Rodney

I've had a moratorium lately on visiting thrift stores while we try to get our budget troubles sorted out. Mostly I've been good but I decided to stop into a couple today "just to look". Yeah, Right.
At our local Goodwill I found nothing I couldn't live without. They had 1 semi-old (1980s?) Singer sewing machine that really didn't do much for me and that was about it.

There's another thrift store in the same parking lot. Growing Places. It's a thrift store that benefits troubled local teens. They have two stores in the Centralia/Chehalis area and a farm where they raise plants and produce to sell. I think they're a very good cause, we have plenty of troubled teens around here. They were also 50% off today.

I found a Singer Professional buttonholer for slant shank zigzag machines with a bag of vintage class 66 bobbins and assorted slant shank feet in it. I was mainly after the bobbins. We have 4 machines here that use the bobbins. There's also a couple needle plates. I haven't checked to see if they fit our Touch & Sews or a different machine. I haven't sorted it all out yet but one was a darning foot. The price: $2.50 after the discount. I'm pretty excited, the bobbins alone were worth that to me. Now I just have to tell my wife I went shopping...

I do have a question. I've heard of people using old blankets for batting. Goodwill did have a few that looked like they would work. I think they're emergency blankets. I don't think I'd give someone a quilt made that way but I'm not picky for my own use. Has anyone here done that and what did you think of the finished quilt?
Rodney

SteveH

I have no experience with this a quilting batting, but we use 100% wool blankets as the batting in gambesons (under armor padding in the medieval recreation groups)

They breath very very well. (We wash them a couple of times in HOT water advance to pre-shrink them and to remove any "treatments" done to them.

Mrs. SewNSew

I was laughing with you the whole time Rodney! It was only $2.50, so hopefully you aren't in too much trouble! LOL! I love finding a bargain and that was a good one!

Glenn

Rodney, my grandmother used old blankets as batting for her quilts and they were just fine and very warm. Once she hand quilted them no one knew the diff.
Skip

Rodney

Thanks guys! I just might find my way back there and give it a try. The cheap sob in me has a hard time passing up anything that resembles a bargain.
Rodney

quilts4charity

I've used blankets for batting, they make very warm quilts!!!

pocoellie

We've used old blankets in quilts that we've donated, they work fine, are much cheaper than batting and we've never had a problem. We've also made quilts with double knit poly fabrics that were donated to the local homeless shelter for men, they wear like iron, are warm and washable and the men appreciate them.

Sandra in Minnesota

Churches in Minnesota sew quilts for the homeless and use good warm old blankets for batting. A lot of them end up under a bridge, so washing never seems to be a problem.

quiltingcandy

Living in Southern California we don't need wool blankets - but I remember my mom telling me there were a lot of left over wool blankets when she was a little girl (not sure where she said they came from) but the wool was scratchy so her grandmother made quilts using them as batting. It was great because they were heavy and the extra weight made it wonderful to snuggle under.

Dottie Bug

I have an old army wool blanket that I put flannel over it so its not scratchy, makes a good camping blanket.... DottieBug