Frugal Fabric

[michiganmom]

How many of you use clothing for other projects?
I have clothes that do not fit any more and of course people give me things i would never wear but i do not want to waste them.When i started sewing i bought all new fabric wich is ok if ya can afford it but we are on a very tight budget so i got into the clothing i had stored that does not fit or things i will not wear and started using them in my blankets/quilts and other projects. What do you make out of used clothing?

[momma_to_seven_chi]

My family has done that since I learned it at Grandma's knee as a child. That was before it was the "new" trend. They learned it during the depression days, and probably before that.

Sheets, especially yard sale finds, are also a great source of fabric. Almost all my undies are yardsale sheets resewed. (scary isn't it?) But it is so easy to make slips and nightgowns from sheet fabrics. I buy bras, but many people make the "modesty vests". Bloomers are also easy to make just using an old pair of shorts as a pattern. If you like to sew knits, you can make the 'boy shorts' type undies that are so popular nowadays, but I don't sew knits well. Sheets and some extra embellishments are easy to make into curtains. I have also made a lot of little girls dresses and skirts with pretty sheets or scrap fabrics and old tshirts.

Old blankets are great for quilt stuffing, and to stuff into homemade pot holders. Sheets can be made into pretty comforters with a blanket between them. It is just important to find pretty sheets. You can make quilts from old clothing too. Used adult clothing can be easily cut down to make into kid clothing. The leg of a pair of adult sweatpants can make a pair of infant sweats. Same with the other leg or arm of a sweater.

[Mom5farmboys]

When one of my boys outgrows a favorite t-shirt we have made them into throw pillows--just stitch up the arms, neck, and bottom and stuff. I have also seen quilts made just from the fronts of t-shirts, they cut the logos off and made quilt squares out of them.

I use jeans to patch my husbands work coat sleeves--stacking hay bales ruins just the sleeves way before the rest of the coat wears out, so we patch it quite a few times to lengthen the life of it. I also have always wanted to make a quilt using squares cut from old jeans. I have seen them and they are sharp. Its on my to do list :)

I too have used sheets for curtains, and old blankets for quilt batting. I cut up old cotton t-shirts for use as rags. I have also made shorts and capris for myself and shorts for my boys by cutting off pants that are either too long, or have holes in the knees.

I have also use very thin pillow cases for straining liquid to make juice or jelly.

[NCLee]

Not only the fabrics, the buttons, zippers, and hooks can be reused. A little careful work with a seam ripper will free up good zippers for reuse.

Velvet from holiday outfits can become the fronts of throw pillows. Use a matching plain fabric for the back. The velvet can be embossed with an iron for an additional design feature. Or trim with lace from second hand little girls Easter dresses.

Agree about quilt squares, pot holders. Add hooked and braid rugs. Worn towels and a little blanket stitching with yarn become more pot holders. With a vest pattern, a lot of skirts, dresses, jeans, even old leather jackets can become new piece of clothing.

Fabric shower curtains and window curtains can have a second life as something else.

Used clothing is never put in the trash here. If it's good enough, its donated or passed on to another family member. If it's too worn for that, but still has good parts, those are saved for another use. When it becomes rags, absorbent material indeed becomes rags for cleaning. When those get too far gone, they become grease rags in the shop. Finally the strings may get discarded, but only if there isn't another use beyond that point. (Tying plants to stakes, for example.)

Lee

[Pokeberry Mary]

I use the stuffing in old pillows for crafts and to make couch pillows. My mom in law makes very pretty pillows for her living room out of old pillows. Recently I started to use old pillow stuffing for some little wool felted animals I'm making.

I also use sheets for curtains and used to use old clothes for my daughter's doll clothes and dress up outfits when she was little. I used to pick up old formals and wedding dress type dresses at a thrift store and cut them up for costumes and such like. There's almost no end to what you can do with 2nd hand fabric and trims.

[Anon001]

I don't throw out any old clothes. If I can't repair them, I keep them for rags. I cut off the buttons and put in a "button jar" and I use a stitch cutter thangy (whatever it's called) and save metal zippers.

If the material isn't in good enough shape to use for a quilt or something, it becomes a rag.

Paul

[Pokeberry Mary]

I think it depends on the size of your clothes pile and the size of your house. Also if someone else can use things--why not share or sell?

I don't throw much out cuz we're still wearing it--but when I do--I usually donate it. Can't recall throwing things out that were still usable in some way.

