I'm working on this T-Shirt quilt for a dear friend's daughter. I am almost done with the top - just need to even out the bottom and add my borders (which I plan on doing today). Then I will be ready to baste and quilt it.
That is where you come in. I have been struggling with how to quilt this baby.
Here are the options I have come up with so far. Keep in mind that I always feel "free motion challenged" but I refuse to give up.
1. Put on the walking foot and do straight line quilting.
Pros: Easy
Cons: with the black and white contrast of the blocks - what color thread would I use? If I use black,
would it be distracting across the white blocks? If I use white thread, would it be distracting across the
black blocks and sashing?
2. I could do an all over stipple using varigated black/grey/white thread and avoid the "wording" on the tshirts so it stands out more?
OR - I'm open to any other suggestions that you all might have. So jump in.. give me your 2 cents. Pin It
20 comments:
I don't have any suggestions. But make sure you post the final product, because I have two t-shirt quilts to do.
Are all of your shirts t-shirts, or are there any jeseys in there? Also, did you using any interfacing on the shirts? Thanks!
i think the straight lines would look great. it would help unify the top...as far as thread color- when i have a black and white fabric quilt- i choose a graphite grey thread. it's dark enough to look good on black, but not so dark to not look good on white...plus you have more black than white, so i'd go grey
just my little ole opinion :) hope i helped
I think grey thread would look best. And maybe straight line quilting but on a 45 degree angle.
I'm wondering why a varigated thread like you mentioned used with the walking foot wouldn't look good. Seems like stippling might be a tad to busy and take away from the t-shirts? Just a thought.
I just did a t-shirt quilt for my husband for Christmas ... I used invisilbe thread (monofilament) - it worked out great (gray in the bobbin).
It's surprising how good grid can look over motifs and printing. I'd do the gray w/walking foot on point. I love free motion but sometimes the best solution is a grid.
It's surprising how good grid can look over motifs and printing. I'd do the gray w/walking foot on point. I love free motion but sometimes the best solution is a grid.
I like a grid, but with 60 degree diamonds. Easy to do.
I'd suggest using a bright threat in the recepient's favorite colour.
The thread would show and make the TShirts more noticable because of the contrast. Think how great bright batiks look on black background.
Oh, if you didn't use an interfacing on the back of the Tshirts, a walking foot may pull and pucker the T shirt fabrics. Should that happen, then just meander, with a darning or free motion foot and then it won't pull on the fabric.
Good luck, take care, Leslie
I had a difficult time sewing over the design on the two tshirt quilts I did last year. I went with a stipple, but for the most part, I find that easier than straight line quilting.
I did a t-shirt quilt a few monthes ago and I used invisable thread on the top, I did free motion quilting and in order to 'girl' it up a bit I quilted 'lazy daisies' here and there. I also quilted in special messages, her name, favorite quote etc. It was a lot of fun to do and she had so much fun looking for the hidden messages and words that I worked into the quilting.
When I have had quilts with different colours I use monofilament and grey or tan in the bobbin. Works great. I would ditch this quilt.
I would go for a contrast, the red in the dodge ball tee or the olive green maybe. I think I'd go for a double line of quilting either side of the seams, out of the ditch in other words! Like the others' ideas of the grid though.
Stitch "in the ditch" (it really isn't; it's in the valley beside the ditch) to stabilize the whole quilt. Then, beginning in the middle of the quilt, echo quilt around the words and designs, stippling or quilting some other free-form, all over design (snail circles, meander, daisies) everyplace else until you get to the next area of words/designs. Continue. I bet you can do that!
I did a quilt with dark colors, but light squares with Bible verses on them. I used invisible thread and went right over the words. It added texture but didn't interfere with the text. I think you could use clear monofilament in the white squares, and smoke monofilament in the black squares and just do a meandering design all over the t-shirt logos.
my vote is for straight line with a grey thread....this quilt looks amazing!
I made a t-shirt quilt a couple of months ago that was mostly black and white. I meandered the black areas and the dark red sashing with black/gray/white variegated thread, then changed to white and meandered the white t-shirts, mostly avoiding the pictures and lettering where possible. Post final pictures, please!
Wow, lots of great ideas!
I all the ideas. I think I would straight line quilt the lines, then stipple any areas that don't have text. I would trace around the big numbers with free motion also to really make them pop. I would probably do the straight lines in black, and match the stippling to which ever color the block is.
I didn't see if anyone else suggested it, but there is a clear thread out there...you could use that and straight line it...
I bet you will come up with a great idea!
this is a bit of a tricky one! thread color--I'd say a dark grey or...here's a crazy thought- bright green. i would outline around the words and letters and only stitch through the big areas like the bull heads and the ones that look like book pages as little as possible. just enough to keep the batting from shifting. and fill in the negative space with something simple like loops, meandering or swirls, and throw in a few random stars, or flowers, or footballs, or...
Good Luck!
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