How to Design and Sew a T-Shirt Quilt

Those T-shirts tucked away in drawers and closets can become a quilt filled with memories. In this class, Dianne Coleman will walk you through the process of designing a T-shirt quilt around the shirts you want to preserve, with plenty of practical guidance to help you make a plan before you start cutting.

The first part of class will focus on design. You’ll explore block size and placement, overall quilt layout, sashing, borders, backing, and other decisions that affect the finished quilt. Using your own T-shirts, you’ll begin developing a general plan that works with the number, size, and style of shirt designs you have.

The second part of class moves into preparing your T-shirts for construction. Dianne will demonstrate how to stabilize stretchy T-shirt fabric with fusible interfacing and how to cut and square blocks according to your planned layout. She’ll also share techniques, tips, and troubleshooting advice to help you continue your quilt successfully at home.

This is a design and preparation class. Students will not sew or assemble their T-shirt quilts during class. The goal is to leave with a thoughtful quilt plan, an understanding of how to prepare your T-shirts, and the knowledge you need to move into the sewing stage on your own.