what do you do with a worn out quilt
 

I have 2 worn out quilts. One, I made for my son when he was in Jr high and he took it to college (washer/dryer, etc) and then when he travelled to other Russia to teach baseball. He gave it back a few years ago and said "mom, can you fix it??" It is in shreads. The second was made for my wedding to my second husband who wrapped himself in it in the bright sunshine for several years after he had his stroke and could no longer move around much. It is terribly faded.

Do I burn them like old flags?? Somehow the trash seems disrespectable. We have brush burn piles on our land and I could burn them -- sort of like a funeral pyre.

Mim

One of my favorite things is a stuffed bear made from an old quilt. Yes, its torn and frayed in spots but I really like that old bear. Maybe you could make a couple of different stuffed animals or both fabrics into one bear. Just a thought.

I saw a really neat idea somewhere.. the took a block (or whatever) and put that in a frame.... I love that idea

I love the teddy bear idea too

If it’s salvageable in one complete piece but just thin, piece a new “top” and get new backing, then use the old quilt as the batting. It’ll make a nice soft utility quilt for him and you’ll have a clear conscience. You could use all scraps or maybe he has some old shirts you could cut up for the project—do straightline or easy meander—the whole project should be fun and done. I believe this was frequently done in our grandparents’ day. Let us know what you decide in either case.

I've seen Christmas stockings made from old quilts. It didn't matter that the colors weren't the traditional Christmas colors. If they're too worn to salvage even parts of them, I like the idea of burning them. I might keep a small piece as a remembrance, but maybe cutting them up even seems disrespectful to you. If so, I think a funeral pyre is a fine idea.

My husband never liked the idea of throwing old cut flowers into the garbage. He said they provided too much beauty and pleasure to end up in a landfill. We always throw them into a midden in our backyard so that they can go back into the soil. I think a quilt deserves similar respectful treatment.

My daughter asked me to meander quilt on all the worn spots on her baby quilts so they would stay together. She keeps them displayed but doesn't use them like she did. The quilts are 43 years old.

I made a stuffed animal for my grandson form his mom’s baby quilt. It was quite worn so I sewed it to another piece of fabric before cutting to give it extra stability. My daughter is now 42 and GS’s dinosaur is 26 years old and still has a place of honor in his room

If there is a group who make sleeping bags for the homeless, they probably can use them.

Sometimes with a well used quilt all you can do is incorporate it as the batting for a new project. I've turned many baby quilts into twin quilts in this way.

Before my hubby moved out here I sent him a quilt to keep him warm. Well... something happened and instead of fessing up, he washed and washed and washed that top, still didn't fix the problem and took years off it's life span and pretty much shredded the vintage fabric I used on the back before he said there was a problem.

I just cut off the old binding and using my friend's long arm, requilted a new back on it. Originally the quilting was more angular, this time I just did a wide meander over everything existing.

I like the idea of retiring it like you retire a flag. If you've ever seen the Boy Scouts retire a flag, it is a somber, respectful, and incredibly moving ceremony. I have never been able to attend one and walk away dry-eyed.

You could do something similar with your quilts. And congratulations on making quilts that were loved so much, they wore out!