QuiltE

Thanks everyone!! ... some good inspiration and food for thought.

Probably the idea that attracts me the most is using the suits to make totes and purses. Re-using the different parts "as is" is intriguing for design effect. Could be a fun twist to include, for the look as well as functional purpose.

Also, I can see pillows/cushions being made with the recognizable parts too.

Some extra links that I found, that some of you may be interested in .......

https://taunieverett.com/old-suit-new-bag-a-tutorial/
https://www.instructables.com/Suit-Clutch/
https://weallsew.com/how-to-upcycle-...into-a-pillow/
https://www.asg.org/suitability-repurposing-suits/

Unfortunately the suits that I have are very plain and dark. Oh how I'd love to have some more colourful or checked ones to work with in these projects. That'd be so much more enticing. I don't think I'll be rushing into this project ... but one never knows!

And of course, if you have more info and/or links to add ... please do!
Thanks again!

thimblebug6000

QuiltE, years ago I took a navy pinstripe vest from a man’s suit, and used different coloured threads and did some fancy stitches from my machine, in between the pinstripes, it turned out cute, and I wore it for a long time. (I did not deconstruct the vest) Maybe you could “pretty” your plain suits up with some extra stitching? Or embroidery by hand or machine before using them in totes?

QuiltE

Oh I like that!! Thanks Thimblebug!!

I had already been thinking that I wished I had some of the ties from this same gentleman. I can see mixing ties with the suit materials for some colour and decor trim. Only problem, they were pretty plain, bland, drab. Nor do I have access to his ties. Being somewhat of a "purist" when it comes to this sort of thing, nor will I use someone else's ties. Fabric from my stash, yes.

Maybe the tie idea someone else can pick up on??
But the embroidery, oh yes I'm latching onto that!!

Stitchnripper

Years ago I was in a quilt shop in Pennsylvania and they had on display a quilt made with suiting fabric interspersed with designer/decorator fabric, not quilting cotton. Some of the fabric was "shiny", some was velvet and some was brocade type. There were decorative stitches through the centers of some of the blocks in contrasting thread. It was not a proportional quilt as in the squares were not the same sizes nor did they all match up like in rows and columns. The backing was some kind of nubby "fleece" but definitely not polar fleece. The woman who made it said she was working up a pattern but she never did. I came across a lot of samples of mens suiting fabric already cut into squares. I started collecting remnants of designer/decorator fabric. I still have that project but haven't worked on it. The original one was stunning. Not something I think would ever be used on a bed, but, maybe hung, or draped on a chair. Sometimes mens suits have moth holes, etc and not always wearable. I would think with proper cleaning it could be used in a project. Mine couldn't be used for much of anything else. Now that we are chatting about it, I will go look for that project.

KalamaQuilts

mentioning vests, reminded me I used to make and sell these,

QuiltE

KalamaQuilts .... Great work there on the vest. I bet they sold quite easily for you.

The background quilt too is a beauty. Scrappy but sure doesn't look it!
Could you please show us a full view of it? I promise not to drool all over it!
Please? Pretty Please?

KalamaQuilts

you can drool, it really is a beauty, if I you are a scrappy lover. When I cared for my mother who had dementia it was impossible to think. so I set up my sewing machine by her chair and made string blocks. This was about 2015. I love this quilt so much I started a similar one this month using black based strings.
basic instructions: cut a 3" square on the diagonal. run a string across the long side, then surround the other 2 edges..
I place my ruler so my 1" mark is square with the neutral and trim. (ruler slid in the scanner but yuou get the idea. ) then I add strings across the bottom and trim again, mine to 4". You can ofcourse start with any size block. I call this one Dementia Part Duex as I also cared for my FIL, but he like to go for drives, I put 1000's of miles on my car over 3 years

edited to add the 1/2 sq blocks were leftover from other projects, and the reverse side is a bonnie hunter mystery.