T-Shirt Quilt Hints and Tips #2

I just finished up another client t-shirt quilt, this time from soccer jerseys. Certainly not the traditional 't-shirt', as these jerseys are polyester, requiring a bit more attention. So I thought I'd share some new hints and tips when making a t-shirt quilt.

If you notice, this is T-Shirt Quilts Hints and Tips #2. I've covered a lot of ground in a previous post, T-Shirt Hints and Tips, on how to fuse and design with t-shirts. This tutorial covers additional hints and tips when the t-shirts are polyester or have raglan sleeves.

#1: be aware of fiber content

Soccer jerseys are made from polyester, which makes them durable, stretchy, and virtually wrinkle free. Being a man-made fiber, polyester can melt under high heat. Cotton, on the other hand, loves heat!

As with any knitted fabric for a quilt, stabilization is a must! But if the fabric is polyester, it means turning down the iron heat to fuse the stabilizer. It may take a bit longer, or several passes, but it will fuse. Just be patient!

#2: use a lightweight or sheerweight fusible interfacing

Using a lightweight fusible stabilizer, such as Pellon 906F Sheerweight, is a great choice. It keeps the jersey from stretching without adding a lot of additional weight. T-shirts are already heavy enough, so no need to add more!

#3: use a teflon or silicone pressing sheet

This is super important! Applying heat to a design printed on the t-shirt can cause the design to stick to the ironing board or iron, and even peal off. To avoid that, place a teflon or silicone pressing sheet under the t-shirt, with the printed/painted side of the shirt against the pressing sheet. Then fuse away with the lightweight interfacing on top.

I've always used a teflon pressing sheet, like this one, (affiliate link)

and have discovered a new silicone version to try out (affiliate link). This one has an additional pressing sheet for the top, to make a sandwich. That's not necessary here as a damp press cloth on top of the lightweight interfacing is required for proper fusing.

Of course, these pressing sheets are not just for t-shirt quilts - they're main use is for creating a complete fusible applique, from all the parts, ready for fusing to a quilt block.

#4: it's okay to include parts of sleeves and necklines

Sleeves and necklines are usually not included in a t-shirt block. Typically, it's just the printed image on the t-shirt that's used in a quilt. But sometimes, especially if no additional sashing is used to increase the size of the quilt, it's necessary to include sleeves and necklines to bring the block up to size.

I decided to use as much of the t-shirts/jerseys as possible, cutting 15.5" x 15.5" blocks. That meant I had to use portions of the raglan sleeves and necklines. Neither was an issue, and both added interest to the blocks.

Here's the trick for dealing with the neckline opening. Before cutting the t-shirt/jersey to size, I filled the open neck area with cut-to-fit pieces (meaning with a curve or a V) from the remaining sleeves or shirt bottoms. These pieces where put into position at the neckline, with a portion extending just past the ribbing seam. 

Then the lightweight fusible interfacing is applied over all.

To secure everything, a bit of stitching in the ribbing seam holds all parts together. And if desired, a bit of stitching at the top of the ribbing (original neckline opening), to hold down the neckline. Once all that's done, then the t-shirt/jersey can be cut to the block size needed.

#5: pin blocks together

When all the fusing, cutting, and designing is done, it's time to assemble the blocks into rows. With cotton t-shirts, a couple pins are all that's needed to hold things together. But polyester can be slippery, so use plenty of pins!

Also, change your needle to one that can sew knits. A ballpoint or stretch needle is a necessity to eliminate skipped stitches.

Fortunately, all the sewing machine has to deal with is the not-so-slippery stabilizer up against the feed dogs and the sewing foot. And with the right needle, plenty of pins, and the stabilizer, there should be very little slippage, and very little stretch. Row assembly becomes easy-peasy!

#6: use a lightweight cotton batting

Knits of any fiber content are thicker and heavier than quilting cotton. Add in the stabilizer, though lightweight, which contributes even more weight. Unless the goal is to have a heavy quilt to protect against freezing weather, a thin or lightweight cotton batting works beautifully in a t-shirt/jersey quilt. 

 

#7: use a more open quilting design

For t-shirt quilts that are made entirely of t-shirts and no other cotton fabric, a simple, open quilting design is all that's necessary. Quilt densely enough to hold the three layers together, making for a soft, love-to-snuggle-under quilt!

