Gifted fabric - need advice and opinions

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02-12-2015, 10:00 AM

#51

dee1245

Senior Member

Join Date: Feb 2013

Location: South of Chicago, IL

Posts: 322

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mamaw322

I was recently gifted two large bags of fabric by a very nice lady in my neighborhood. When I got the fabrics home and was sorting through them, I discovered that 50 percent of them were polyester blends, the rest are cotton sheets, curtains, etc. I was able to pull out some cotton solids and prints. My first inclination was to get rid of the fabrics, but it is so hard to do! Has anyone used cotton sheets or blends to make quilts? I am thinking I might use some to make charity quilts. Opinion?

I have a lot of poly/blends, as I used to do a lot of garment sewing. Now I am in the process of cutting 4 1/2 " squares of the blends to fill the center of a faux cathedral window done in my late husbands' old denim jeans. The denim has been washed a gazillion times so I know it won't shrink and neither will the blends. It is a way of using up a bunch of scraps to get it it out of my stash and have something useful in the end run. I also finished a memory quilt in August that was made out of my husbands' dress shirts. There was only one shirt that was 100% cotton. The material from each shirt was nearly a yard. I used 8 shirts and have enugh materials left over for pillows or shams for the bed to match the quilt.

Last edited by dee1245; 02-12-2015 at 10:05 AM.

02-12-2015, 04:18 PM

#52

GrannieAnnie

Super Member

Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: S. W. Indiana

Posts: 7,484

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edie

I have been given bags of fabric also, and this is what I do!! I keep the cotton, and donate the polyesters to a craft store or your local Salvation Army or Goodwill. There are people who make things out of polyester. I keep anything that starts with the letter COTTON! I don't know for sure when I will use it, but someday I will. I have also said to the person gifting me "I only use cotton, but I can donate this fabric if you are sure you don't need it for anything. There are a lot of people that sew with polyester." You're killing two birds with one stone here. And the person will appreciate it also - because she will know it is going to a good cause.

Happy Cutting! Edie

There's a big difference between poly/cotton blends and 100% poly!

02-12-2015, 04:21 PM

#53

GrannieAnnie

Super Member

Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: S. W. Indiana

Posts: 7,484

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ Jane

Our ancestors used whatever was available, we can too!

Sing it, Sister!

02-12-2015, 08:30 PM

#54

Caswews

Super Member

Join Date: Feb 2011

Location: Quilting, crocheting, sewing and crafting in my Sewing Room...Peaceful and wonderful !!

Posts: 5,317

I was gifted velour and velvet- 2 HUGE garbage bags of it, in many different colors. I made bags, crazy quilts, used it for appliques. My granddaughters loved what all I made them. Even some dresses and velvet aprons to go over cotton dresses. So use it in whatever manner that is good for you to use.