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Kentucky Life + Style Blog By Heather C. Watson

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 Kentucky Life + Style + Travel Blog

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How To Make a T-Shirt Rag Quilt

July 13, 2016 Heather C. Watson
How to Make a T-Shirt Rag Quilt | HerKentucky.com

My fiancé, Bob, had several t-shirts that were kind of sassy and hilarious, most of which had sat in a drawer since his law school days. I thought it would be fun to use those shirts to make a throw-sized t-shirt quilt.

T-shirt rag quilt tutorial | HerKentucky.com

Seriously, y'all. this was such a fun and easy project. I decided to make a rag quilt, with exposed seams and quilt-as-you-go techniques, for a cozy and homemade feel. It also meant that I didn't have to invest in a sewing machine.

The first step is pretty easy -- select the t-shirts you want to use. Wash them without fabric softener and determine the portion of the shirt that you want to use. (Pro tip: save the unused t-shirt material for dust cloths!) Make a square cut a little bigger than the size you want the finished panel to be. The beauty of the rag quilt is that your cuts don't have to be precise.

T-Shirt Rag Quilt Tutorial

You'll want to select batting for the center of the quilt. I used white flannel, which I cut into squares the same size as the t-shirt panel.

T-Shirt Quilt Tutorial | HerKentucky.com

The final layer is your backing; I chose solid red cotton to go with the darker t-shirts, and red and white ticking stripes for the lighter shirts.

T-Shirt Quilt Tutorial | HerKentucky.com

Next, I put the pieces together for each quilt block. For this throw, it was 9 blocks cut to approximately 16 inch squares. For each quilt block,  I stitched the three layers of fabric about an inch from the outside border, then sewed two diagonal lines, forming an X shape in the block. 

Using the pattern I'd decided on (alternating light and dark t-shirt prints), I sewed the shirts together into three rows, with the exposed seams facing upward. I then attached the three rows together to form the quilt.

The final step was to cut the exposed seams into a fringe pattern, about 1/2" apart. I then washed and machine dried the quilt to remove excess lint and allow the seams to "puff up."

I love the way this one turned out! So quick and easy, and such a fun gift for my beau! 

In Quilts, HerAppalachia Tags t-shirt quilt, HerAppalachia, How to make a t-shirt quilt, T-shirt quilt tutorial, quilt of the week, quilt, quilt patterns
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