Daren P

I'm a "budget" quilter. Rarely spend full retail price for quilting cotton. I'm very much into upcycling cotton clothing; mostly men's button-up shirts. I know it's becoming a popular trend to do this and there are several on-line videos demonstrating the different ways people dissemble the shirts to "harvest" the fabric. I've seen some that use rotary cutters and mats and others that use fabric scissors.

My preferred means to cut up shirts is with scissors. Partly because I very seldom do the task at home with access to my rotary cutter and mat. I keep 3 plastic shopping bags in my car along with my tailor's sheers (a high-end pair I invested in about a year ago), a cheap pair of dollar-tree craft scissors, and a small plastic food container with a lid. 1 bag has "unprocessed" shirts, 1 bag is for the cut-off waste, and the third bag is for the harvested fabric. I tend to arrive early most places I go so I sit in my car and make several cuts while I'm waiting.

I don't save any parts of the shirt from which I can't get at least a 2 1/2" square (i.e. collar, cuffs, etc.). I remove the buttons using the cheap scissors so that, if I accidentally clip the button, it doesn't damage the cutting edges of my expensive ones. Buttons go in the small food container. I usually remove the pieces in the same order each time.....collar first, then the yoke, sleeves, front panels (pocket side first), and lastly the back. I roll the harvested fabric into a bundle and tie it with one of the cut-away seams. When the bag of bundles gets full in the car, I take them inside at home to be cut to my needed sizes and used.

Some pointers for thrifting shirts:
1.) Be selective. I stay away from cotton blends and only buy 100% cotton shirts. I only buy colors/prints that work with my current WIP or colors/prints I'm lacking in my stash. I don't buy anything smaller than XL; the only exception being a smaller size in a print or color I absolutely cannot live without.
2.) Look for small, local thrift stores. The national chain thrift stores in my area (i.e. Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.) price their shirts starting at $6.00; however, many of the locally based stores have shirts for as little as $1.00 and often have fill-a-bag sales.
3.) Shop garage/yard sales. If they have a large selection of shirts (or any other useable cotton clothing), I will sometimes ask if the proprietors are willing to negotiate a reduced price if I purchase multiple items. They agree more often than not.

Other items from which to harvest fabric:
*Any 100% cotton clothing (not just men's shirts) made with shirt-type fabric (i.e. sun dresses, pajamas, nightgowns, etc.).
*Bed linens
*Window curtains
*Table cloths

This is probably all common knowledge among most experienced "thrifty" quilters, but some newcomers to the art may be struggling to build their stash at today's exorbitant designer fabric prices. Some of the most beautiful quilts I've ever seen are made from cast-off clothing and household items. I simply love the idea of taking something that would end up in a landfill and using it to create wonderful quilts. If you use any other sources of repurposed fabrics, please post a comment and share!