Beyond the Tee: Innovative T-Shirt Quilts

Mary and Jen Cannizzaro, the mother-daughter founders of quilting shop Cannizzaro Creations, offer an exciting intro to the craft of making quilts using fabric from T-shirts. Though T-shirt quilts often consist of little more than T-shirt fronts, typically taken from a keepsake garment, cut into squares, and slapped onto a quilt, the Cannizzaros offer designs of hexagons, diamonds, and ovals. They “fillet” T-shirts (as one would a fish) so as to maximize the fabric available, advising, “Think before you cut!” They address problems, such as a motif being too high, small, or big, and dispense “tips for success” (e.g., “On large quilts, it is helpful to find and pin two additional points on the quilt and border midway between the center and quilt edges for increased accuracy”).Their quilt basics start with the essential stabilizer, such as fusible interfacing—nothing too stiff—and ¼-inch seams. Among the nine projects detailed, the Cannizzaros include a quilt made from T-shirts associated with travel to different places, and another made from an enthusiastic athlete’s different team shirts. For each block, they cover construction, assembly, and suggestions for alternate ideas and labels. This how-to will be a boon to any quilter looking for a new challenge. (July)