Once again, asking the board for your help
 

Hi all. I know our ancestors used to quit with old clothing and things such as that. I have only started quilting since end of Feb, so I do not have many scraps (only on 2nd quit) and don't have much at all for a "stash". My hubby just got laid off, and depending on how long it takes for him to find a new job; $ for fabric is not going to be in the budget for awhile. I usually donate the clothes that my children outgrow to Goodwill, Disabled Veterans, and other charities. However, in light of my new situation, I am thinking I may need to keep those clothes and use them for my quilting. I am wondering if there are certain materials that you should not use in a quilt, and what if anything special do I need to do to those materials that can be used in order to prepare them to be used in a quilt (such as starching, cutting differently, etc). Any and all help is appreciated. I really enjoy the hobby and I find it relieves stress for me. Thank you again for your help!!!

well for the most part, cotton. lots of cotton. I recently took two shirts from my hubby's closet he'd never worn. one still had the tags on it. they will go into a quilt one day. if you need to you can use poly in a quilt, usually not mixed with other fabrics but we do what we have to do. have fun!

I sometimes use old clothes. Jeans make nice rag quilts. I also use mens shirts. I look for 100%cotton. You can make tshirt quilts. Just look for tutorial. Also, in the quilts I make for family just to be used and loved I recycle flat sheets for the backing. I know many don't like to do that but they work well for me, are very washable and I buy them cheap at thrift stores and yard sales. The most I pay is 2.00 a sheet which is a whole lot cheaper than buying backing fabric and my friends and family who are gifted with the quilts don't seem to mind.

I do all these same things & have not had a problem.

Good luck to your husband with finding a new job. Also use what you need to so you can relieve your stress. Prayers.

My grandmother used just about anything washable, in her quilts. She was born and raised in the mountains of WV and although the quilts were pretty, they weren't at all fancy. Any pieces of worn-out clothing that could still be of use, were cut and made into smaller clothes (for younger children) or put into quilts. As a child, I was fascinated by the variety of fabrics (my favorites were the flannel blocks). My point is, there's really no hard, fast rule. Modern quilts are much fancier but there's nothing wrong with a country-style quilt, either. :)

Check into your local guilds. Some of them have a freebies table of scraps at each meeting, or they have garage sales where fabric is sold very cheaply. One of the guilds I belong to sold all kinds of fabric for $1/yard recently (and a lot of it was quilt shop quality), some small pieces and some quite large. Also check garage sales for fabric and supplies. Good luck to your DH in finding another job.

Garage sales also frequently have used napkins, dish towels, doilies, curtains, pillowcases, etc. that can be cut up and recycled in a quilt, as well as really cheap cotton shirts.

Why wouldn't you want poly-cotton if it's one of the fabrics available?