Quilting is the process of stitching all three layers of a T-shirt quilt together: the top, the batting, and the backing. This stitching holds the quilt together, adds durability, and creates the finished look on both the front and back. The quilting can be done as an overall pattern or customized for each block, depending on the design.
Long-arm machine quilting is how most quilt makers finish their T-shirt quilts. This is done with either with a computerized machine that runs by itself or by a quilter tracing a repetitive design by hand.
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An over-all quilting pattern over the entire quilt. This can be done with a computerized quilting machine or by a quilter guiding the machine by hand to create a repeated pattern.
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A unique pattern for each block. This is drawn by an artist standing at the front of a quilting machine - see the video below.
In this article, we'll explain how we choose individual quilting designs for each block of a T-shirt quilt. This is how we quilt at Too Cool T-shirt Quilts.
Here's a video of Milie quilting an all-dinosaur T-shirt quilt.
How Unique Quilting Patterns Work on a T-shirt Quilt
Here at Too Cool T-shirt Quilts, all of our quilts are quilted with a unique design for each block. Some blocks within a quilt will be quilted with a design and other blocks will have what's on the front traced so it can be seen from the back.
On every quilt, we trace number of designs. Some quilts end up with more traced items than others. It depends what’s on the quilt. Here is a quick breakdown of what how we decide what to trace and what not to trace.
How Design Size Affects What We Trace
The design may be the coolest image ever printed on a T-shirt, but it is not worth tracing if it's so small the quilting won’t look like anything on the back. We shy away from tracing anything on blocks smaller than eight inches by eight inches. And if there is a really huge shirt with a good design on it we usually trace it.
How Design Details Affect Tracing
One rule that we tend to follow is ‘keep it simple’. If the design has so many details that are really small we try to avoid it. But if there is great line drawing we can replicate well and is big enough, we go for it. A great example of this is Jazz bass player T-shirt. He is simply drawn, doesn't have tiny little details, and is on a large block
How Design Placement Affects Tracing
If there is something that is right next to something we already traced, and that would also look good traced, it's time to weigh our options and choose which designs to trace. But if there is a third or a fourth image also right next to the other traced images, and that look good to trace, its time to weigh our options and pick two. Having too many things traced in one area of the quilt becomes distracting.
What Designs Do We Usually Trace?
There are a few things we typically trace: large logos, oversized letters and numbers on jerseys, and last names, just to name a few.
Some shirts don't give us many other options. Our jazz bass player example is one of those. Tracing the design creates an interesting image on the back of the quilt.
What Designs Do We Avoid Tracing?
If there is a very thick embroidery or layering of fabrics on a block, we will avoid doing a tracing on that block. For example, some hockey jerseys are really thick and have many different layers and embroidery. Many times our machine can’t quilt on the design at all because it’s just too thick. In these cases, we minimize the quilting on that block.
When Do We Trace Words?
Sometimes a quilt doesn't have many images that lend themselves to tracing. In this case we turn to words. Many shirts have a large grouping of words that can be traced easily enough to make up for the lack of other designs within the quilt. But note, the words will show up backwards on the back of the quilt!
When we first started quilting we had to think about what we wanted to trace and what we didn’t. As time went along we became better and faster at making these choices. Today, we rarely have to stop and think about what to trace. After years of experience, these decisions have become second nature.
We hope this quick breakdown has helped you understand why some things on your quilt were traced and others were not.
Planning a T-shirt quilt?
Here are step-by-step directions for ordering your Too Cool T-shirt quilt.
