JCquilts

Not just thrift stores, but I always check the markdown racks at WM. If you buy a size 3x man's shirt, you have the equivalent of about two yards of fabric.

And they mark them down to almost nothing sometimes. If you get more than one of the same fabric, it is plenty of nice new fabric.

lillybeck

I do love thrift stores and dyard sales. When my uncle passed away ;one of my cousins took his shirts and made a purse for my aunt. she still carries it every where.

mshawii

I was watching the Nate Burkas show yesterday and he had made pillows for the sofa all out of different black and white fabrics taken from clothes from a thrift store. Some were knits, some were polyester, some stripes and some really neat prints. They came from sweaters, knit tops, skirts, aprons, etc. Makes me think I need to go shopping there.

GrannieAnnie

Our Goodwill charges $3 for a man's shirt, so I don't buy shirts for fabric. However, they do occasionally have fabric. I always look for that. Sometimes I can find a nice sheet or coverlet.

Irishlady

Here in the UK we call them charity shops, but I guess the idea is the same in as much as all profits go to various charities, so not only are we getting some fantastic bargains but others less fortunate than us are being helped as well.
I usually shop there for mens shirts as well, especially the solid colours. I'm so glad that men are now wearing pastel colours in shirts, lemon, pink, lilac, blue etc. They are great for scrappy quilts. I have also bought lots of cotton sheets for backing or foundation pieces as well. The other week my sons jeans needed a patch on the seat, in the local dept store one denim patch cost £3.99, I found a pair of new jeans in the charity shop for £1.00, guess which one I bought?

trolleystation

There is a wonderful tutorial on using thrift store shirts.
Go to: thethrifty quilter.com and look for seven shirts + seven steps = one thrifty quilt. GREAT TUTORIAL.

littlelambseativy

Lol!!! I sit behind a gentleman in church, who wears the neatest shirts. I'm guilty of planning a quilt during the sermon.

Psychomomquilter

oh that is too funny, I confronted a guy at church this past sunday, and he had on a nice looking shirt, and I told him when he is through with wearing it I want it, course he asked me why and I told him, he laughed and said thats a great idea!

puck116

Absolutely, I have three long under the bed boxes filled with cut up mens/womens shirts that I've gotten at the thrift stores. I'm in the process of making 3 quilts from 9 patches and hearts for my brothers. I've got my eye on the pretty pastels for a girly quilt. Have you visited quiltville.com? Bonnie Hunter is all about reusing shirts and scraps. She has dozens of free quilt patterns, as well as 2 books out with another book due out this winter.

loria183

My husband is also a quilter - he went to the thrift stores looking for 100% cotton Hawaiian print shirts. The quilt turned out beautifully! :-)