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Free T-Shirt and Memory Quilt Designer

Photograph the clothes you want to keep, from T-shirts and dress shirts to baby clothes, jeans, and ties. Give each piece its own size, and the auto-layout packs them into balanced rows. Then print the pattern with prep for each garment, a cutting chart, and sewing steps. Free, no signup, and your photos stay on your device.

Updated October 2026 · Works on phones and iPads, so you can photograph garments straight into the layout

1. Add your garments

T-shirt: starts at 12″ × 12″. Fuse lightweight fusible interfacing to the back of the design before cutting it to size.

Lay each garment flat and photograph the part you want to keep, straight on. You can mix T-shirts, dress shirts, baby clothes, jeans, and more in one quilt. Choose what you're adding first, and the layout builds itself.

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

  1. 1Add your garments. Choose what you're adding (T-shirts, dress shirts, baby clothes, jeans, and more), then lay each piece flat and photograph it straight on. Add up to 48 photos. They stay on your device.
  2. 2Check each piece. Each kind of garment starts at a sensible size. Change any piece's size or name; small crests can stay small and big back prints big.
  3. 3Arrange the quilt. Choose the quilt width, sashing, and colors. Rows balance themselves with background spacers, and small pieces can be grouped into blocks.
  4. 4Print. The pattern has prep for each garment, cut sizes with seam allowances, row-by-row sewing, and backing, batting, and binding. There's also an approval sheet to print for the person the quilt is for.

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.

Can I mix t-shirts, dress shirts, and baby clothes in one memory quilt?

Yes. Tell the designer what each piece is (T-shirt, dress shirt, baby clothes, jeans, necktie, hoodie, or something else). Each kind starts at a sensible size, and the printed pattern gives you the prep steps for every kind you used. Stabilize the stretchy knits, like T-shirts, onesies, and sweatshirts, before you cut them.

Do dress shirts need stabilizer in a memory quilt?

Usually not. Dress shirts and button-downs are woven, so they don't stretch the way T-shirts do. If the shirting is very thin, a lightweight fusible interfacing on the back gives it more body. Stitch a button placket closed before cutting, and take off any buttons that would land in a seam.

How do I use baby clothes in a quilt?

Baby clothes give small pieces, so plan small panels, often 6 or 8 inches. Most onesies and sleepers are knits, so fuse lightweight interfacing to the back first. Very small pieces, about half the height of your tallest panel or less, can be stacked into one block with "Group small pieces" so each keeps its own size; a quilt of all baby clothes simply uses small panels throughout.

Can I put jeans in a memory quilt?

Yes. Denim is heavy, so use a denim or jeans needle, keep thick seams and rivets out of the seam allowances, and press seams open to cut down on bulk. The designer uses the usual quarter-inch seam allowance for every piece.

I'm making a memory quilt for someone else. Can they approve the layout?

Yes. Once your layout is set, print the approval sheet. It has the layout picture, a numbered list of pieces, room for notes, and a line to sign and date.

How many garments for each quilt size

Each kind of garment gives a different number of panels, so each has its own size chart, worked out with this designer's layout math, plus the prep that kind of fabric needs.

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