[michiganmom]

I too us old blankets for quilt stuffing and sheets for things. I love the small scraps because i can cut out shapes, letters ect. to sew onto a large pice of fabric for a neat looking blanket. Right now i am getting ready to make window quilts with a rustic scene on them from my small scraps of fabric. The possabilitys are endless and its so fun to create some thing new and cool looking out of things other people would throw away.
I too save the buttons, some times i put them on my quilts instead of the yarn strings.

[mtwildflower]

I don't save clothes. If I did, I'd easily get overwhelmed. Anything that is useable I give away to others I know will appreciate it and use it. I don't take a lot to thrift stores since I know for a fact most of their clothes get ripped and baled up to toss. Further, thrift store prices are ridiculously high for used clothing.

I do hunt out old jeans though and I make many quilts using those and cotton fabrics. Anything else, I really don't have the patience or storage space for.

[Anon001]

You should try the thrift stores around here. They are cheap. The last time I was there, they had their $3 Grab Bag Day. All the shirts you can get in a paper sack for just $3.00. I managed to get 17 shirts in that bag! LOL Otherwise, shirts are anywhere from 25 cents to 2 dollars.

Paul

[Mom5farmboys]

I too us old blankets for quilt stuffing and sheets for things. I love the small scraps because i can cut out shapes, letters ect. to sew onto a large pice of fabric for a neat looking blanket. Right now i am getting ready to make window quilts with a rustic scene on them from my small scraps of fabric. The possabilitys are endless and its so fun to create some thing new and cool looking out of things other people would throw away.
I too save the buttons, some times i put them on my quilts instead of the yarn strings.

What a clever idea!! I never would have thought to use buttons when tying off a quilt!! I have a sweater that is just about a rag (its my favorite and I can't bear to part with it just yet) and it has about 10 large green buttons on it that are beautiful. I'm thinking I will hang on to them with the intention of putting them on a jean quilt when I finally make one.

Thanks for the inspiration!

[NCLee]

That is a good idea!

I need to tell my SIL as she makes yarn tied quilts.

For your sweater, is there enough of it still in good condition that you can turn it into a throw pillow? Then, use the buttons to decorate the pillow. You don't need to start from scratch. Use muslin to cover another pillow, if the original color will show through the sweater knit. If the color of the pillow works, just put the sweater fabric on one side, if that's all you have. Carefully bind the edges to keep the knit from unraveling.

Use an upholstery needle and unwaxed dental floss to attach the buttons to the front side. Plain shirt buttons (or similar with holes large enough to accept the needle) on the back side will give good support, as well as carry your "design" to the backside of the pillow, too.

Just a thought......
Lee

[Mom5farmboys]

That is a good idea!

I need to tell my SIL as she makes yarn tied quilts.

For your sweater, is there enough of it still in good condition that you can turn it into a throw pillow? Then, use the buttons to decorate the pillow. You don't need to start from scratch. Use muslin to cover another pillow, if the original color will show through the sweater knit. If the color of the pillow works, just put the sweater fabric on one side, if that's all you have. Carefully bind the edges to keep the knit from unraveling.

Use an upholstery needle and unwaxed dental floss to attach the buttons to the front side. Plain shirt buttons (or similar with holes large enough to accept the needle) on the back side will give good support, as well as carry your "design" to the backside of the pillow, too.

Just a thought......
Lee

Thanks for the suggestion, but my poor sweater is chenille and is almost threadbare. But its still soft and feels so nice against the skin. I've had it forever and it has quite a few stains on it too (from hugging and carrying dirty kids lol) Its not much to look at but its kind of like my security blanket if that makes any sense? The buttons are still pretty though!!

[NCLee]

Yes, it does make sense. I have a 'car coat' that my folk gave me when I was in high school. Every seam is threadbare. Stains on it from working in the shop. Quilted linning is coming apart. But, I absolute refuse to discard that coat. It's only 45-50 years old.

Lee

[mtwildflower]

Yes, it does make sense. I have a 'car coat' that my folk gave me when I was in high school. Every seam is threadbare. Stains on it from working in the shop. Quilted linning is coming apart. But, I absolute refuse to discard that coat. It's only 45-50 years old.

Lee

LOL...this kind of stuff drives me nuts. My husband has clothes from HIGH SCHOOL that he no longer wears, is worn out, threadbare...bleah. I tell him, "If it's your favorite, then let me cut the worn out thing apart and make a pattern for a new shirt out of it. You can't wear this one anymore and it has NO USE as a garment!!!" Feh!

