You want an amazing quilt and we want to make that quilt for you.
Your amazing quilt begins with clear and concise directions. Our directions are easy for you to use and easy for us to follow.
Please take the time to read our marking instructions.
Marking your T-shirts is very important and a key step in our communications. These directions are specific to Too Cool T-shirt Quilts and help us to understand exactly what graphics you don't want in your quilt.
Our goal is to make this process as easy as possible for you. If you have questions about our directions, reach out to us.
Please follow the listed instructions and do not make up your own.
Our directions are based on the premise that you want to use all of the graphics on your T-shirts. With that in mind, we focus on having you tell us what not to use.
If you want all the designs used from a particular T-shirt, you don’t need to do anything to that T-shirt.
If there is a part of your T-shirt that you DO NOT want used, X it out with blue painter’s tape.
All other graphics, that are not X'd out, will be used.
If you want an entire design used, you don’t need to do anything.
When you X'd out part of your T-shirt, we cut through it and it's not saved.
Please do not X out the blank parts of your T-shirts. We will only cut the designs.
If you have a special request for a particular T-shirt, write that request on blue painter’s tape.
Put T-shirts with special instructions on the top of your stack of T-shirts.
If you want a particular shirt centered, write that request on blue painter’s tape and stick it to the T-shirt outside the area of the graphic or design.
After we cut the block, we will move the tape onto the block. Only after we finish the quilt will the tape be removed.
If there is small part of a larger design you want used, box in the part(s) you DO want used with masking tape.
Please only box a design when you want to use a specific part of a larger design.
The second photo shows what we will do these two pieces you want.
Here is another way to mark your T-shirts when you want just part of a graphic.
This is what it looks like when it's cut.
If there is a stain that you don’t want in the quilt, mark that area with blue painter’s tape. On the blue painter’s tape write: “remove”
If you ask us to remove the spot, the area in question will be cutout, and the hole repaired.
Keep in mind that this cut out may be visible and does not guarantee a more desirable look. Due to this tedious work, there is a charge for this service.
The photos show a before and after of a stain we removed.
If you ask us to avoid the spot, we will try to cut the T-shirt block not to include the stain.
This might mean that a block will be cut off center. We like to center the design on the block rather than have it off-center because it looks better. Having the design off-center will be more noticeable than most stains.
We try to not include advertisements in a quilt. But there are times that we can’t determine if something is an ad or not. And sometimes you want an ad used! It might be your company.
If you want an ad used, please note this on that shirt. If there is an advertisement you don't think we will realized is an ad and you don’t want used, just X it out.
In the photo here, we see the marker's mark on the sleeve. We know by looking inside the collar of the T-shirt that this is a company logo. We would not use the sleeve logo in your quilt.
Double-sided practice jerseys and pennies generally have graphics on the outside and inside.
Unless you tell us to use just one side, we will use both.
If you have too many items, we will tend to just use the colored side.
It helps us if you tell us what you want done with double-sided jerseys.
Please only use blue painter’s tape. Other types of tape are stickier and may leave a residue on your T-shirts.
Please only put tape on the parts of the T-shirts you DO NOT want used. If the tape does leave a residue, it will be on the graphics you don’t want used – no big deal.
The first photo here is of blue painter’s tape. This is the correct tape to use on your T-shirts. The tapes in the below photo are not. Please don’t use these tapes on your T-shirts.
Please do not staple or pin directions onto the T-shirts. Especially in the area we will be using. It puts holes in your T-shirts.
Please do not box in all the designs you want with painters tape! If you have already done this, please go back and remove this tape. Having to remove tape is very time consuming. We charge $1 for each shirt with the entire design boxed in with tape that is unnecessary.
Do not send your T-shirts in scented trash bags. We're a scent free environment, our employees thank you!
If you feel you may have too many T-shirts for the size quilt you want, break your T-shirts up into two or more groupings. Be sure to label what group you want us to start with.
We will start with the main grouping of T-shirts. After those are cut, we will calculate the quilt size.
If we need more T-shirts to make the quilt larger, we will begin cutting the second group. We will cut from the top of the stack down until we get to the size you want.
If you feel you don't have enough T-shirts to make a quilt the size you would like, write on the top of your order form to “Cut Big”. This means we leave additional margins around the graphics. If you end up with too much, we can always cut the blocks smaller.
Here’s a chart of the approximate number of T-shirts you will need for each size quilt. We count one shirt as one shirt regardless of the number of graphics on each T-shirt.
YES! The directions here are how Too Cool T-shirt Quilts would like you to mark your T-shirts.
Other T-shirt quilt makers may have different directions. This means that if you follow the wrong directions, we might run into some confusion.
If you are planning on using another T-shirt quilt maker, check out that company’s website for their directions.
Please keep your request for placement of T-shirts down to just a few. The more specific placements you request, the less flexibility we will have in laying out your quilt. This can result in a less interesting quilt design.
Teresa B. Standard T-shirt Quilt
Barbara D. Standard T-shirt Quilt