Make your own T-shirt blanket

Allison Smith

Supplies:

8 T-shirts (make sure design will fit in a square foot)

1 yard of cotton fabric

1 yard of corresponding colored cotton fabric

2 1/2 yards fusible interfacing

3 yards of fabric to be used for border

4 yards of fabric for the backing

Batting for a 6’ x 4’ quilt

Pins

Enough binding to fit around your quilt ? ?

Instructions:

1. Cut desired area of T-shirt to be used in 13 x 13 blocks. (The extra 1/2-inch is used when sewing pieces together. When sewed together, the blocks will measure 12 x 12)

2. Cut fusible interfacing the same size for each T-shirt block.

3. Follow instructions on interfacing and attach to T-shirt blocks.

4. Cut 14 7 x 7 blocks of fabric matching the T-shirts. Do the same for the other yard of corresponding fabric.

5. Cut 7-inch wide strips for the border of your quilt.

6. Leave the backing until you have finished the face.

7. Sew four pieces of the 7 x 7 blocks together in a checker pattern. These will make 13 x 13 inch blocks to go in between each T-shirt. To sew them, face the outside of the fabric toward each other and sew. Make sure to have a half-inch seam or your measurements will be off.

8. After you have finished the checker 13 x 13 blocks, attach them to the T-shirt blocks using the same technique: outsides facing in.

9. Next, attach the borders in the same fashion.

10. Now you have the front of your quilt.

11. Cut the batting to the size of front of your quilt.

12. Cut and put together the 4 yards of fabric so it fits in the size of the front of your quilt.

13. Pin and sew it all together.

14. Attach binding. Go to http://quilting.about.com/od/bindingaquilt/ss/mitered_binding_6.htm for instructions on making a mitered quilt binding.

15. At the corner of each block, hand-sew small stitches in order to keep the quilt from falling apart when you wash it.

Contact features reporter Allison Smith at [email protected].