I was wondering if it is possible to use old clothes and bedding to make blocks? I am just learning and thought it would be cheaper to use up what is around me then to buy material to learn on. I spent tons on my first quilt and i am not yet finished. I really have to wait to buy more fabric, but I cant wait to start some blocks that i found on quilterscache.
TIA
Jennifer

it is ABSOLUTELY ok to cut up old clothes and bedding. only the wealthiest of our ancestress quilters could afford to use new cloth for every quilt. you would be carrying on in a very old, time honored tradition. :P

I've heard of quilters who use nothing but recylcled clothing. You might check out a few thrift stores as a source of inexpensive clothing. Some of the stores here have days when they give extra discounts and sometimes you can get things for less than $1.

Happy quilting! :lol:

Some old clothes make the best quilts because they have memories that go along with them. Have fun cutting away.....

I think a quilt from old clothes is fun. I have a bunch of 9 patch blocks my husband's grandmother made from his old slacks (poly from the 70's :) ) I just have to put them together into a quilt. I don't know what to do for the batting though to keep it from being too heavy and hot!

Yes, go for it , no set rules always room for innovation.....Some of my winter quilts have old blankets inside.

Oh yes! Feel free to use old clothes for quilts! Just be sure to use interfacing on any knits (t-shirt material, fleece, streach denim, etc.) Try a medium interfacing and you should be good to go. See my avatar photo over there on the left that's the quilt top I made from my daughter's baby clothes! It's not much in the photo, but it gets more beautiful everday that I quilt on it.

Don't forget to cut off buttons (to make a button box, so you will never run out of buttons again), and any zippers, I've found the zippers from daughter's clothes work great to make pillows.

I very rarely buy new fabric. I buy bedsheets from thrift stores for a buck fifty. The reason i choose bedsheets is, there is a lot of fabric, and bedsheets usually wash up nice and wrinkle free because they're a poly/cotton blend. And of course, the same goes for any cotton clothing you have around too...oh and isn't elizabeth's quilt from her childrens clothing gorgeous? :)

By ALL MEANS!!!!
Use whatever you can find!!!
That was the way quilting got born!!!
Quilters are thrify and smart....
K

sure thing...