"Can I use this pattern to create a t-shirt quilt?" is a common question I receive just about every day.
The answer is... yes! And also... sort of!
While the book & pattern were designed for baby clothes (particularly the smaller cutting template), the entire process, tips, tricks, and materials can all be easily adapted to use t-shirt quilts. At Jelly Bean Quilts, I make my custom t-shirt quilts in exactly the same way as my baby clothes - just with larger squares!
All it takes is a little thought to adapt the pattern - you really just need to decide how big your blocks need to be to accommodate the larger designs on your t-shirts, and then make a cutting template square out of a scrap piece of fabric or some tissue/parchment paper! The rest of the process - interfacing, layout, sewing, quilting & finishing - are all the same! The compound blocks I teach at the end of the book are perfect for when you have a mix of larger and small designs on your shirts.
But you don't have to take my word for it - a customer just submitted this great review who used the pattern to create a sports t-shirt quilt, to great success! Here's the screenshot, but if you scroll down I will paste the actual text for those of you on mobile (the text will shrink down in the picture!)
Here's a larger picture of the quilt she created:
Full Review In Text:
-----
"I have been wanting to make a t shirt blanket for my husband for a long time. There are so many tutorials out there on the internet, but all with varying advice, which left me unsure and my project not touched for years!
I have been following Jamie’s work via social media for years. She does a beautiful job on her quilts and really has become the expert in modern clothing quilts. So when she came out with her baby clothes quilt book I knew this was my chance to get a detailed tutorial on how to make a clothes blanket with sound advice. I have used this book, and the principles taught in it, to make a clothing blanket out of my husband’s shirts. I need to collect another seasons worth of clothes for my daughter then I will tackle my first baby clothes quilt. Principles and techniques taught in this book and video tutorials are geared towards baby clothes, but easily adapted for adult shirts as well!
What I love about this book:
- Not only are there a TON of pictures to show each and every step, but there is a video tutorial guide for each step too. At the end of the book is a unique code that you can enter into her website to access the videos. I did not watch each one, just the ones for the steps I was unsure of or wanting to make sure I had it just right.
- The format. So many of the book’s pages had a special section at the bottom titled ‘Pro Tip’. I learned so many fun details and tips here. Things I never would of thought of. So useful and easy to read!
- The materials list. To use a fusible stabilizer or not? That’s one of the biggest questions with a clothes quilt and Jamie not only answers it, but give specific brand names of what to use. Have you ever looked at stabilizers at your big box fabric store? It can be crazy confusing if you don’t know what you are buying. She also shares all her fabrics with us, even thread and scissor brands!
- At the end of the book is a chapter dedicated to special design cases – like preemie clothes and those cute little pants with the picture on the butt of them. She shows you just how to piece them into a quilt block so they can be included as well.
- Design. While each of our quilts will be unique, this books shares some basic design tips and layouts that are pleasing to the eye.
This book will not teach you how to sew or use your sewing machine. You need to have a basic understanding of material and sewing first. But if you have that, this book is for you! Even if you have never sewn a quilt in your life I am confident with this book you can do it!
I viewed this book on my laptop. I used Adobe to view it and the links worked perfectly to get to the videos or to purchase materials right from there. I kept my laptop open on my sewing table and followed right along with each step as I created my quilt."
-----
Isn't that awesome! She did such a fabulous job adapting the pattern, and I love the extra-fuzzy gray minky she chose for the backing - perfect for a throw blanket to take to a football game!!!
You can see this review (and more reviews!) live and in person over on the Kindle version at Amazon, if that's your style!
You can also purchase via the Etsy listing for my PDF book, or here on my site: Create Your Own Baby Clothes Quilt Digital Download
