals. Be careful not to cut the seam stitching.
I love this because nothing has to be exact. Cut t-shirts tend to curl at the edges, but don't worry about it. A friend of mine who made quilts all her life, used to say, "Don't worry, it will all come out in the wash!"
Anyway, this one will all come out just fine, after it is clipped and washed.
Anyone ever made a rag quilt before?
13 comments:
Great use for old t-shirts! Wonderful job!
That is incredible. I just love it. I bet your granddaughter was besotted when she saw it. There is a great Elvis Tribute Artist here in Sydney. If you're a fan of the King you might like to check out his website...
http://www.thekingandi.com.au/
looks very well done!
It came out beautifully! I know that she will enjoy having that for many years.
Big fan of Elvis here:D I would love to receive a quilt like that! Job well done!!
I've never made a rag quilt before - I think yours is wonderful!!! I understand how you described it's made. I think it can be "done as you go" - whenever I come across a t-shirt to use, I can put the 3 parts together and set it aside, and then assemble it all when I have enough for a quilt. Great idea.
Such a fantastic idea! Our kids have so many t-shirts that they don't wear anymore but want to keep. I can tell I'm going to be (even more) busy this winter!!
This is so awesome. I was just talking over the weekend with my partner about what we were going to do with all of his old t-shirts when they wear out. Now I know!!! What a great project. You did a wonderful job! :)
Wow, I'm glad she loved it!!! Look at that grin:)
What a fun and special gift!
My aunt made me a rag quilt for graduation as well...denim and handkerchief :)
I love it! It's wonderful1 No, I've never made one. But now I want to! Oh how I wish I'd saved my kids T shirts over the years.
How cool! I have never seen one before - this would be so fun to do for my daughter!
what a great looking quilt. It kinda reminds me of the crazy quilts we have at the museum. I have a lot of extra t-shirts too that I never wear... hmmm... {:-D
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