Sunday 12 May 2013

Whatever; The background

The Whatever background is finished and all ready for play. It still needs properly pressing, but all the blocks are in the right place, and I'm happy to say - without any unstitching.

Don’t all the old recycled fabrics look great together? It’s hard to imagine these being smelly old household items in a thrift shop a decade and half ago. The tanned stripy one and the purple chequered one both comes from a duvet cover that had a different print on each side. To get an even bigger variety of fabrics, I over dyed pieces of both (and quite a few more fabrics) with tan using the washing machine. 4 different fabrics from one duvet cover is a good outcome, and I have used most of them up already.

The solid tan is from a washed out, well, very washed out sheet. I discarded the reverse blocks as they were a bit on the flimsy side around the edges. I used to have the busy flowery fabric with blue flowers in pink too.

The green Asian style fabric is from a heavy weight curtain. It was impossible to press the seam allowances properly, but that’s ok. I think my favourite one would be the white chequered fabric with the tiny roses. I don’t use white a lot, but I really should, they make everything so clean and crisp.

Do you use thrifted fabrics in your quilts, and why – or why not?

6 comments:

  1. This will make a lovely summer quilt with an airiness to it. xox

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  2. What a nice quilt. Love all the different vintage fabrics. I don't thrift shop but I do still have lots of fabric from my Mom that I try to use in scrap quilts. Sometimes that fabric is a bit stiff or a very loose weave tho so I am always nervous as to how it will wear.

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  3. Your thrifted fabrics do make a lovely quilt! I use thrift store fabrics often. I love old quilts, and found I couldn't get the look I wanted with new fabrics. Besides, this is what quilts were made of in the beginning--pieces of old, worn-out clothes and linens. Right?

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  4. I always try to use new fabrics - ones from my stash count as new. My quilts mostly go to places where there isn't someone who knows how to repair them.
    Yours is looking good... really fresh and springy!
    Hugs

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  5. Your quilt is so calming and beautiful, reminds me of the lazy summer days of my youth when my grandmother would hang her dresses and linens out to dry. I could only hope to find such beautiful vintage fabric. Well done!

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  6. This is super pretty and will make a very interesting background!

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