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T-shirt quilts are beautiful keepsakes. A t-shirt quilt can last a lifetime if it is made correctly, using the best materials available. Online companies sell inexpensive, custom t-shirt quilts. Poor technique and cheap materials will cause your quilt to break down over time. Although inexpensive doesn't necessarily correlate to cheap materials and poor technique, you should ask a few things of your t-shirt quilt provider before you buy. Q. Will my quilt be custom-made? Online you can find decent t-shirt quilts that are reasonably priced but that aren't necessarily "custom." The colors, patterns, and arrangement are usually the same. Since you are having a t-shirt quilt created as an heirloom, it is important that it really is custom-made. Q. Do you use cotton or polyester batting? Polyester batting is inferior for a couple of reasons - it doesn't breathe, and over time it can degrade substantially. Cotton batting, while more expensive, lasts longer and is more comfortable for everyday use. Cotton batted quilts also hang against a wall flatter and more beautifully than polyester batted quilts. Some quilts don't come with batting at all...that means they're not really quilts. Q. Do you separate my t-shirts with sashing? If you're having a t-shirt quilt made, make sure that your quilter uses sashing (a ribbon of fabric between t-shirt squares) to separate your t-shirts from one another. Sashing will help your t-shirt quilt to last longer as well as enhance the design. Q. Do you use the "flip and quilt" or the bind method to make a quilt? The older "flip and quilt" or "flip and sew" method is the less time-consuming way to make a quilt. It is less expensive, but the quilt usually won't hang or lay completely flat. The bind method, on the other hand, takes longer. However, the finished product lays or hangs flat and looks much nicer. Q. What are the fabric's thread weight and thread count? A quilt should last decades if the best fabrics are used. The thread count of the best type of fabric is 75, and the thread weight should be 30-34. Check with your quilter about the thread count and thread weight of the fabric they use. The last thing you should check, if you can, is the sharpness of the printing on the fabric. Inexpensive fabric has printing that is inconsistent and blurry, and it will degrade over time.
Article Source: http://www.content-corral.com
About the author: Sara Musfeldt has been a fan of fiber art for many years. Sara has reviewed the creations of Moonlight Quilts, including their t-shirt quilts.
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