great buy at thrift store???
 

Hi all... I'm making a denim rag quilt for niece's fund raiser... used DH's old woven shirts, but ran short, so went to local thrift store and found several beautiful 100% cotton shirts to use. ALSO found a lovely woven Rayon/Acrylic fabric (a ladies suit)... it said "dry clean only", but I washed and dried it with no ill effects... I know I shouldn't use it with cottons (I think), but could it be used in a rag quilt? in a Christmas throw that wouldn't see much use? It would make a great shepherd's coat...

So, my question is... can I/should I use this material????

You can use anything your heart desires. Rayon takes colors so well, I'm planning a throw with simple squares from my old skirts. I'd also like it in the windows of a mock Cathedral Windows quilt.

Yes, I say go ahead and use it!

I do very well with buying shirts at thrift stores. There is nothing like putting Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger shirts in a quilt.. At $2.50- $3.00 the quality is great..

I buy all kinds of material at the different thrift stores, I use in quilts but also to try out patterns to see how they look. It's easier to let go of $3.00 instead of $11.00.sew for sanity

I was at my favorite thrift store today. There is a roll of 3 or 4 yards of heavy weight lighter blue denim for 6.00. I have no use for denim so I left it there.

Thanks everyone!! Sometimes it is just nice to get a little confirmation!! Barri1, there is definitely a difference between the higher end shirts and the others... they are woven cleanly... so easy to cut up :-D

I thought I was substituting today, but just found out I'm not... headed straight to the sewing machine!!!

The thrift store I go to is a for profit place. They buy there stuff from places that we donate to. They also have stuff that stores donate.. The Brooks Brothers shirt was new.. I also bought flannel sheets that were high end, and new.. I have to get there early on their sale days, or everything is gone.. People buy stuff to send to their countries..

You're doing the work and the designing-------------use it if you think it's okay to wash.

I"ve used rayon more than once with cotton or poly cotton.

but, but, but.................oh, my heart hurts!

Keep an eye out for rummage sales, too. Often you can buy a paper grocery bag full of stuff for $5---or sometimes less on the last day. You can put one heck of a lot of shirts in one paper bag. I can put 10 pair of jeans/slacks in one bag. Carefully roll each item very tightly and place in the bag in the manner that best takes advantage of the bag shape. I never counted shirts, but I bet you can easily put 20 in one $5 bag!

I will definitely try this!! Thanks!!

I have bought clothing at the thrift to use as fabric, and I have even bought clothing just for the buttons or trim when the price is right. But . . . I have never thought of the clothing at rummage sales! Duh lol

just the other weekend . went to the flea market. looked around awhile. and didnt see anything . so i was walking back to the truck. my eye caught a bin of fabric . so i walked on over and started looking threw it and seen some usable fabric. there was three huge bins of fabric. brimmining over.. the man came over and said 10 dollars for all. but wants to keep the bins.. that fabric came home with me.i went threw it and i tell you i have lots to go threw still. that was last weekend..when i got it. so story goes any fabric will sew or quilt something.:thumbup:

Mens shirts are great if you want plaids too.. I have used scrub shirts in novelty prints for childrens things. Skirts have a lot of fabric in them .. And the little short shirts I use to pass up with the neat little prints on them I have started buying to make purses out of. I have always loved thrift stores , I love the hunt. :) I haven't tried rayon though I usually try to go for all cotton. That will be next on the list

what is a sheperd's coat mentioned in first thread??????

I would have bought it. There is no way I could have left it there. I would have found a use for it or gifted it to someone. I see denim rag quilts in my head.

I just made a rag quilt and several rag pillows out of my Mom's clothing (she passed away last year). They were all types of fabrics - knits, rayon, poly, cotton, you name it - and all washed and dried perfectly. No issues at all. So I would say, go ahead and use the fabric in your rag quilts, they will be lovely!

OH NO! You left it? I would love to get a hold of it. I make lots of denim quilts & sold several. They are a big seller in this area as they are so warm.

You can get a heck of a bunch more. Even if shirts are individually priced, they are seldom over a dollar, unless it's a really nice shirt.

That would be my vision, too!

WTG! I love looking----------then using. But of course, I've got more than enough here to use.

I'm sorry! I left it because I didn't think anyone would want to pay for the shipping. If someone wants it I will stop by tomorrow and get it. It is probably still there since it is such a big horkin' roll of denim.

With the rag quilts, you need fabric that will fray. I have used various fabrics and most of them frayed. I bought 18 or 19 pairs of jeans at a thrift store for rag quilts for my great-grandkids. They worked up great. Every other square was bright printed fabric. The kids loved them. One pair of jeans was my size, so I got a bonus.

Outside of knits of all sorts, most fabrics will fray---------at least all wovens.

I'd love it, but I won't pay for postage. Denim is way to heavy

I'm piecing a quilt with a shepherd and sheep... It's from an Art-to-Heart book by Nancy Halvorsen. The Star of Wonder book. The quilt is a lap size... has a shepherd on the left side and 7 sheep with 1 heading the opposite direction of the others... a reflection of how the shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to look for the 1...