Why make quilts out of old clothes?
There are so many reasons to make quilts out of clothes. Here are a few reasons why I do it:
Making do. In the South, just like many rural agricultural areas around the world, new materials weren’t always easy to come by. So a worn-out pair of jeans that still had a lot of durable fabric left in them could be turned into something to keep you warm at night.
Repurposing. A closely related idea to #1, but when we repurpose old clothing into quilts, we are keeping those fabrics out of the landfills. This is especially important in a time we humans are producing more fabric each year to keep up with designer trends.
Saving money. A yard of fabric could easily cost you $10/yard (if not way more). Working with thirfted clothing gives you a lot of material to work with for your money. It takes about three yards of fabric to make a queen-size sheet. That would cost you $30 off the bolt, or $3 from the thrift store.
Pushing creative boundaries. When you cut fabric off the bolt, it’s easy to stick with the same right angles you start with when you make your quilt. When you started with pieces of a deconstruted old men’s shirt, you get curves and angles that can inspire a new direction for your compostiion.
Keeping memories intact. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite reason for making quilts out of old clothes, but this is defintiely on the top of the list. My experience has led me to believe that clothing is infused with memory. We can often smell the person who wore the clothes. We have memories of them wearing that garment. We can feel the softness of the fabric and remember what it was like to hug them.
These are just a few reasons. You probably have some ideas we could add to this list!
