Iceblossom

As we go further into our quilting careers or if we start via classes, we get pretty fussy about using 100% cottons of appropriate weaves and weights. But the thrifty quilter of yesterday did indeed put all sorts of things together for "use" or "wash" quilts because warm beats cold any winter night of the year.

I would consider using a light weight batiste or muslin, something pretty cheap and flimsy (but prewash first!). Cut squares that fit your post-washed light weight fabric, so 42"+ wide would be awesome to cut into 10.5" squares. You could also use a worn sheet for the foundation.

There are many videos and books about crazy quilt techniques, that or a string sort of technique is what would probably work best.

I made an "Ugly Tie" quilt that I made from ties I got in bundles at the thrift store or the last resort of the "Buy the Pound" shop. I was really wanting to use the big wide textured poly ties from the mid-late 70s. I gutted and washed the ties in small batches (ties can be really disgustingly dirty!) and then I shook them up in a black plastic garbage bag. Without looking I grabbed 10 ties and put them in a brown paper lunch sack. I did not know what was in each paper bag until it was time to make the crazy block and I had to use some of it.

The ladies in the quilt guild didn't know what to make of it, but a lot of men were looking at it and my son loved it. Used it and washed it hard, so here it is, well after it's prime -- but who would have guessed that the hand painted stag would still look so good?

Edit: You can see the white background fabric where the fabrics didn't last it's really funny some of the ones that shredded out were ones I thought would last, and some that I thought were iffy will apparently outlast an atomic bomb! And I guess that's a doe with branches and not a stag.