PaperPrincess

When I buy at a thrift store, the shirts go right from the bag into the washer! Then I 'debone' them (good TV project, Bonnie Hunter has a quick method on Quiltville), then iron the pieces with a bit of starch.
Also, I just found these cute little pouches made from shirt cuffs. No instructions, but you can figure it out from the pics: (scroll down a bit).
http://www.upcycleyourlife.com/2011/...ou-listen.html
We are all anxious to see what you do with your bargains, so please post pictures!

JanieH

I have been collecting men's shirts but had lost the link to the 7 shirts quilts and couldn't remember its name. Thanks, PaperPrincess, for the link.

trolleystation

Search for 'Seven Shirts+Seven Steps=One Thrifty Quilt'. Instructions are given for how to cut up the shirts to get the most out of them and there is a pattern for 52 by 64 made from seven shirts. Very informational.

karen924

I look for pure wool, pants, jackets, etc for wool applique quilts. I felt the articles of clothing in the washer/dryer and then deconstruct them. I tried it the other way first.....what a mess.

kathyquilts40

I would buy as many all cotton shirts that you find for that amount of money.
You can't buy fabric for that price anywhere and plaids and stripes are great
for a mans quilt.

wildyard

My DGD wanted an all plaid quilt in large chunks. Naturally I turned to my thrift stores for lots of variety and even after making the twin size quilt, I still have a bag full of plaids left for other projects. After seeing the 7 Shirts quilt, I think that will have to be one of them!
Here is the link to the flimsy of her quilt. I couldn't find the photo of the finished quilt here on the QB: http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...ml#post6450552

Anne P

You will find great info from Bonnie K Hunter on this very topic. Her website is www.quiltville.com. She has a book, Scraps and Shirttails, from which I just finished making a quilt from my FIL's shirts. He died a couple of years ago and I asked my MIL for his shirts. She gave me 13 of them. I was able to make a 63" X 81" throw (did have to add a couple of yards for sashing) and had enough shirt material left over for a second quilt which I'm going to make for my DH for Father's Day. I will ad some other yardage of airplane print to his, but only a little.

Bonnie says you can get about 1 1/2 yards per shirt. She has a video on her website about taking apart a shirt. Acraps and Shirttails Too.

If you add any fabric, be sure to prewash it because the shirt fabrics will all have been washed and you don't want some of you fabrics to shrink and others not!!

justflyingin

I will, but it will be a while to see the final product!

DOTTYMO

When cutting up it is also very useful to keep the pocket if the shirt has one. Very useful in the finished quilt.

w7sue

Last year, I decided I wanted to make a plaid/striped quilt using a Chunky Churndash pattern (Bonnie Hunter). I scored big time at a garage sale and ended up sitting on the floor with boxes in front of me going through them - I think I paid about $20 for a large paper grocery sack full! It was yardage and certainly a bargain. Then, I got addicted to going to the Goodwill Bin store in our community where they sell for $1.59/lb. I have collected quite a few shirts (always checking that they are 100% cotton) and they immediately go into the washer and dryer (hot cycle). I figure if they survive that, they will survive in a quilt.

I did make queen size Chunky Churndash for my son for Christmas - no idea how many shirts I used but know that I have a lot left to use and my quilting friends and I are setting a date to cut and make up blocks to sew up so we can each have one.