What do you do with your favorite clothes when they get too ratty to pass down? You know the ones – the sweatshirt with the dingy cuffs, the shirt with the ketchup stain on the front, the jeans with gaping holes where the knees used to be.
Sure, you can turn them into rags. But how many rags can you use in a year? And besides, a lot of that fabric is still perfectly good. It seems a shame to throw it away.
Women have been solving the very problem you face by turning old clothes and quilts into scraps for generations. Why not you?
Starting Your Recycled Quilt
All you need to make a quilt besides your fabric is a pair of scissors, needle and thread and some imagination. The simplest quilts are simply large squares of different fabrics sewn together. The squares can be any size, but the bigger they are the less sewing you’ll have to do. Or you can sew smaller pieces together to make larger squares.
Figure out in advance how many squares you’ll need to make the size quilt you want. Make sure you cut your squares 1/4” larger on each side for seam allowance. Then sew them together with a simple running stitch. The easiest way is to sew a bunch of squares together end to end until you’ve completed a row. Then sew another strip, and sew the two rows together. Make sure you pin the strips before sewing so the seams come out even. Continue until your quilt top is done.
Layering and Finishing Your Recycled Quilt
You can buy batting, but if you want to be frugal and recycle, use an old blanket or comforter. You can also use a blanket for the back, or piece together the back just like you did the front. Sandwich the layers together – it helps to tape the backing to the floor at this point – and pin them together. Now you’re ready to quilt them together.
You can use a wide running stitch to sew the layers together. But if this is your first quilt I’d recommend tying it, which is much quicker and gives it a homey touch. Just take some yarn, start at the top and take one stitch through all the layers. Come back through the top and cut it so both ends are about 3” long. Finish it off with a square knot. Tie your quilt every 6” or so, hem or bind the edges and you’re done!
Congratulations! You now have a cheery recycled quilt you can keep or give to a friend – and you’ve given new life to a load of old clothes!
