Recycled Clothing Quilt-Along

I asked a friend to photograph each of my denim and flannel quilt blocks so I could continue playing with virtual layouts on the computer. The cutting and pasting from one program to another might be tedious for some, but as libbyquilter commented, “It’s much better than having to get down on the floor and arrange multiple times!”

The layout I ended up liking best was what several of you preferred ~ the Straight Furrows set. Its diagonal pattern is not diminished by the scrappiness of the blocks. The effect is strong and masculine, which is just the feeling I was going for (picture the Brawny paper towel guy sleeping under this quilt). The final arrangement of blocks will differ from the photo above as I add new blocks to the mix, but it gives you an idea of where I'm headed.

Visit the Recycled Clothing Quilt-Along to see what others are making from reclaimed garments.

Roman Stripe Blocks

I had several of these Roman Stripe blocks already made when I read about the Recycled Clothing Quilt-Along. Like so many other projects, this one was set aside when MS began interfering with my quilt making. Truth be told, this is the first machine sewing I've done in a couple years. And while I feel like I'm all thumbs, the work itself is very forgiving.


The fabrics for this quilt have come from my family's old or outgrown clothing. The denim is cut into 8" squares. It serves as the background fabric for the block, and also the foundation on which the strips are sewn. I cut flannel strips into three different widths: 3”, 2 ½”, and 2”, but they could just as easily be cut into random widths or all the same size.

Instructions for making this block can be found here. It's a simple sew and flip method, with little or no pinning required.


My son's have given me sideways glances as they come to breakfast in flannel boxers and pajama bottoms. I've been warned not to get too close with a scissor!

Get Cutting

Back in June, Anita at Bloomin’ Workshop described a summer quilt-along that caught my interest. She, and others, have been collecting clothing to make quilts. Everything from thrifted men's dress shirts to outgrown children's clothing is being reused, repurposed and recycled. Why not grab a stack of tee shirts and join the Reclaimed Clothing crusade?

I've been saving old blue jeans for years with the intention of making a quilt. My husband and sons have kept me in constant supply. The only problem is getting them to stop wearing the jeans while the fabric is still functional. Many's the pair that was just too holey and threadbare to be of use.

Denim and flannel are a natural combination, so as collars and elbows wear out of my family’s shirts, I've claimed them as well. A nice assortment of colorful plaids are ready to join the denim in their next incarnation - a quilt.

Pioneer Nine Patch

If I had known a new camera would lead to photos like these, I would have given one to our son William a lot sooner!


Chech out the great pictures he took without even leaving our neighborhood.

William found a clever backdrop at a nearby cornfield. 

I'll settle for shadows if he's willing to climb trees to get the shot!

Direct sunlight won't bother me so long as the full quilt is in frame. 

I made this Nine Patch in the early 1990's from 9" blocks, swapped with friends. The Streak of Lightening border adds extra interest.

I'll probably drive Will crazy with my requests for photos these next few weeks, but he knows how much I appreciate his efforts. I'm sure gonna miss him when he heads off to college!

List of Lasts

Our son, William, just graduated from high school. Months before his big day, I noticed him pointing out particular events that were going to be his "last." Football games, concerts, plays, and dances were each noted and checked off, like items on some adolescent "bucket list.” 

“This is the last time I’ll wear my drum major’s uniform,” he sighed, while preparing to lead the marching band in the Loyalty Day Parade.

“This is my last high school stage performance,” he thought, after taking a curtain call for the musical “Big River.”

He expressed it in his farewell address at commencement, “Our joy dims when we realize that…each day we enter this school becomes one closer to the last.” I couldn't help but feel his outlook was a little sad, that each experience may have become tainted by focusing on the bitter rather than the sweet.

As it turned out, Will's perspective wasn’t as negative as I feared. He wasn't bemoaning the end of high school or expressing reluctance to graduate to the next stage in life. He was just stating, matter of factly, that it’s been a year of mixed emotions, including both nostalgia for the past and anticipation of the future.

I began to wonder if I could view this pivotal year with a healthy balance of emotion. I came up with my own "list of lasts." These seemingly insignificant daily rituals have been honed and polished into touchstones over sixteen years of sending kids off to school.

It’s the last time I‘ll…
~Wash a gym suit.
~Pack a lunch.
~Shout, “Do your best.” as he races out the door for school.
~Nag about homework and clarinet practicing.
~Pick up dirty socks.
~Trip over piles of sneakers.
~Wait up at night for him to come home.

And you know what? I'll miss every last one of them! It's the bittersweet end of an era that I'm approaching with mixed emotions. Now who’s the one with a negative attitude?

What's That You Say?

Good morning…
I said, GOOD MORNING!

Sorry, I’m having trouble hearing you for all the BANGING
and POUNDING… on the roof!

What’s that? Yes, OUR house….
We’re getting a new roof today.

Oh, you mean THESE houses.
CUTE, aren’t they?
No, I didn’t make them.
They’re from a doll quilt my friend Barb
made for me several years ago.
SWEET little neighborhood, isn’t it?

Tell you what, let's talk again another day.
I can’t concentrate with ALL THIS NOISE!

Two Cents Worth

James had a letter to mail yesterday, an unremarkable document in a postage paid envelope. Under normal circumstances, it could have been dropped into any nearby mailbox, including the one at the end of our driveway.

I remembered that postal rates had recently increased, and suggested he have the letter checked at the post office. Sure enough, the envelope required an additional two cent stamp. James had exact change, two flat pennies, which he pulled from his pocket and slapped on the counter.

Assuming this simple transaction was complete, he turned to leave. The postal worker called him back. “Don’t forget your receipt!”

This is what she handed him…. (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Is it any wonder that postage keeps increasing? There’s got to be two cents worth of ink and paper in that receipt!