Happy Quilting!

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Hanging Towel Tutorial Redo

Our new home we've been working on desperately needs some hanging towels in the kitchen, a project that's right up my alley. All that's needed is a small piece of batting, a kitchen towel, and coordinating fabric plus a bit of time.

I'm calling this a Hanging Towel Tutorial Redo as it looks similar to my original Hanging Towel design/tutorial, but it's a bit easier to put together. Let's get started on stitching these up!

Materials

As far as the material requirements, 1 (one) kitchen towel will make two hanging towels, with a coordinating fat quarter enough for both of them. Also needed is a scrap piece of batting, approximately 11" square.

Cutting, for two towels

From the fat quarter, cut 1 (one) 2" wide strip and 2 (two) 10" x 6.5" rectangles.

Cut the towel in half. Fold the two edges toward the center in an accordion style, with folds meeting in the center, and edges lining up with first folds. Stitch across the top with less than a 1/4" seam allowance to hold all fold in place.

Fabric Preparation

Fold the 10" x 6.5" rectangle in half. On the folded edge, measure and pin-mark 1.5" from each side edge. Place a ruler on top, aligning the 1/2" ruler mark with the pin and the opposite corner. Trim off the small triangle.

Here's what the trim looks like without all the rulers, and with the towel basted to hold the folds.

Finish cutting the other side, keeping the pin-marks in place. Cut a piece of batting 5" x 5.25".

To the 2" strip, press it in half, then press each side to that center fold line.

Stitch along the folded line, close to the edge. Then cut 2 (two) 6" lengths.

Assembly

With the towel smooth side (not folded sides) up, stack and center the fabric and batting on top, with the fabric right side to the towel and the 5.25" batting edge running side to side. Keep the pin-marks in the fabric portion.

Stitch all pieces together, 1/4" from the towel/fabric/batting edge. Press the seam toward the hanger, then place a pin to hold the batting in place.

Flip the unit over. Trim the batting from the pin-marks in the fabric along the same angle as the sides. If the batting is too long at the fabric fold, trim the batting so that the edge is right at the fold. You can see my trimmed batting pieces in the picture.

Press a 1/4" seam allowance along the edge of the fabric piece.

Fold this piece over the batting, covering the seam. Pin in place. 

 

Starting 3/4" from the edge, stitch close to the folded edge.

Finger press the side seams by turning one edge over the batting and folding the other edge under to match the sides. Pin to hold edges in place.

The edges at the towel may need a bit of coaxing for a nice finish, but fortunately, there's enough fabric to turn over the seam bulk. Sorry that part is not in the best focus, but you get the idea.

Before stitching, add the hanging tie. 

I folded mine in half again, placing the ends approximately 1/2" within the seam allowance at the top fold.

Once everything is in place, start top stitching at the towel/hanger seam, where the stitching left off. Continue to the side, then up to the top making sure the hanging ties are secure, back down the other side, and around to the towel/hanger seam to finish off that 3/4 inch. Use a little less than a 1/4" seam allowance for this top stitching.

And now the hanging towel is finished and ready for use - yeah! If you make some, be sure to share on Midweek Makers.

Happy Quilting!

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3 Extra Special Border Tutorials

Looking for a different border treatment for your project? Then look no further than these 3 ideas!

First up is the Mitered Border. 

Now, some may find this border scary to create because of those 45 degree angles. But if one is careful in lining up the seams and fabric and taking test stitches, the border is really pretty simple to create. 

And the impression it leaves shows that the quilter took the time and attention necessary to create a fabulous border for their quilt. Trust me - on the right quilt, mitered borders can look stunning!

For a very complete and detailed tutorial, check out my Mitered Quilt Border Tutorial and see if it makes you want to give it a try.

For smaller quilt projects, a Picture Frame Border will certainly add that extra punch!

I really love the look of this border - notice there are no seams? Yet another border that's easy to do, but best kept to small projects because of the size of the fabric needed for the border.

Check out my How to Make a Picture Frame Border for all of the details and closeups. 

Last, but certainly not least, what quilt wouldn't be enhanced by adding a Decorative Flange? Here, it's a very narrow folded fabric strip that's inserted in the seam, leaving the other side free.

