I was looking at some of my clothes the other day thinking I need to get the scissors after them!

Those Dr. Seuss flannel pj's that I don't wear, for example........

:?

I have done it!! I even bought a few really big mens shirts at a thrift store and took them apart to use.I say if you don't wear it and you can use it in your quilting...go for it!!

Ditter

All the time. Well, usually it's "I have fabric that matches that"

I used to think I would use some of my husband's old cowboy shirts in a quilt, but now I am glad I got rid of them because I don't want him finding them again and thinking he could still get some life out of them!

I have put clothes that I no longer wear in my stash and I've purchased clothes from thrift stores because I liked the fabric. Our thrift store sell a brown grocery bag of clothes for $3, that can be a lot of fabric

I too look at mens shirts.

My sister passed away in July, and today I was clearing out her closet. I was thinking fabric and buttons with each piece I bagged for the Salvation Army. The only thing that kept me from getting my scissors out was that most still had tags on them. :(

Actually I just made a quilt out of old jeans. My dad requested a quilt made out of old jeans so I did it for him. I mixed the denim with bright batiks. It turned out pretty cool.

That sounds really cool! Can you post a pic? :)

I'm so very sorry for your loss :-( Cleaning out the closet must have been a difficult job.

Today I was at the dentist and the hygienist was wearing a shirt (you know the kind of shirt that nurses wear now-a-days with all of the cute "I Spy" patterns) and when I saw it I immediately thought "Wow! I love that fabric for my "I Spy quilts!!" :-D

I do it all the time, after all it's the true pioneer way
of doing it and women of long lost yesterday had no money are means to go out and buy new fabric, they used what
fabric they could buy to make there cloths and then once the cloths had served there purpose they cut them up for quilts, so I do this as well, as I figure some of there quilts are still around then maybe mine will be some day as well :}

Where's the pictures? We like pictures!! :-P

not my clothes (i like them too much) but DH always has to watch out.

My DH went shopping the other day for new shirts for himself. He came home and while trying to hide the bags he said, "nothing" meaning that he didn't buy anything. I went over to the bag, looked in and said, "FABRIC!" He said, "NO, shirts!"
O.k. I really didn't want to use that one for a quilt, so he is safe --- this time.

I see potential in so many things.. that tablecloth from Aunt Betsy, oh that shirt that looks hideous on the rack wouldnt that make a great... and thrift stores? OMG the greatest place to sneak some cool fabric finds in that NO one will be having in their projects so you know yours will be unique. Love that. I think we arent supposed to be telling everyone. At least the odd unite here!

i do that too, or look at tile/linolium and think quilt block?
yup, been there done that ALOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://quiltville.com/index.html

Bonnie Hunter has written a great book, now another coming out, and has a whole method for cutting up and repurposing jeans, flannel shirt, pj's, whatever! She pretty much ONLY used stuff like this! Take at look at some of her quilts~beautiful! gorgeous!
and it is the way it was originally done and costs almost no money!

I took some of my husband's old blue jeans and made a quilt for his grandson. I used an old world map in blues for the back. In the center I kept one of the Levi's pockets w/the tab. His grandson would put things in the pocket and loved it.
Sandra

This is a good topic. A fellow co-worker had this dress that I just loved the color combination. I always told her if she was going to get rid of the dress to please give it to me, I would like to make a quilt with that color combination.

Well last year she was cleaning out her closet and she brought the dress to me. She is a senior lady who no longer works here, since b-4 christmas she was let go like I am about to be, anyway I plan to make her a lap quilt out of the colors.

I've been doing that to try to start a stash ... using my father's old flannel shirts and collecting old blue jeans from people at work to make a "raggy" jeans/flannel quilt.

I also see patterns everywhere. I know a guy at work thinks I'm nuts because I was taking a picture of the floor of the elevator when the door opened and he was standing there. I told him ... I'm going to do the pattern into a quilt ... his look didn't change, just a strange sort of smile/stare that I know means he thinks I'm a little 'off' LOL

I also see patterns everywhere.

