Tuesday, October 11, 2016

31 Days of Repurposing - Quilts from Clothes

 One of my favorite ways to repurpose has been the making of quilts. I haven't worked on one for quite a while but I am really wanting too! Maybe next month I will find some time to do that. Meanwhile looking through some pictures of ones we have made was rather fun for me. Here are some of the odds and ends of quilts that we have made at our house - primarily from clothes that needed repurposing.

 This quilt included fabric folding which was super fun. It was a gift to Ken's sister and husband when they got married.
A baby quilt with a sailing theme.
 The quilt on our bed.
 I guess this picture is before I hand quilted it.
But I did do it. See....
A quilt for Jonathan.

A "raggy" denim quilt.
With flannel on the other side.
A quilt for Aaron. Super simple but it worked. Quilts don't have to be complicated.
Mara's raggy quilt made from sweatshirts.
A courderoy acorn quilt for a neighbor baby.
Bright and busy.
The kids all made quilts to send to Africa.

 Jonathan figuring out the design.
 Quilting can be messy!


 This quilt is still waiting to be finished. It is in the quilting stage (has been in a box since before we moved) and then it needs to be trimmed around the edges.

Do you make quilts? How do you repurpose old cloths?








6 comments:

Marilyn @ MountainTopSpice said...

Wow, am I ever impressed at your quilting, and the fact that you are teaching your children how to quilt as well! You are a woman of many many talents! I would love to quilt, my mother does, but I don't have much time to just sit, and quilt. Maybe someday! I think it is a great way to repurpose clothing though, how awesome is that! Enjoyed your post today :)

Nola said...

I'd love to learn how to do quilts of this type. I have always liked the idea but it seems so expensive. I don't know how I would go about doing it though. Do you have any more info on how to do this kind of quilting? What do you use for the middle?

Nola said...

I meant that traditional quilting seems expensive. Re-using things does not but I don't know how to go about doing it. Also how do you tell if something is worth re-using? A friend of mine used old pyjamas to make a baby quilt and it didn't last well at all. Only a few months of use and it had holes. I guess the fabric was too worn but she didn't really see that until a few more washes.

Cheryl said...

Oh, how pretty! My, these are just so wonderful. I think my favorite one is the one that is ragged denim. I love to quilt, too...I haven't made nearly as many as you, but one thing I plan to work on, Lord willing, is making a quilt from my dear parents' clothes to give to our son. It is a huge project, and I am not sure when I will get started on it, but hopefully God will let me do that one day. Thank you for sharing this lovely post! I love quilts!

Amy and Mark said...

Wow! I love the one with the folded flowers. I have not seen something like that before.

Quilts are so special! My Grandma cross-stitched quilt squares for all of us grandchildren. By the time, my husband and I were married she wasn't able to see well enough to quilt them herself. We took a special trip to Washington, IN (Amish Country) and were able to have some Amish ladies finish the quilt for us. It was wonderful to take the special trips there with Grandma and to learn more about the Amish culture. Now that she has entered the Life Eternal, I am most thankful for the memories of making the quilt!

Abbi said...

Thanks to all of you for your kind words!
To answer some questions - I have used old worn blankets for the inside at times or I do sometimes buy the quilt batting. Sheets can often be found economically to put on the back. You do want to check material out well to make sure it isn't too worn to use. I would suggest trying to tear it to see if it seems rotten or not. All fabric will tear somewhat (in fact with cotton fabric many seamstresses will use that method instead of cutting - they just tear it down the grain) but it shouldn't seem rotten. Just look it over well too to see if it is really thin. All quilts can wear out quickly if treated roughly - even ones made from new fabric - so being gentle helps. Denim quilts are great if you want something that is a little more sturdy.

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