For maximum impact, this flange looks impressive when it's kept super narrow. Simple to do but making a really big impact! Check out what I mean with my Inserting a Decorative Flange tutorial. It's just as impressive as Piped Binding, though easier and in a different area of the border.

So the next time your adding borders to a quilt and want something a bit extra, consider using one of these techniques. I'm sure your quilt will be extra stunning!

Happy Quilting!

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Die Cutting Hints and Tricks

Today I'm sharing a few hints and tricks that I've learned in die cutting, using the Crossover II machine from Crafters Edge. 

I had the machine and several dies for a few months now, enjoying the system for cutting accurate shapes. That star seen above was certainly quick and easy!

As a newbie, here's a few things I've learned about die cutting which I hope will help you when you get your machine.

1. Apply fusible to the fabric first

I've made three projects that require fusing, and on each and every one, I forgot to apply the fusible before cutting. You'd think I'd have learned after the first or even second time!

My excuse for the first omission is the excitement over cutting with a new quilting gadget. How fun to make a fabric/die sandwich, wind it through the rollers, and pop out a perfectly cut shape on the other side! 

Sounds silly I know, but I'm one of those who finds joy in the simplest of things. Which makes it totally understandable as to why I forgot the fusible.

To rectify my problem, it seems easy enough to just cut the fusible with the die. 

It's great that the star sizes nested, leaving just enough fusible for a wide star outline. That way I don't have one big fused and stiff star. And it looks like it cut great, right?

Well, sort of. I wouldn't say that it was cut all the way through as I had to use the scissor to get it free. Either it's the nature of fusible web, or I just needed more pressure from the rollers - at this point it was close enough.

Ultimately though, I had a nice star outline which fit perfectly onto my fabric star. Problem solved - this time.

2. Do not stack fusible sheets then cut them with the die machine 

This was snafu #2. Once again, I'd forgotten to put the fusible on several circles I was cutting. Being the queen of efficiency, stacking and cutting fusible web, seemed like a great idea. Just look at all those layers the arrow is pointing to - one cut and done!

Turns out that the pressure the rollers pressed all of the fusible layers together, making it a painstakingly slow process to get the layers apart. I was lucky if I got them apart in a complete piece.

So much for that idea, which goes back to the first point - apply fusible first.

3. Do not die cut batting

Unless you want felt, the pressure from the rollers will crush any poof in that batting. 'Nuff said.

4. Use tape for fussy cutting

Notice in the picture above I'm using two circles, which will cut out a ring and an inner circle. When the ring has to be perfect all around, use a piece of tape to hold the two dies in place. The tape is hard to see, but it's in that black circle.

I used this technique when cutting out a window frame,

to fuse to my beach house.

5. Adjust the roller pressure or remove a fabric layer

One piece of fabric needs different pressure (usually less) than several layers. Too much, and you'll find the sheet metal piece getting deep groves in it, not to mention how much harder it is to crank the sandwich through the rollers.

And there's also the fabric thickness too consider. The pressure that had been working well for a stack of five fabrics may need adjustment with a new stack due to either thinner or heavier fabric.

I found that out when cutting the leopard prints for Sheba. One or two fabrics were thick, making the first cut unsuccessful. Removing a fabric layer helped more than changing the pressure. And the die was easy to replace in the same spot as usually there were heavy indents in the fabric that the die fell back into. Not all was lost!

5. Place the die at a slight angle with the rollers

The whole die sandwich has an easier time going through if the die is at a bit of an angle to the rollers. It gives those rollers a chance to gradually move along the die edge versus butting right up against it, like hitting a speed bump.

6. Support long strips

There are times when it makes for better fabric usage to cut from a long strip. I did this when cutting triangles, turning the die for each cut to conserve fabric. Just be sure that the bulk of the strip is supported off the cutting surface. Otherwise, it wants to slide off. The strip in the photo is on the short side, but you'll understand the point when there's a 15-20 inch tail.

 

Phew! I've reached the end of my list of what I've learned so far about using a die cutting machine, and I hope you find this useful. I'll admit I'm having a lot of fun creating projects from the various Crafters Edge dies, so be prepared to see more in the next few months.

Happy Quilting!

 

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