Sharon, I was wondering if anyone else sees things differently as I do. Glad to know I'm not alone

I cut up a pair of DH's lounge pants once, they were just the right shade of blue that i was looking for. LOL

I will...I have to get some pictures of it when I visit my dad at the end of this month. Can you believe I forgot to take pictures! I was so frustrated with the thing by the end I totally forgot.

I have. Use the buttons too.

As for using your husband's old shirts, that reminds me of some of
my own, late husband's favorite Hawaiian shirts. Brilliant and, truthfully,
too loud to wear anywhere except when visiting Hawaii.

After he died and I was cleaning out his closet, I made a baby quilt for
a great grandchild with them. Bright, cheerful and usable for many years.
Just the thing for the child to be told he had a nice Grandpa.

I save my husband's aloha shirts after quickly taking them apart before he fishes them back out of the rag bag. Lisa Boyer has some great patterns using Hawaiian fabric.

I've done it. And not just to my own clothes. I fairly regularly visit the Goodwill Thrift stores for fabric. Example, for Christmas most of the girls on my list got billfolds made from really scrumptious suede fabric. What they don't know is that I bought a dress and matching jacket at Goodwill.

It seems that my size keeps edging up, so instead of giving my silk blouses to goodwill, I use them to do crazy patch quilt squares.

I saved all my mom's shirts when she passed and I am now using them to make quillows for all her grandchildren.

that all i use to used were dresses and shirts to me it makes good quilts fer the winter

My daughter took all her father in laws shirts after he passed away and had me help her make a King size quilt for her mother in law. She gave it to her for christmas.

I am SO glad that I'm not the only one whose brain works like this! LOL I just cut up a dress to be used in a quilt someday. I haven't gone thrift store shopping for fabric YET... but it's on the agenda! I also have done a couple of jean blankies, and plan on doing more. I have gotten more jeans given to me, of course a lot of them I only get a couple of good swatches, but still, ask and you shall receive :)

I'm currently looking at my old Sag Harbor wool blazers that I can no longer wear because my girth has widened.

I think they would make a nice "manly" quilt.

Such a shame I can't wear these anymore, but after 4 years of not being able to...

All the time. I've been known to buy lots of dresses and skirts, when the thrift store is having a sale, before we moved, I went through them all and decided that I would donate them to the Humane Society, since I really have plenty of fabric, although I'm not against getting more, but dh says I'm on restriction for buying fabric.LOL

I just went to the thrift store today and came home with 20
yd's of fabric in several colors and 10 nice blankets to use as batting and two nice table cloths to cut up and two cute scrub tops to cut up and all for thirty bucks and my daughters MIL. gave me a lawn bag full of Fabric yesterday, I just adore that sweet lady. So now I have a pretty good stash going and it hasn't cost me a arm and a leg either to do it, I'm a Happy Quilter today for sure. :D

Unique....that's what I like about foraging for fabric..and free or cheap is a sweetener. I too see patterns and shapes that inspire my quilting....my husband paints (when he can) and I really want to make a quilt inspired by his market scene he did a couple of years ago. And of course, the amazing Vincent (my favourite painting of his is my avatar)....definitely quiltworthy.

Yes, it's an excellent idea. Have you checked out www.quiltville.com? Bonnie is an avid believer in using clothing for quilt scraps, she even has tutorials on how to disassemble a shirt, etc. for quilts.
Kind Regards,
MaryAnna

I always check the buttons on old clothing for something unique. I also buy clothing at local thrift store during their $___ a bag sale and pick up old clothing made from cuordory (different wales ?? spelling), velvets, unique embroidered or appliqued items, etc to use in crazy quilts. You can get some neat stuff for crazy quilts by doing this. And some of the folks have posted some real neat memory quilts on this site made from family's clothing such as ones who passed away or their kids clothing when they were growing up for off to college quilt, etc.

When I first started quilting (as a single mom) I would buy mens shirts at yard sales/thrift stores to build some "stash". You can get quite a few pieces from a long sleeve. I've always wanted to do a flannel quilt and will probably do it this way so I could get large variety. :)

YES!!!!!!!! i do that all the time :thumbup: seriously, i was putting together log cabin strips and my little brother says "that fabric looks very familiar" it's also a green way to add to the stash.