Important Questions to Ask Your T-shirt Quilt Maker Before You Hire Them
- What style of quilt do you make?
- Are you making quilts or blankets?
- Are your quilts long-arm machine quilted?
- What quality materials are you using in your quilts?
- What is your turn around time?
- How many quilts have you made in the style I want?
- Are you making the entire quilt?
- Are you a smoker?
- Are you a professional quilt maker or a hobbyist?
- Can I see your work and/or can I see photos of your quilt?
When you are planning a T-shirt quilt, your first step is to learn everything you can about T-shirt quilts. Here's a link to our learning center. Our learning center has 100's of articles about everything T-shirt quilts.
Your second step is to find a quilt maker. Here's information about finding a quilt maker. When you think that you have found the right person, take time to either interview them and/or get the answers to these questions from their website.
If you know ahead of time what to expect, you won't end up with a T-shirt quilt that will break your heart.
Here are the questions if you want to jump to a specific one:
- What style of quilt do you make?
- Are you making quilts or blankets?
- Are your quilts long-arm machine quilted?
- What quality materials are you using in your quilts?
- What is your turn around time?
- How many quilts have you made in the style I want?
- Are you making the entire quilt?
- Are you a smoker?
- Are you a professional quilt maker or a hobbyist?
- Can I see your work and/or can I see photos of your quilt?
What Style of Quilt Do You Make?
There are 6 major styles of T-shirt quilts. Here’s a brief explanation of each:
Traditional Block Style with Sashing: All the square blocks are cut the same size. This block size is typically 12” x 12” or 14” x 14”. These blocks are laid out in columns and rows which are divided by vertical and horizontal strips of fabric. Read more about traditional style T-shirt quilts here.
Traditional Block Style without Sashing: Again, all the blocks are cut the same size. These square blocks are also usually 12” x 12” or 14” x 14”. The blocks are again lined up in rows and columns, but the sashing (the fabric dividing the rows and columns) is omitted. Read more about traditional style T-shirt quilts here.
Unequal Rows or Columns: This style of T-shirt quilt is typically built with columns of blocks, but the columns are different widths. This type of quilt might have a column that is 16”, followed by a 6” wide column followed by a 12” column and so on. The style was developed to help quilters compensate for the different size graphics on T-shirts while keeping the layout easy.
Crazy Quilt: The designs on the T-shirts are cut out randomly around the graphics. These blocks are glued to a single piece of fabric or bed sheet and then zigzagged down.
The Too Cool Style AKA: Variable or Puzzle Style: The graphics on the T-shirts are cut into different block sizes and shapes based on the size of the design on the T-shirts. The blocks are puzzled together so that there are neither columns nor rows.
The Stained-Glass Too Cool Style: The graphics on the T-shirts are cut into different block sizes and shapes based on the size of the design on the T-shirts. The blocks are puzzled together so that there are neither columns nor rows. This style is distinguished by the thin line of fabric between the blocks that mimics a stained-glass window.
Don't assume that a quilt maker can or will make your quilt in the style you want. Ask for the style by name. If you don’t know what style of quilt you want, you can read more about the 6 styles of T-shirt quilts here.
Some quilters offer several different styles of T-shirt quilts. As non-traditional styles are growing in popularity, a quilt maker may add new styles to their repertoire. How experienced is this quilt maker in making the type of quilt you want? Anything less than 100 is not enough experience. You can easily find quilters with more experience.
Are You Making Quilts or Blankets?
There is a big difference between a quilt and a blanket. Knowing the difference is important to getting what you want.
Blankets
A T-shirt blanket is made up of two layers – the top, which is the T-shirts and the back, which is another type of material. The back of a T-shirt blankets may be fleece or flannel. The two layers are not connected.
Someone making blankets generally is not a seasoned professional quilter. Very few experienced quilters will choose to make blankets. They are not what quilters are about.
Typically, someone making blankets does not have the equipment and nor the skills to be making quilts. A blanket can be well made, but it is not a quilt. If you want a T-shirt quilt, don’t settle for a T-shirt blanket.
Quilts
Quilts are made from three layers. The quilt top is made from T-shirts. The batting is in the middle. And fabric is on the back. Quilting holds these three layers together. There are a few different quilting methods:
Tying: This is a technique that uses thread or embroidery floss to make a single large stitch through the three layers of the quilt. The thread is knotted on the top of the quilt. These ties are placed about every 4 inches.
Some quilters feel that tying a quilt with a series of ties is good enough. And it is good enough to hold the three layers of a quilt together. But a tied quilt is only a step up from a blanket. If a quilt is not long-arm quilted, you probably should continue your search for a quilter elsewhere.
Stitch in the Ditch: This method is usually done on a home sewing machine. The three layers of the quilt are pinned and then stitched together on a home sewing machine. The stitches are placed in the ditch, which is where the seams of the pieces come together. This is not an optimal method for finishing a T-shirt quilt.
Hand Quilted: This is the traditional method for making a quilt. But hand quilting a T-shirt quilt? That's insane.
Long-arm Quilted: This is the industry standard for quality T-shirt quilts. Read more about the quilting we do here. In the photo below is an example of the back of a Too Cool T-shirt quilt. See where our name comes from?
Planning a T-shirt quilt?
Here are step-by-step directions for ordering your Too Cool T-shirt quilt.
Are Your Quilts Long-arm Machine Quilted?