And then he tries to wear that stuff to church! Argh. I'm to the point of where It's all going to 'disappear."

[michiganmom]

Thank you, i love using the buttons. I made a single quilt this year out of black fabric as my back ground and used old clothes to cut out maple & oak leaves, ironed them on with heat n bond then sewed all around the out side of the leafs with clear thread, put the quilt together and instead of using buttons or yarn ties i stiched around the inside of the leaves with fall colored yarn to hold the batting in place. Boy did that make the leaves pop on that quilt. Just an idea
michiganmom

[NCLee]

LOL...this kind of stuff drives me nuts. My husband has clothes from HIGH SCHOOL that he no longer wears, is worn out, threadbare...bleah. I tell him, "If it's your favorite, then let me cut the worn out thing apart and make a pattern for a new shirt out of it. You can't wear this one anymore and it has NO USE as a garment!!!" Feh!

And then he tries to wear that stuff to church! Argh. I'm to the point of where It's all going to 'disappear."

Just be careful!!! If my coat 'disappears' something else as equally beloved by better half will 'disappear', too. :D

Lee

[Mom5farmboys]

Thank you, i love using the buttons. I made a single quilt this year out of black fabric as my back ground and used old clothes to cut out maple & oak leaves, ironed them on with heat n bond then sewed all around the out side of the leafs with clear thread, put the quilt together and instead of using buttons or yarn ties i stiched around the inside of the leaves with fall colored yarn to hold the batting in place. Boy did that make the leaves pop on that quilt. Just an idea
michiganmom

That sounds beautiful! It would also be appropriate in a boys room. We have been remodeling the house and hopefully will get the bedrooms drywalled this year. Oldest son is a hunter/fisher/outdoorsman (hes 13) and wants everything in his new room to be camo.......ewww. But this sounds very attractive, and could be used in a masculine decor. Thanks for sharing.

[neparose]

I remember, vaguely, my aunt cutting off her boys jeans to make shorts after the knees were shot. she would cut the scrap into strips and sew them together to make braided denim rugs.But I was pretty small then and dont remember exact details on how they were put together.

[michiganmom]

That sounds beautiful! It would also be appropriate in a boys room. We have been remodeling the house and hopefully will get the bedrooms drywalled this year. Oldest son is a hunter/fisher/outdoorsman (hes 13) and wants everything in his new room to be camo.......ewww. But this sounds very attractive, and could be used in a masculine decor. Thanks for sharing.

You are very welcome. That is exactly who i did the buttons for too was my son LOL. He is also a camo lover, big time outdoorsman. Good luck on fixing up your boy a quilt, im sure he will like it.

[michiganmom]

Mom5farmboys, i love the camo leaves idea too, i might have to try it soon for my outdoorsman. I am going to start my window quilts soon, i am going rustic with cut out bears, a pine tree, deer ect. on the black back ground. I have some silver metalic thread that i thought would be great for stars or snow flakes at the top for the night sky. What do you think? I hope they turn out good, i am excited to get them started.

[Mom5farmboys]

I was thinking that maybe a black and white snow camo would be cute too, and he has a couple of shirts with that pattern he has outgrown. I'll have to look them over to see how much wear is left in them before I decide whether or not to cut them up.

I think going with shapes other than leaves is interesting too, I was thinking maybe the shape of 2 shotguns crisscrossed for the center of the quilt and then maybe animal shapes, pine trees, or leaves around the guns?

I like the idea of snowflakes for the window quilts, that would be really sharp. You could go with a small variety of colors for the flakes too, like white, lt grey, and maybe an ice blue?

You've got me thinkin now........

[michiganmom]

Mom5farmboys, you got me thinking too LOL. If we keep talking like this we will have tons of projects. Like the color idea for the snowflakes too.

[anna]

At a thrift shop I once purchased a huge sized floor length double knit dress. I made a pair of slacks for dd and 2 pairs of shorts. A nightgown of the same size made a crib sheet and bibs. The bibs were padded inside with part of an old mattress pad. A pink cotton skirt with a eyelet under skirt made a little girls dress with eyelet pinafore.

I purchased 4 new jumpers at a year end sale for $1 each and used the fabric to make an apron, place mats & pot holders. I salvaged dress length zippers from them as well. I still have 2 left for future projects.

I've also purchased clothing at garage sales and thrift shops simply for the buttons. 50¢ for enough buttons to do a sewing project that would have cost $3 new. I also have a button box inherited from my grandmother and I keep adding to it as I discard garments to the rag bag.