I often hit the thrift store when they are having a bag sale (what ever you can fit in a bag for $5) and I just check tags to make sure they are 100% cotton- and appeal to me- i take them home, throw them into the laundry, get them washed & dried- then i deconstruct....remove all buttons, cut away cuffs, collar, plackets- pockets- sometimes seams- then i lay out the 'usable' fabric and either fold it up as is or cut it into specific squares, strips and put it in my stash- when i need a particular color, print, fabric i take it out & use it....recycled fabrics for me are just rounding out the stash fabrics.