I have the opportunity to get dozens of dress shirts before they hit the trash at someone's home. Looking for opinions...is it worth the effort of cutting these up (I know...that's the ONLY way they used to make quilts!), or should I just work out of my stash for the rest of my life??? :roll: anyone have a good plan for shirt squares??

Cut them up and use them. My first quilt came from clothing, that was 15 years ago and I still use the quilt in the RV and I love it still.

If the fabric is good, used it. Cost of fabric is getting so expensive it is necessary to recycle. In the past sewing was usually done reusing fabric.

I guess my opinion is this...if these shirts are still useable and could be worn by someone in need, I'd donate them to Goodwill. If they are cotton and have holes or stains that make them landfill worthy, then cut away!

I cut up my late husbands shirts and I am going to make a quilt. It is really a decision that you have to make. I would look at them and see what I could make, then decide.

Grab them and decide later.
At one of our QuiltGuy retreats one of the attendees had cut up his shirts into 5" squares. Made a great quilt.
solids, plaids, stripes together were great. You can always use the fabric to make donation quilts.

The top photo is a quilt top I was asked to make from a friends father's flannel shirts. He was tragically killed a few days before Christmas almost 2 years ago. The shirts were either new, or so thread bare from many days hard work.. The bottom photo is the backing flannel , but the binding is sewn from his old hankerchiefs ( bandana's ) that I cut into long strips, and then sewn end to end.. A memory quilt that my friends family will always treasure.. Very humbling to cut up a part of someones life, such as these 32 flannel shirts.

Absolutely, cutting up clothes in good condition is a perfect way to save money and end up with a unique quilt.

Yes! If nothing else, they can be used as backing. Waste not want not!!

http://thethriftyquilter.blogspot.co...e-thrifty.html

Check out cutting directions here!

Love that site, quiltinghere! And check this one out. One of my personal favorites: http://quiltville.com/scrapsandshirttailspreview.shtml
Grab those shirts!

I just got this book and love it! Lots of great quilt ideas to use.
And I would say take the shirts!!! I have been buying shirts at Goodwill, Salvation Army and yard sales to make quilts with for Christmas presents.

Billie Lauder did that a lot on t.v. I wouldn't cut near the arm holes though, perspiration stains. otherwise, if the fabric is in good shape, go for it.

What is the condition of them? If they were throwing them away instead of donating them to goodwill, they may not be worth the time and effort.

Shirts-no. I have cut up our discarded jeans to make a rag quilt! Backed with flannel it is sooooo warm.

I did a denim backed throw with men's workshirts for hubby. He loves it. It makes the perfect "man" quilt because he picked out all the shirts to begin with so it's in his colors.

The shirts are all going to be pre-shrunk so you'll want to pre-wash the backing and possibly even the batting.

I would say go for it.

I found some large cotton dresses at a garage sale and loved the fabric, so I bought them (for fifty cents!) and cut them up. I was surprised at how much usable fabric there was from these dresses. I also got two of my grandfather's flannel shirts after he died and I made my brother a quilt for christmas with some squares of this plaid flannel and my brother loved it!

i buy shirts and all cotton dresses, skirts etc at goodwill all the time. cut them up and have used them in several projects. made one simple block quilt - using just 6 in blocks cut from the shirts to make a lap quilt - used smaller pieces for binding. because didn't want to spend a lot of money on it - used an old quilted mattress pad for batting and old sheet for back. it is my daughers fav quilt I think - she says it is so soft and comfy - i think b/c the shirts were washed so much and are really soft feeling. i now have a huge stack of 6" blocks cut from men's shirts and am going to make a quilt with it for my son in law for xmas - figure will be more "manly" than a quilt with floral prints.

There is a need for quilts for older boys in foster care. These might be very cool!

I donate a quilt to foster care every 6 months as a challenge.

I have had ladies give me their Husbands shirts to cut up and make quilt tops for her and the children. Good memories. I also have one from my dad's and I remember the shirts when he wore them. If they are good ones, take them to Goodwill or Thrifttown and while there find the ones on sale for 50 cents with holes and use those. Unless, of course, you are making memory quitls from someone's family member.

I am making a quilt for my daughter's FIL using men's shirts. I used 2 shirts and have gotten 20 pinwheel blocks made from them. I got about 45-50 five inch square blocks from each shirt, with plenty of left over, good-sized scrap pieces.

I have several shirts of my Dad's that I plan to cut and use for quilts for my kids. I actually got them out the other day to cut them up but couldn't bring myself to do it. He has only been gone about 8 weeks so I think it is just too soon right now but I really think the kids will love having a quilt with patches of "Paw-paw's" favorite shirts :D

I have used shirts. Some wonderful fabric both color and quality.

If the fabric is good, by all means, cut them up and use them. Include the pockets, collar, and cuffs if you can. They will add an interesting touch.

I was recently given a large bag of 6" squares cut from shirts. I have made 5 quilts for injured soldiers in the Uk from them using D9P and variations! I am thrilled with the result. Go for it!! Very satisfying

I'd say yes cut them up you can get a fat Quarter from most all of the backs of a shirt, I do this all the time.It saves the landfill
and helps me keep on sewing and they turn out really nice Quilts
:D :thumbup:

Grab them. I've found that men's shirts seem to be made
from a finer quality fabric than women's shirts that cost far
more!!

And they have been washed, won't shrink, feel good to small bodies, etc.

Go for it...or them, and then show us what you did with them.

I have bought shirts at yard sales, thrift shops, etc. I look for 100% cotton, and larger sizes. They make great additions to scrappy quilts, theme quilts, and such. :)

take them
I saw a quilt years ago using shirt fabric for a block that was a shirt front with added buttons and a tie.
Wonderful fun looking quilt

i start with removing all the buttons and adding them to my amazing button collection then i cut apart all seams, leaving everything as large as possible. i save pockets to use for pockets in totes/purses; i save the front placets, collars and cuffs for trim uses for totes/purses, other craft projects the rest of the fabric is added to my stash to be used for what ever. if a shirt is very thin...i still save as much of it as possible, never know when i may need a piece of foundation fabric, or i can use it to practice something without cutting into 'good-fabric' ... so, rescue those shirts! there is a wealth of fabric available in them.

Cut em! Goodwill is overstocked. I buy cloths there just for quilts. Its much cheaper than buying by the yard at the store. They've had their day being worn now let em move on to bigger and better things! Cut em!

When I first started quilting I saved shirts for some 'future' project. Now I'm running out of storage space so I have to stop. :thumbdown:

This quilt was made from cut-up thrift store shirts. (Smokey Mountain Stars pattern from www.quiltville.com)

Loretta,
Your quilt is beautiful! :-D

A very dear friend just recently told me that when her father passed away, a friend took her father's old Aloha shirts and turned the pieces into a quilt for her and one for her mother. It's a very treasured memory of her father.

You know around hear the charity places are overflowing with clothing and often will not even take donations at times. The local thrift stores (not goodwills) are charging so much for secondhand items that people who need it are unable to shop there.I would not feel guility about cutting them up.Especially if local charities as they are here are are overflowing......

I would use them if the fabric is still good. Make sure you save the buttons, too!

I love this pattern,especially made with the plad's.