Can I use the potholder quilting technique to make a quilt out of t-shirts?

Question

Has anyone used the "potholder" method of making a quilt out of t-shirts?

I'd like to cut the shirt (front and back) and batting at once into a square, then quilt the single square. Not sure whether to bind each square or not at this point. Then, once I have all the squares ready, I'd like to attach them into the big quilt.

Please send some suggestions of how to connect them nicely. Thank you!

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Edited January 2019

Here is part one. Just wanted to share that it has been an interesting challenge. It’s double sided and has been fun to quilt and then bind each square.

I’m using a zigzag stitch on the black border to attach the squares. The plan is to do the build onto this four square using the Log Cabin technique.

Update: finished

And i can still add more rows!

Answer 1

A traditional potholder quilt would use pre-assembled blocks, with the block edges finished (won't fray) and then sewn together to assemble the quilt.

The blocks can be finished in one of several ways:

• either with strips of fabric, or woven tape;
• bringing the front fabric to the back and over-casting it to the backing;
• by using a knife edge finish

One quilter who has made a potholder quilt suggests first whipstitching on the back, and then finishing with a more decorative stitch.

This is whipstitched on the back connecting all four blocks. Now it’s time to do the decorative stitch. I decided to do a feather stitch with the machine, using a pale yellow thread to tie in with the background color of the squares.

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There's a simpler, probably more modern version of a potholder quilt known as a rag quilt.

Individual same-size blocks are constructed as "sandwiches" (fabric on top and bottom, with batting in between), and then sewn together. The raw edges are left facing out on one side of the quilt, and snipped to encourage fraying.

This works particularly well with flannel fabric, leaving a soft, fuzzy border around each block. I could picture it working with knit fabric like T-shirts, as well.