I have the opportunity to get dozens of dress shirts before they hit the trash at someone's home. Looking for opinions...is it worth the effort of cutting these up (I know...that's the ONLY way they used to make quilts!), or should I just work out of my stash for the rest of my life??? :roll: anyone have a good plan for shirt squares??

Cut them up and use them. My first quilt came from clothing, that was 15 years ago and I still use the quilt in the RV and I love it still.

If the fabric is good, used it. Cost of fabric is getting so expensive it is necessary to recycle. In the past sewing was usually done reusing fabric.

I guess my opinion is this...if these shirts are still useable and could be worn by someone in need, I'd donate them to Goodwill. If they are cotton and have holes or stains that make them landfill worthy, then cut away!

I cut up my late husbands shirts and I am going to make a quilt. It is really a decision that you have to make. I would look at them and see what I could make, then decide.

Grab them and decide later.
At one of our QuiltGuy retreats one of the attendees had cut up his shirts into 5" squares. Made a great quilt.
solids, plaids, stripes together were great. You can always use the fabric to make donation quilts.

The top photo is a quilt top I was asked to make from a friends father's flannel shirts. He was tragically killed a few days before Christmas almost 2 years ago. The shirts were either new, or so thread bare from many days hard work.. The bottom photo is the backing flannel , but the binding is sewn from his old hankerchiefs ( bandana's ) that I cut into long strips, and then sewn end to end.. A memory quilt that my friends family will always treasure.. Very humbling to cut up a part of someones life, such as these 32 flannel shirts.

Absolutely, cutting up clothes in good condition is a perfect way to save money and end up with a unique quilt.

Yes! If nothing else, they can be used as backing. Waste not want not!!

http://thethriftyquilter.blogspot.co...e-thrifty.html

Check out cutting directions here!