sewingpup

My church quilting groups uses whatever comes in. Sometimes the quilts turn out a bit strange and sometimes they are just cute. All of them will be used for something. Fabrics I have come across, included lots and lots of sheets, usually used for backing and we have one member who will dye any white ones that come in, upholstery fabric, knits fabric, old linen tablecloths, denim, polyblends, and left-over quilt fabric of a wide variety of ages and quality. And the material we use to tie them include sport weight wool yarn (the best!) sock yarn, embroidery thread, regular yarn (hard to pull through the sheets). It is all good. Occasionally, someone will donate some hand stitched quilt blocks which are a bit harder to deal with as sometimes the stitching isn't secure and the blocks may not be the same size.

Schill93

If the quilt top is not finished, I would try and finish it with similar polyester. However, on the back, if you prefer cotton, you can use cotton for the backing. I only would suggest that you wash the cotton first, as cotton will shrink way more than polyester.
Or as others have mentioned, use a 60/40 cotton/polyester blend sheet if you like.

I would only suggest not combining the cotton with the polyester top because of the difference in shrinkage and color fastness of polyester compared to cotton.

mmunchkins

The original post was from several years ago, but this is still good info to know.

Quilting Raven

You almost killed me. I about drowned. Apparently you can’t swallow, breathe, and laugh at the same time.

cathyvv

Use cotton, but prewash it so there is no shrinkage. Also, you could use a poly cotton sheet. Finish the quilts and love them!

MaryKa

Well I am very inspired by all of you on this subject. I have recently received 71 double knit individual Grandma's flower garden blocks--each 3 rows strong. I've been sitting here looking at them and wondering what to do with each block as I have nothing that is the same type of double knit in any color/pattern to put them together with. I've been thinking maybe I will put them together as a doll quilt--1 block for each quilt -- appliqued. However I might put it together for the new baby that is coming in December (2022). Going to be a baby girl. Had it all planned out until HE became a SHE. Now I have to figure out what to do for 2 shes. Such is (my) life. So many things to get finished and so little time to do so.

Karamarie

Polyester was the fabric of choice back in the 70s as the women were so happy to not have to iron everything and they did iron everything back then. My job ironing when I was a kid was the red & blue farmer's hankies, then I graduated to bigger things.

MaryKa

Remember well ironing those hankies and the pillow cases was my next step up. Momma's one sister ironed all the sheets but Momma put her iron away when the pile of sheets were on top. Never did I have to iron any of the sheets--Momma's reasoning was "I'm not ironing anything that will be all wrinkled before the kids get to sleep on them." We usually played indoors when it was snowing--after we built our snow forts, snowmen and made our snow angels. Had to get warm then and Momma always had each of us a cup of REAL Hot Chocolate--none of that prepared packaged stuff. Hot chockolate and a slice of Tomato Soup Cake--Daddy's favorite even over German Chocolate.