Sport Jersey Quilt and Display
It took a lot of sweat and perseverance to get that jersey and medal…so why not keep it around and display this Sport Jersey Quilt?! Almost everyone has a collection of shirts from various sports and destinations. The variety of colours, graphics and typography are awesome and make great wall art. This DIY only needs basic sewing skills and hangs quite easily. Go ahead; show off a bit… or just keep warm!
If you are a runner you know you are going to get a shirt and a medal afterward… And that ear to ear grin of making it through yet another marathon however long or short. Before you know it, there’s a whole pile of sports jerseys…
Making the Squares:
In my t-shirt quilt design each square is 12.5″ x 12.5″ (I used a quilt template but you can make your own out of cardboard). The seam allowance of 1/4″ leaves each square at 12″. A rotary cutter makes great quick straight cuts and the template keeps the fabric steady. Since these were ‘jersey’ fabric which is quite stretchy, I cut equal squares of broadcloth to back each square as a stabilizer. It will depend on your fabric, but I find the more stable, the better the squares are going to align later on. Sew the broadcloth to each square just shy of the 1 /4″ seam allowance.
You can really mix whatever you have and even add some squares of patterned fabric. Variety is the key. This was my first trial placement of all the patches…
I ended up making sure the white squares were placed more randomly. And as you know it, my pup always thinks it’s a new blanket for him!
It is especially nice to have a border of some matching colour. I used 2″ strips (1.5″ after 1/4″ seam allowances) of a mottled black/grey. It doesn’t really have a discernible pattern so stripping it is quite forgiving.
First add the short strips between each square to work across one row. Once the row is joined, then the strips can be sewn along the edges of the rows and rows joined.
Once you have the squares joined to a size that you like (mine is 5 squares x 6 squares) you will need to add the filling and backing. In order the have less seaming on the backing you may consider using a bed-sheet for the backing.
Adding the Batting:
Treat it like making a large pillow.
Lay the pieced panel and backing fabric with the right sides together on top of your choice of batting and pin. Sew with the back side of the panels on top to be able to see the border. Leave one section open to be able to turn it inside-out.
Turn it and use a pointed object like scissors to poke out the corners carefully.
Hand-stitch the opening closed.
Lay it out on the floor or large table to do the tying. Smooth it out nicely and flatten. Using a round needle (but not totally necessary) tie at the corners to stabilize the batting in place. I like to use yarn as it gives it a rustic look and keeps the knots well. I used the same method here. There’s also options to have it machine quilted at a shop that has large long-arm automated machines.
To make display hanging easier and also allow use as a quilt sometimes, use curtain ring clips to hang it. They are available in many colours and sizes.
Standard curtain rods make a great hanging pole for the sport jersey quilt since they come with all the necessary brackets and are width adjustable.
It also allows the medals to be strung between the rings. This is a great gift for an athlete and could even work for uniforms & hockey jerseys. All the logos are wonderful art examples and are a wonderful way to bring back lots of memories.
Awesome job! I love the graphics. Quilts on a wall also do a great job in absorbing noise too. Maybe it could just be your collection from your favorite team, softball jerseys,
Why not pop those run-bibs in a frame as well. It’s all about accomplishment… Maybe your teammates will be jealous.
Upcycle + accomplishments + sewing = awesome wall-art! Win-win. Pull those garments (t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, anything with advertising )out of the back of the closet and make a sport jersey quilt. These are much like memory quilts; you can use whatever number of shirts you’d like. These athletic t-shirt quilts
Hello, I was wanting to have a blanket made with all of my daughter’s old soccer jerseys over the years. Is this something that you can do?
I just do not have the time to do custom work. Perhaps there is a local quilter’s guild that could take on the project as it is quite simple. Even a seamstress should be able to do it! It would be a nice first sewing project as well…