Testing fabric for cotton/blends - Remnants from shirt factory find
 

Well, yesterday my DH and I went new truck shopping down on the Delmarva Peninsula, with other destinations at some nice thrift stores. I found a box of vintage 1970's shirt remnants from the shirt factories that dotted Delaware and Maryland years ago. I need some information on how to tell if these are 100% cotton, or a high cotton blend. How does everybody test for 100% cotton when it is not marked anywhere? I am thinking that it would be okay to make simple square block donation quilts out of these remnants if they are cotton blends, would that be okay, always heard that the "quilt police and lightning" would happen if I didn't use 100% cotton. Am looking for guidance. Thank you all.

bends are ok. Use what you have for a good cause. Think about how well the shirts held up with multiple washings.
Google info for testing fabric. It is simple. However, to me the workability of the fabric is more important than its fibre content.

BEFORE YOU READ THIS: I'm aware that there are many elitists that will dissagree with me however:

It's only been the past decade or so that people began to say that you could 'only use 100% cotton'. Most quilt makers during mom and grandma's eras made them out of anything that was available.
If you're entering it in a contest and it's not an 'art' quilt then maybe it should be only 100% cotton but other than that it really doesn't matter all that much.

Try this: Do this over a sink so if you drop a burning piece it won't take your house with it. Take a small piece of the fabric and hold a match to it to just singe the edge. All cotton (plant material) fabric will turn to ash when you rub the blackened part between your fingers. Polyester/nylon/etc will leave a more solid, melted residue. Test it first on two pieces of fabric that you know the content of so you can spot the difference.

To answer your initial question, here are two burn charts that will help you determine the fiber content of your remnants.
http://www.lindrix.com/fabcontent.html
http://www.ditzyprints.com/dpburnchart.html

Great charts GhostRider ... Thank you!!!

I don't think it will make a difference if they are a blend. They will hold their shape and look great. Remember there are no quilt police. The quilts you make will look great.
Sue

I have to disagree, I started quilting in the early 1980's and the "quilt police" were checking fabric content even then.

In my opinion, (and you know what they say about opinions) with the way the economy is, I wouldn't think twice about using a blend. I don't make quilts for showing or judging. I make quilts to be used. I would much rather use a good quality blend than some of the "see through" crummy cottons out there. The price of quality cotton is getting ridiculous, just like gas and everything else. I, for one, have decided to seriously curtail my buying. I can't afford it, and I just don't like enabling greed. Yes, I know that the cotton harvests have been bad, but so is the job market. So, I will be "making do". Not just in my quilting but with everything else too. Use those nice shirts girl!!

Thios is so true. We used what we could get and I have made many quilts with blended fabrics that have held up ove rmany years and many washings.