What to do with an old quilt?

[LionTigerBear]

It's not vintage-old, it's from Target circa 2003. It's just well-loved-by-kids-old. It is falling apart-- the cloth is torn and big patches of the batting are showing. But it's so pretty and it seems a waste to just throw it away-- there are still lots of good spots. Hmmm, do I sound like a hoarder? Should I just toss it? I can't imagine donating it. It can never be used as a blanket again. I wish I was crafty and could make something out of it, but I'm really not at all and I have too much to do as it is anyway.

[Fujiko]

Are the damaged parts in the middle, or is there a large salvageable chunk? Maybe, if you don't want to put in the effort to meticulously repair it, you can just cut a baby-blanket sized chunk out and make a smaller blanket.

[LZP]

What about a comforter cover? If the batting is just "showing" and not falling out all oveer the place, a comforter cover could be great. I've saved many an otherwise-warm-and-snuggly quilt that way. You can find inexpensive ones at IKEA if you have one near you, or target probabbly even has some simple inexpensive ones, too.

you can do a few button stitches right through the cover to keep it in place, since removing the cover to wash won't be an option!

Or, perhaps you can find a complimentary fabric, and use iron-on hemming (like stitch witchery) and just iron on some pieces over the really loved parts.

Can you tell i hate to get rid of a blanket?!

[Danidama]

Picnic blanket
playmat
arts & crafts/painting blanket

That's what has happened to a few new quilts I made since I had dd (the quilts are 4-5 yrs old now and have been through about a billion washings). So I'd keep it for those things, even though I'm an absolute minimalist with most everything. I suppose we'll use them until they literally disintigrate-- which one has been doing for the last couple months! But that's only cause I made this particular one with a few vintage fabrics in it, and didn't know any better at the time. Heh. Well, I also didn't have a dd quite yet, and had no idea what came with that, much less the fact that it would ever be used for eating/painting on! I wonder if we'll ever get a dining table... Dh and I have still never bought one.[/ramble]

[Fujiko]

If it's in good enough condition (not completely falling apart) you can keep it in your vehicle's winter emergency kit.

[Ruthla]

If you think it has "crafts value" but you don't have the time or energy for crafts, try offering it on Freecycle for another crafter to use.

[LionTigerBear]

Ooooh, winter emergency blanket is a GREAT idea if nothing else.

It can't just be patched, large seams have ripped apart along at least on edge and some portions are threadbare. but there is a large "good part" in the middle-- it would make a perfect baby blanket or at least small play blanket, I think, if I knew how to re-hem it somehow. Not giftable (the batting is a bit worn down) but good enough for home. I have almost zero sewing skills and a broken sewing machine.

Thanks for the great ideas!

[LionTigerBear]

Oooh, I just looked at it again and realized two of the corners are in good condition and if cut out and sewn together, would make a gorgeous throw pillow! they even have this lovely embroidery on them. Now I think I need to repair or replace my sewing machine! I've just emailed a repair shop about my machine.

[doubledutch]

Originally Posted by LionTigerBear

Oooh, I just looked at it again and realized two of the corners are in good condition and if cut out and sewn together, would make a gorgeous throw pillow! they even have this lovely embroidery on them. Now I think I need to repair or replace my sewing machine! I've just emailed a repair shop about my machine.

that sounds great! you can use other scraps (from the parts that aren't so threadbare) to make pot holders / oven mitts. or a baby blanket, or a dolly blanket.

[fancyoats]

our local animal shelter is always in need of old blankets/towels

[Straggletag]

We have an "old" quilt in a similar state that we were going to make into stockings, but now I think now. I have no time to craft right now, so I'm going to trim the shredded end off, remove the natty batting, wash it and put it with our scraps. I wouldn't bother but its a huge amount of fabric in a gorgeous folk art print. I can't resist. (I deny the hoarding charge though, I have two big bins and don't keep a stitch of fabric that would overflow them, so there are limits.)

Next year I was going to wrap all our gifts in fabric, furoshiki (sp??) style, which uses just flat pieces of fabric. We're set with fabric for that now.

[Gray's Mommy]

Our old blankets end up in our dog's crate. He loves them.

[LionTigerBear]

These are all great ideas! Thank you!!!

[simplehome]

Stockings----I bought some stockings from a fundraiser recently, and they were made from pieces of an old handmade quilt. They were so old and worn, and GORGEOUS! The intent was that they be used for giving treats to friends and neighbors (reusable packaging) but I don't have the heart to part with them. I think they'll be used for our own reusable packaging at Christmas. The person who made them just used packaged bias tape around the edges, making a loop out of the bias tape at the top. They looked really simple to sew up, and a great way to give more life to an already well-loved quilt.

[LionTigerBear]

Sara-- I had thought of that, too-- making stockings out of them-- but decided against it since the quilt is light green and yellow. Very Spring-y colors, I think. It might have fit in with a very Shabby Chic home's Christmas decor, though. It's such a great idea!

[texmati]

you could also make pillows with them.

[MidnightCommando]

Originally Posted by fancyoats

our local animal shelter is always in need of old blankets/towels

yes this.

[Fujiko]

Holy Thread Resurrection, Batman!

[texmati]

totally my fault! I don't know what I was thinking.

[lifeguard]

I was going to say dog beds but pp beat me to it. Our animal shelter is always accepting blankets & towels.