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Nifty Thrifty:  Making Quilts from Old Clothes  |
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homesteaderbelle
True Blue Farmgirl
391 Posts
Belle
USA
391 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 02:26:17 AM
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I save all of my old clothes that I can not wear anymore for making quilts. A lot good quality fabrics can be saved from old clothes. In fact, I prefer the fabric from old clothing over the high-dollar fabric from the quilt shops.
I have compared the quilts made out of old clothes to the quilts that my mom made with store-bought fabrics, the quilts made with old clothes last so much longer.
I don't know how to post pictures here so I posted them on my blog - http://homesteaderbellesblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/making-quilts-from-old-clothing.html
You all can go read my post and see the pictures of the quilts that I made from old clothes at the link above.
Belle
http://www.homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com/
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 03:58:57 AM
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I love your raggedy quilt. I was just reading in the Prairie Girls Guide to Life about using old clothes to make quilts. I've been saving old jeans to make a jean quilt. I want to embroider the squares. I might try making the raggedy quilt like you did. It's so pretty! How big are your squares?
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 04:22:07 AM
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That is how the old quilts were made, and I have one my grandmother made from her old house dresses. I love to look at it and remember her wearing the dresses. Your wedding ring quilt is really beautiful! I have never made a quilt from old clothes, except once when I helped my daughter make one from old flannel shirts. It is a very neat way to re-use and recycle! Thanks for starting this topic!
Farmgirl Sister # 31
www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 05:10:55 AM
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Beautiful! I have a few yo-yos from a quilt that my great-grandmother made. Most of them were shredded from lack of good care, but the ones I have are very precious. I think that is a wonderful way to be thrifty and show off yoru talents.
Karin
Farmgirl Sister
# 18 :)
www.perfectlittlemiracle.blogspot.com
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Nancy Gartenman
True Blue Farmgirl
9093 Posts
Nancy
West Seneca
New York
USA
9093 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 06:19:09 AM
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Belle,
Love your quilts. Any I have tried to make in the past always look a bit on the wonky side. So I love looking at others that can actually make them.
www.Nancy-Jo.blogspot.com |
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Marybeth
True Blue Farmgirl
6418 Posts
Mary Beth
Stanwood
Wa 98292
USA
6418 Posts |
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rabbithorns
True Blue Farmgirl
544 Posts
Allison
Fort Scott
KS
USA
544 Posts |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 09:38:24 AM
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| My daughter did the sweetest thing with old cloths for her 3 step children. Her husbands first wife died of cancer and left him with 3 small children. When he and my daughter got married, he had not disposed of his late wife's cloths. With his permission, she made each child a quilt using their mother's cloths. I'm sure they will treasur their quilts forever. |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 10:08:42 AM
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| I'm glad you mentioned that you hand-sew on your quilts. I've been wanting to try quilting, but I don't have much experience using a sewing machine. So the hand stitching holds up in the wash? You probably have to use a machine to sew the top and bottom together still, right? |
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homesteaderbelle
True Blue Farmgirl
391 Posts
Belle
USA
391 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 11:34:06 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Amie C.
I'm glad you mentioned that you hand-sew on your quilts. I've been wanting to try quilting, but I don't have much experience using a sewing machine. So the hand stitching holds up in the wash? You probably have to use a machine to sew the top and bottom together still, right?
Hi Amie,
Yes, hand stitching will hold up in the wash. To make my quilts last long lifes, I only wash the quilts when they really need washing. I air my quilts on the line in the summer. Less a quilt is washed the longer a lif it will have.
No, I do not have to use a machine to put the quilt top and bottom together. I can make the whole quilt using only a needle and thread. To make a quilt, a sewing machine is not required for any part of the quilt.
To put the quilt top and bottom together, I hand quilt it. Many people use machines to quilt their quilts. I prefer hand quilting over machine quilting. Hand quilting gives the quilt a whole different feel.
Hand quilting is just taking stitches in and out through the quilt top and bottom. A quilt can be quilted on a quilting frame or a quilt hoop. I think taht I get more done with a quilt hoop because I can sit in bed with it or take it where ever I am sitting, where with a quilt frame, I have to sit where the frame is to quilt, I can't take it where ever I am.
You can also put a quilt top and bottom together by tieing it. To tie a quilt, take a big need and a thread like yarn or embroidery floss (something stronger than regular sewing thread) push the needle through the quilt (all the way through the back) leaving a tail on the top, pull the needle back up through the quilt, and tie the two tails of string in a knot two to three time, continue doing this all over the quilt. Tieing a quilt is much easier and faster to do than quilting. It is really easy to tie a quilt, I can tie a whole quilt in an hour or two. Tieing is a good place to start for a beginner.
Belle
http://www.homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com/
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homesteaderbelle
True Blue Farmgirl
391 Posts
Belle
USA
391 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 11:40:34 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by City Chick
I love your raggedy quilt. I was just reading in the Prairie Girls Guide to Life about using old clothes to make quilts. I've been saving old jeans to make a jean quilt. I want to embroider the squares. I might try making the raggedy quilt like you did. It's so pretty! How big are your squares?