A long-arm quilting machine moves over the stationary three layers of a quilt. A computer or a human can control a long-arm quilting machine. There are several different ways a long-arm quilting machine can be used. Here is a explanation of each technique:
Computerized Long-arm Quilting:
When the quilting is computerized, the T-shirt quilt is stitched with an overall quilting pattern. The same design is repeated over and over on the quilt.
Non-Computerized Long-arm Quilting:
This method uses the same long-arm quilting machine but a human operates it from either the front or back of the machine.
Operated from the Back of the Machine
The operator works from the back of the machine following a printed paper pattern on the bed of the sewing machine with a laser pointer.
Operated from the Front of the Machine
The machine is operated from the front the machine and the artist “draws” with the machine. The designs being quilted can be exclusively tailored to the block being worked on rather than in an overall pattern.
The best T-shirt quilts are those in which each block is quilted with a unique pattern.
What Quality Materials Are You Using in Your Quilts?
The quality of materials a quilter uses sets a baseline quality level for their quilts. A quilt can be expertly made, but if it is made with low quality materials, the materials may speak louder than the craft. It will feel like a less quality item.
There are three major materials used in a T-shirt quilt: fabric, batting & thread.
Fabric
There are so many different fabrics available for quilters to choose from. Fabric ranges from very inexpensive, thin polyester fabrics that feel awful to high quality 100% cotton fabrics that feel great. The higher the quality material a quilter uses, the more the quilt will cost. This is because higher quality fabrics cost more. At the minimum, you want your quilters to be using a high quality 100% cotton fabric. Read more about backing materials choices here.
Batting
As with fabric, there are many different batting options for a quilter to choose from. Here are some typical types that are being used:
100% Polyester This is a low-quality product that experienced quilters prefer not to use. It has many issues and should be avoided. A quilter will use polyester batting to save money. Good for them, bad for you.
50% Polyester/50% Cotton This is a little better than 100% polyester.
100% Cotton This is OK for a T-shirt quilt. But the batting is more likely to rip and tear and thus more difficult to work with.
100% Wool A wool batting is OK for a T-shirt quilt. It has a higher loft and is much lighter weight than a cotton batting. It doesn’t wash up as well as cotton.
20% polyester/80% cotton –needle punched This is the preferred batting for a T-shirt quilt.
Thread
You can’t tell if a low-quality thread has been used to make your quilt until perhaps your quilt falls apart. There are some very cheap threads out there that will not stand the test of time!
Ask your quilter if she uses a high-quality thread. Some high quality thread is Gutermann and Coats & Clark.
What Is Your Turn Around Time?
4 to 6 weeks is industry standard. It may take a little longer around spring graduation and Christmas. A quilter who says 3 months or more might have more quilts than they can get to or have other obligations.
Try to find a professional quilter that can balance her time and workload.
How Many Quilts Have You Made in the Style I Want?
The more quilts that someone has made in the style you want, the better. You probably want to shy away from a novice and perhaps even an intermediate quilter. I still run into hurdles and I have made over 15,000 quilts!
- Novice Quilter: 1 – 15
- Intermediate Quilter: 15 to 200
- The Advanced Quilter: 200 to 600
- The Expert Quilter: Over 600
Below are photos of the quilts we made in the first 6 month of this year.
Are You Making the Entire Quilt?
Some quilters will only make the quilt top and send the completed top out for someone else to finish. This means that you will have no idea who is working on your quilt or where it will be sent. If someone is only making part of your quilt, this is a sign that the quilter is not a professional. They do not have all the equipment needed to make your quilt or the skill to use rented equipment.
You may want to avoid a quilter who sends their quilts out to be long-arm quilted by someone else. You should know where your T-shirts are and who has them when they are out of your hands.
Also, a quilter who sends their quilts out to be quilted by someone else is typically a hobbyist and not a professional. A professional has the right equipment and makes quilts full time. They also relies on their business for their livelihood and as a result, it really matters if you are happy with your quilt or not. 
Are You a Smoker?
Ask this question! If you are not a smoker, you won’t want to send your T-shirts to a smoker. Smelly!
Are You a Professional Quilt Maker or a Hobbyist?
A professional earns a living making quilts. They are devoted to making T-shirt quilts full time. Most importantly, they have a reputation at stake with every quilt they make. The outcome of your quilt is important to them and their livelihood.
The hobbyist on the other hand, makes quilts because they just like to make quilts. There is nothing wrong with liking to make quilts. I love making quilts.
But it’s not their livelihood. And if your quilt doesn’t go well, it doesn’t impact their income. A hobbyist also is not making as many quilts as a professional so their experience will be less.
These are your T-shirts and it’s your quilt. You need to decide whether a professional or hobbyist is the way you want to go.
Can I See Your Work and/or Can I See Photos of Your Quilt?
The answer should be yes. If you can’t see the quilts in person, study the photographs of a number of different quilts. If you are not sure what to look for in a photograph of a quilt, click here to read about how to judge a quilt from a photograph.
Conclusion
You can have your T-shirts transformed into a quilt or blanket that will break your heart. Before you let go of your T-shirts, do your homework, and find the right quilt maker for your needs.
If you have any questions, we are happy to help! Email or call us at 517-541-8225
Want to learn more about T-shirt quilts? Visit our Learning Center.
We have over 200 articles about all aspects of T-shirt quilts.
Here is a list of interview questions that you can download and print out.
