Piecing old blankets to make a quilt
10-27-2020, 07:15 AM
#11
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
Posts: 5,012
My grandmother made a wonderful crazy quilt out of old wool coats.....very dull colors....I think it has just the regular stitched together seams...no fancy embroidery stitches like one thinks about with crazy quilts.....but...she did add a bit of whimsy....there is a bunny out of a gray fuzzy wool....and a funky caterpillar marching its way across in a few scraps of brighter colors....and a pinkish butterfly....it is also extremely thick and heavy.....not sure what the filling is....but it definitely is not batting.....we used to use it up at the cabin that only had a wood stove for heat up in northern minnesota....nobody ever said they were cold while sleeping under that quilt
10-28-2020, 03:19 AM
#13
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,183
For wool scraps, I've seen the crocheted/embroidered technique many times. Sometimes not much fancier than a blanket stitch around the edges and then the edges butted together and stitched together.
For using larger scraps as batting, typically you just overlap about an inch, sew typically two sets of seams about 1/4" from each of the raw edges. You are only putting together two thicknesses and no folding. Sure, can zig zag the seams even if you are concerned about raveling. I grew up on army bases and have used more than one army surplus green wool blanket as batting in my time...
My husband didn't really appreciate it at the time, but before we were married (we met online and were quite a distance) I had found a "better days gone by" Red and Black Hudson's Bay Blanket at the thrift store. It had a few condition problems and some moth as well as what looked like cigarette burn holes, it was not one of my perfect scores but still plenty of warmth and use left in the wool. I used black yarn and mostly chain stitching/darning, I made folk animals and flowers to fill the holes and I was very pleased with the project.
For using larger scraps as batting, typically you just overlap about an inch, sew typically two sets of seams about 1/4" from each of the raw edges. You are only putting together two thicknesses and no folding. Sure, can zig zag the seams even if you are concerned about raveling. I grew up on army bases and have used more than one army surplus green wool blanket as batting in my time...
My husband didn't really appreciate it at the time, but before we were married (we met online and were quite a distance) I had found a "better days gone by" Red and Black Hudson's Bay Blanket at the thrift store. It had a few condition problems and some moth as well as what looked like cigarette burn holes, it was not one of my perfect scores but still plenty of warmth and use left in the wool. I used black yarn and mostly chain stitching/darning, I made folk animals and flowers to fill the holes and I was very pleased with the project.