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place
Hi,
I am not sure the measurement of my squares. I will get the mesurements of the squares and let you know.
Raggedy quilts can be made with any size square or really any shape. I made a raggedy quilt a few years ago with all rectangles of different lengths and did a brick style, it was really neat. I put flannel on the back of it.
When making a raggedy quilt, sew all of the seams 1/2 inch seam allowance rather than the usual 1/4. Sewing it with a 1/2 inch seam gives the seams more room to fray out which makes the quilt have a better appearance.
I will check the measuremants of the quilt squares and post it here on this thread.
Belle
http://www.homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com/
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 1:07:04 PM
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| Thanks for the details, belle. I've got a whole bag of old shirts and jeans that I've been saving. I'll have to give it a try soon. |
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Mother Hen
True Blue Farmgirl
604 Posts
Cindy
Peck
ID
USA
604 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 2:49:58 PM
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Belle, how lovely your quilts are. You are a girl after my own heart. When I lived in IL I was really tight on money and wanted to get material to try to make a quilt. I went to yard sales and bought old clothes, towards the end of the sales very, very cheaply. I even have bought old blankets to use between the top and bottom of the quilt. Okay so it isn't quite as thin as a regular quilt, but very warm. I've only made one quilt as of yet. I dare say, I have a lot to learn about quilting!
Cindy
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 34:1 |
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homesteaderbelle
True Blue Farmgirl
391 Posts
Belle
USA
391 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2009 : 7:19:42 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Mother Hen
Belle, how lovely your quilts are. You are a girl after my own heart. When I lived in IL I was really tight on money and wanted to get material to try to make a quilt. I went to yard sales and bought old clothes, towards the end of the sales very, very cheaply. I even have bought old blankets to use between the top and bottom of the quilt. Okay so it isn't quite as thin as a regular quilt, but very warm. I've only made one quilt as of yet. I dare say, I have a lot to learn about quilting!
Cindy
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 34:1
Hi Cindy,
I have also used old blankets for the middle of my quilts, they make a very warm quilt. For the quilts that I want to quilt real pretty and do nice neat stitches I usually do not use the thick old blankets because they are more difficult to wuilt through. I love using old blankets in my tied quilts.
Belle
http://www.homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com/
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misspittypat
True Blue Farmgirl
102 Posts
lila
osceola
mo
USA
102 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2009 : 6:20:50 PM
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Hey girlies --
I purchase matress pads at garage sales/thrift stores and use for the padding in my potholders-- usually $1.00 so you can get a great deal of potholders out them. They also work great for quilt as you go quilts on the machine.
Last winter I made 4 crochet rugs out of discard clothes, sheets and fabric that no one else wanted.
Thats what our gmas and ggmas did and it still works!
Lila |
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happydaze
True Blue Farmgirl
136 Posts
lorraine
atlanta
ni
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2009 : 09:23:52 AM
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| Did you know you can get a girls size 3 dress out of a mans XL shirt? also a short set? I used grandmas old skirts to make all my childrens clothing until they reached about 12. |
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Marcy
True Blue Farmgirl
2701 Posts
Marcy
Tiverton
Rhode Island
USA
2701 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2009 : 09:53:54 AM
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Everything is beautiful. What a great job. I do this also, as well as make teddy bears out of old jeans and such.
Farmgirl #170
Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give...Eleanor Roosevelt |
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jumpingjuliet
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
becky
oroville
CA
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Feb 13 2009 : 2:09:28 PM
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My great grandma had 2 log cabin quilts made out of her wedding coat, Pap's wedding coat, his wedding suit and other articles of clothing. I was the only one she ever told what the quilt was made of. When they were sorting through her stuff I told my uncle to keep them safe because they were so precious. My great aunt is notorious for taking things and selling them off no matter how sentimental they are. He put them away and a few days later she came nosing around for them but she never got to lay eyes on them. If she knew where they were they would mysteriously disappear some day.
I love quilts made out of old clothes. Especially when those clothes are something special and it brings back memories. Someday I would love to try quilting. I would love to use old clothes to make soft comfy quilts.
Toodles,
Becky
WOOOOHOOO!
Farmgirl #429
Gonna get cracking on those badges:D |
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Columbine
Farmgirl in Training
45 Posts
Pat
Plainwell
Michigan
USA
45 Posts |
Posted - Jun 15 2010 : 12:22:31 PM
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Belle, thanks for sharing.... those are beautiful.
quote:
Originally posted by homesteaderbelle
I save all of my old clothes that I can not wear anymore for making quilts. A lot good quality fabrics can be saved from old clothes. In fact, I prefer the fabric from old clothing over the high-dollar fabric from the quilt shops.
I have compared the quilts made out of old clothes to the quilts that my mom made with store-bought fabrics, the quilts made with old clothes last so much longer.
I don't know how to post pictures here so I posted them on my blog - http://homesteaderbellesblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/making-quilts-from-old-clothing.html
You all can go read my post and see the pictures of the quilts that I made from old clothes at the link above.
Belle
http://www.homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com/
The greatest joy in nature is the absence of man.... |
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Nifty Thrifty: Making Quilts from Old Clothes |
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Making Quilts from Old Clothes
