Free T-Shirt Quilt Designer
Photograph your shirts, give each design its own size, and the auto-layout packs them into balanced rows — then print the pattern with stabilizer instructions, cutting chart, and assembly steps. Free, no signup, photos stay on your device.
Updated August 2026 · Works on phones — photograph shirts straight into the layout
Photograph each shirt's design (flat, straight-on works best) and add them here — the layout builds itself and re-balances every time you change a size.
Odd sizes are the whole problem — and the point
A concert tee's back print, a pocket crest, a toddler onesie — memory quilts start with designs that refuse to be the same size, and forcing them into equal squares crops what you're trying to keep. Row-based packing with spacers is how professionals solve it: every panel keeps its size, every seam stays straight, and the quilt still squares up. This designer does that packing for you and re-balances every time you change a size.
How it works
- 1Photograph each shirt. Lay each shirt flat and photograph the design straight-on. Add up to 30 photos — they stay on your device.
- 2Set each panel's size. Give every design the finished size it deserves — small crests small, big back prints big. The layout re-packs instantly.
- 3Pick width and sashing. Choose the quilt width and the sashing size and colors; rows balance themselves with background spacers.
- 4Print the pattern. Stabilizer instructions, per-panel cut sizes with seam allowances, row-by-row assembly, and backing/batting/binding.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a t-shirt quilt with different size designs?
Row by row. Give each shirt panel its own size (a pocket logo might be 6 inches, a big back print 16), and the designer packs them into rows of matching heights with background spacers filling the gaps — every seam stays straight. That's exactly how professional memory-quilt makers handle odd sizes, and the generated pattern gives you each panel's cut size and the row-by-row assembly order.
Do t-shirts need stabilizer for a quilt?
Yes — this is the single most important step. T-shirt knit stretches; sewn raw it ripples and waves. Fuse lightweight woven interfacing to the back of every shirt before cutting. The printed pattern puts this step first with the fuse-then-trim method.
How many t-shirts do I need for a quilt?
Roughly 12 shirts makes a small throw, 20 a generous throw, and 30 a twin — but it depends on panel sizes, which is why this designer shows the finished quilt size live as you add shirts and adjust sizes. The companion How Many T-Shirts calculator gives quick estimates before you start cutting.
Is this t-shirt quilt designer really free?
Yes — the layout tool, the auto-packing, and the full printed pattern (stabilizer instructions, cutting chart with seam allowances, assembly steps, backing/batting/binding) are free with no signup. Your shirt photos stay on your device.
Keep going
- How Many T-Shirts Do I Need? — quick estimates before you cut
- Backing Calculator — for the finished size you just designed
- Modern Quilt Studio — freeform design with negative space
- Quilt Designer — block-grid quilts with a full printable pattern