sammi357 Posted November 17, 2012 Report Share Posted November 17, 2012 Is it a blessing, or not, when one is 'gifted' with fabric? Is there an unwritten rule of washing etiquette? It wasn't actually completely free, but it was so cheap that my little miser's heart couldn't say no... so I came home with 13 smallish boxes of fabric, about paper carton size or so, and I've sorted it into t-shirt type knits, garment fabrics (corduroy, bottom weights) and yes, even quilting cotton...although it is mostly 'themey' stuff- Halloween, Christmas, etc, which is not anything I'm interested in keeping. There are a few pieces that I will keep, and of course, they'll go directly into the washer before they come into the sewing room. So... I plan to take it to sewing night, and also guild night and see if anyone is interested in taking any of it, and we also do charity quilts for Habitat, the VA, soldier quilts, etc, so perhaps some of the gals could use it for that. The question is: Do I need to wash it all before I take it, or should I take it and just let everyone know, it's been in storage, and though I went through it to make certain it wasn't buggy or mousey, it does need to be cleaned? It's three heaping laundry tubs after being sorted. thanks, Sammi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 17, 2012 Report Share Posted November 17, 2012 Leave it. You've done a service just sorting it! And you're willing to share your purchase with your quilty friends? They'll probably wash it anyway when they get it home. Unless there's a musty odor, smile as you hand out unwashed, free, glad-to-share, generous, smile-making fabric! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted November 17, 2012 Report Share Posted November 17, 2012 Unless it's really stinky and gross, I'd leave it. If you're donating it, I'm sure the people who end up with it will be happy to wash it themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted November 17, 2012 Report Share Posted November 17, 2012 Ditto on the above.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted November 17, 2012 Report Share Posted November 17, 2012 I agree as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyT Posted November 17, 2012 Report Share Posted November 17, 2012 Leave it up to them to wash it. Nice of you to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 I agree, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammi357 Posted November 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 The rest of the story... the fabric fairy struck again... So, after closer examination, most of the cottons were not really nice quilting fabrics...they were, as my one friend says, 'the kind you could shoot peas through!" I did wash a lot of it, and saved some of the nicer pieces for sewing group, but the majority of it was taken by my sister-in-law, who makes rag rugs on a loom and also does locker-hooking. I also saved a couple of pieces that were big yardage, for backs. The garment weight stuff, I washed and have sitting in a pile waiting for (?) inspiration to strike, I guess! What is left are HUGE pieces of knits, t-shirt knits, some stripes, some solids, some of those 1980's florals, even one tie-dye One large chunk of black corduroy that is shedding everywhere, and some cotton twill, some with stretch. Then, SIL brought me several bolts of fabric, it's nylon, windbreaker type stuff, Lycra, top-weight knits and a couple mystery fabrics. Sew....got any ideas what to use a bazillion yards of lycra or t-shirt knits for? do those t-shirt knits work on the la? (I suppose they must stitch ok, lots of folks are doing t-shirt quilts, but are they using t-knit for the backing? how badly does it stretch? Does it quilt well? is needle type a concern? Got any ideas what to do with a bunch of windbreaker stuff? Thanks for the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neher-in-law5 Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 I have used t-shirt knit (baby weight) for two layer knit receiving blankets for baby gifts. Just layer and bind with knit binding, works great and they turn out like the Gerber ones. Or use a layer of knit and a layer of stretch terry for baby towels, make the same way. The knits could also be used as a soft warmer lining for lightweight jackets. The windbreaker stuff could be used as a water resistant lining for bags and totes. Or yard flags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynne in Iowa Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 See if the local high school has a flag core. Donate the nylon to them for someone else to make into flags! From experience, the someone else is important, not a job you want to volunteer for unless you really like sewing slippery fabric! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 If you think the windbreaker fabric is strong enough, make reusable grocery bags or stuff bags for the kids. Even simple bags for gifts with added ribbon ties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandmaLKB Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 Maybe the windbreaker stuff could be used for wheelchair/walker bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammi357 Posted November 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2012 I'm mostly completely out of the kids & 'baby' loop, but the knit receiving blanket sounds like a great idea...how do you make the knit binding? Is it like a regular quilt binding, or Is it the ribbing stuff, like we used to use for Stretch n Sew necklines and things? Does it need to be bias cut or straight? I'll have to look at the Gerber ones when I am at the store. I have a polar fleece jacket that has lycra bindings on it, and was thinking of using that idea for a baby blanket, too. ...there's enough lycra for a ton of binding! There was one piece of polar fleece with a bright cartoon cat print that might make a nice baby blanket. Walker bags and totes is a great idea for the windbreaker stuff. It seems pretty sturdy. I even happen to have one of the 'big four' patterns for walker caddies. They might make a nice nylon handbag, like one of the (insert famous name brand here) that have lots of pockets. (gee, and I already cut out my professional tote.) Dh is eyeballing some of the rip stop stuff for his projects... (I can hardly wait! ) Thanks for the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neher-in-law5 Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 The knit binding for the baby blankets has just been some of the same knit cut crosswise and sewn on like a regular quilt. The lycra for binding is a brillant idea, it would be a thinner fabric for the many layers that the binding ends up with. When I do these, blankets and towels, I curve the corners and it forms around great, no mitering needed!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.waits Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 If you have teens or college age students, the windbreaker stuff would make good laundry bags. A simple bag with a drawstring in the top, and it can be personalized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 wind breaker fabric can be used to make the flags that decorate out on the lawn or from porches etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammi357 Posted November 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 The laundry bag idea is great! Dh and I are thinking of trying a pair of cargo shorts for him out of some of the rip stop. s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neher-in-law5 Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 That rip stop might hold in the heat more than you want in a garment. Hope it works for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammi357 Posted November 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 So, here I am, cleaning out the basement and really trying to not be a hoarder....and this happens.... is this good or bad? what a dilemma! The fabric fairy struck again...the guy called again with several more boxes! He also had a Simplicity Serger, in the box, that he let me buy, cheap! And may score a sewing machine out of the deal! There is a Pfaff, it does run, I don't know if it sews because they haven't found the foot control yet. I googled the control for that particular machine and it was 100.00 online, so I will have to look around a bit to see what I can find, if they don't find the foot control in the boxes. We cleaned it all up. It was awfully grubby. I have a thing for tinkering on machines. I like to clean them, oil them and see if I can get them running, then pass them on to someone that wants to learn to sew. In fact, may have missed my true calling, I like it so much! lol! Standing in the laundry room in a heap of storage-stinky, cat-ified quilting cottons, I asked my dh yesterday, "What do you suppose God's trying to tell me? I keep trying to be good, to sort and clear out and He keeps sending me fabric?" DH said, "I think it's "Get your butt in gear!" (I'm thinking the lady must have had a cat, because there have been a few that have cat hair on them, but most of them don't. So, guess who's allergic?! and I can't take any benadryl while I'm washing it, because it puts my lights plumb out.) zonk. My sister-in-law that makes rugs has found patterns online for the knits, the folks that do up-cycling and re-purposing have started making old tee shirts and garments into rugs, so she's found lots of ideas. Another sewing friend sent a pattern for a warm baby hat, the kind they put on newborns at the hospital, that she makes and donates. They look like a little Hershey's Kiss, or a little elf hat. She sent a sample and says that the wilder the print, the cuter the hats are. It is just adorable. So, I'm going to approach the sewing group and/or the quilt guild to see if they want to have a sew-in and make baby hats, burpies and things out of the knit, and I have some baby flannels we could use. In the meantime, the washer has pretty much not stopped running. I've been a little grumble-y because I really prefer to pin this stuff out on the line instead of put it in the dryer, but we got snow yesterday. Oh, well. Oh, she also had a whole bunch of patterns for scrubs, so that explains all the 'theme' fabric. although, all the skull and crossbones stuff (?)...I don't think I'd really want to go to a healthcare worker that was wearing skulls, would you?! lol! Thanks for all the ideas! I appreciate your input, and it gave me ideas on how to use the lycra and polar fleece, as well as the nylon. Tomorrow night is sewing night, so we'll see how much of this stuff I end up bringing back home. The back of the Jeep is full. Sammi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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