Racing T-Shirts Couch Quilt - Orange & White

I machine pieced this quilt on my Bernina 240.

I quilted this quilt on my Janome QMP-18 long arm.

Finished size: 63" x 79"

(click on photos to enlarge)

🏁FINISHED QUILT:🏁

Front piecing: A collage of 18 squares of various sizes, cut from 13 t-shirts, with fabrics from my stash filling in between the blocks. Surrounding the collage is a 4¼" wide border made from "On the Horizon" by Art Gallery Fabrics (purchased at an estate sale).

Backing: The backing fabric is 108" wide white-on-white swirl cotton print.

Quilt Stitching, Pattern: I quilted using edge-to-edge "Circle Meander" (ProStitcher/Nancy Haacke Designs).

Quilt Stitching, Thread: I used "Black" (So Fine 50 #411) thread on both the front and back of the quilt.

Label: I sewed on a purchased custom label, made from textile ink printed on cotton fabric & backed with a laminating layer.

Click the above photo to view the creation of another quilt also made from this T-shirt collection.

🏁PROGRESS PHOTOS:🏁

Construction - Blocks:

This quilt is one of two that I made from a total of 25 T-shirts and 1 jacket. I split the shirts by color into two groups: 1) blue+black and 2) orange+white, intending to create two oversized couch quilts. This is the orange & white group.

I began by cutting the fronts and back of the shirts apart, and ironed interfacing on the back of every piece of shirt fabric. I used not only the pieces with decals, but also solid T-shirt fabric pieces as well.

The majority of the T-shirts have original autographs on them, so I couldn't cut up into the shoulder areas of the shirts without risking losing some of the signature. To combat this, I used the fabric from T-shirt backs and sleeves to applique behind and underneath the ribbed neck openings. This way, I was able to create larger squares from many of the shirts without losing the autographed portions.

When sewing sections of T-shirt material together, I use lots and lots of pins, since the fabric can be very shifty under the needle.

For me, creating a T-shirt quilt is very organic - I begin with blocks of T-shirt fabrics and start adding groups of fabric pieces to the blocks, until I've built several sub-units. Eventually I join the sub-units together, looking for balance and pleasing color distribution. It becomes a completed collage as I continue to "fill in" areas in between the blocks, joining rows and columns together.

Quilting:

I load the white-on-white wide backing fabric (face down) onto my longarm, then I drape a layer of thin batting over the backing, and finally float the pieced quilt top as the last of 3 layers. (Since the interfacing adds an extra layer to the t-shirt fabrics, I used a thinner batting, so that the finished quilt isn't too heavy).

I used my ProStitcher software to resize, repeat, and wrap the edge-to-edge "Circle Meander" (ProStitcher/Nancy Haacke Designs).

Starting the first of 7 rows (each row is 11" high).

As I learned from quilting other T-shirt quilts, the rubber printing found on some t-shirts will wear down the stitching needle extremely quickly - so I changed out the needle at the beginning of each of the 6 rows.

The last row, #6 of 6.

Really happy with the overall look of the black stitching on the white-on-white backing.

Trimming:

When trimming, I lined up my rulers to cut exactly 4¼" from the outer edge of the T-shirt center rather than using the border fabric to measure. This helps the quilt to remain square.

Binding:

I joined together several 2.5" strips of a black & white floral cotton print, pressing them in half lengthwise, making a total of 310" of binding.

First I attached the binding strips to the back of the quilt, using my sewing machine and a 1/4" seam.

I joined the binding ends on the bias to reduce bulk. 

Then I pressed the binding out, away from the quilt.

I followed by wrapping the binding around and attaching it to the front of the quilt. 

I like to always use my Bernina 240's blind hem foot to get precise edges when machine sewing bindings.

Old fashioned corsage pins assist me when making the mitered corners.

Washing:

To absorb some of the brighter orange fabric dyes, especially with the white-on-white backing fabric, I machine washed the finished quilt (cold water, no bleach) using dye trapping sheets. I use either Color Catchers or Color Grabbers, and always wash a quilt before I gift it - that way the soft, scrunchy texture can be enjoyed!

Shrink-wrapped and ready to ship!

🏁QUILT SUMMARY:🏁

I machine pieced this quilt on my Bernina 240.

I quilted this quilt on my Janome QMP-18 long arm.

Finished size: 61" x 75"

Front piecing: 18 squares of various sizes cut from 13 T-shirts, using fabrics from my stash of strips and crumbs, and leftovers from previous quilt projects, to fill in between the blocks. Surrounded by a 4¼" outer border.

Back: 108" wide white-on-white swirl cotton print.

Binding: Machine sewn black & white floral cotton print.

Quilting: Edge-to-edge "Circle Meander" (ProStitcher/Nancy Haacke Designs). "Black" (So Fine 50 #411) thread on the front and back.

🏁Click here to view the creation of another quilt also made from this T-shirt collection.🏁

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