Mousie

wow! i usually think of myself as pretty careful bc of allergies and such in our family, but i hadn't thought about this.
Thank you for posting this information. I am definitely not going to ever use dryer sheets, and I haven't yet, thank goodness!

moonshineiws

Another option is to go to your local thrift store (Value Village, St. Vincent's, Goodwill) and look for bed skirts. These are good in two ways. 1st, tear or cut the good fabric that hangs/shows away from the white fabric that covers the top of your bottom mattress (the part you never see). Use this part of the bed skirt for stabilizer, strip quilts, etc...it is sometimes better fabric than you would think, but almost always better than dryer sheets.

The second thing: I use the good fabric that was removed from the white center part, for borders. Some bedskirts are of questionable quality. Most are probably 50 cotton/50 poly. However, if you make a regular habit of shopping for bedskirts, you will find quite a few that are nice 100% cotton . When you find these, you will have fabric that may only be about 12 to 15 inches wide, but there is no seam for a long time. There is always plenty of width for those borders, and what a joy to not have to piece your border. Especially if you are making a quilt for kids that will take a lot of abuse and have to get washed frequently, you have quick, easy and seamless borders. Regards

moonshineiws

I've never heard of the term "string quilt". Could you explain this procedure? Thank you.

seasaw2mch

I agree with the muslin but the ugly might show though if you use white or a light color over it. test for show ugly first.

qbquilts

Actually, from what I understand, the use that is being discussed is reusing the dryer sheet after it has been in the wash. I have too many allergies, so have never had any desire to save my dryer sheets (plus I even get the fragrance free), as I don't want to continually expose myself to them. And the original poster was not saying "do not use them ever", but was posting to make quilters aware that they could pose a problem to many people and that many of these people may have no clue that the dryer sheets are what's causing the problem.

qbquilts

String quilts make use of small strips of fabric. The strip are typically sewn onto a foundation to stabilize the block. For more info you can check out Bonnie Hunter's page on String Quilts or google search for other ideas. http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/...ng-primer.html

Monroe

Moonshineiws- String quilting is a very old thrifty method of using every last bit and strip of fabric by sewing pieces together and to a backing piece of paper or fabric to stabilize and strengthen them. If you google String Quilting you'll come up with many wonderful quilts, clothes, and accessories. They can be planned color schemes or scrappy. Bonnie Hunter has written books about using men's shirts and thrifty scraps, and has a blog and Yahoo group called Heartstrings for making donation quilts. A few years ago folks started using used dryer sheets as free stabilizer that smelled pretty, but even when washed the used dryer sheets can retain chemicals and fragrances that might be a problem for some folks, even when you can't smell them. It's not just the perfumes- detergents and unwashed fabric can be a problem also. Washing quilts several times should remove the dryer sheet and other chemicals from the surface, but it is more of an issue when the dryer sheets are used Inside the quilt- as backing for applique or string quilting. To avoid allergy problems it is better not to recycle used dryer sheets in quilts, esp if they are for gifts or donation. There are many good ideas from contributors to this thread for using paper, other fabrics, and fabric stabilizer for little to no cost. String quilting is fun, and a great way to use up every last bit of that expensive fabric you paid for. I like the bedskirt idea- will have to keep an eye out for a good one. I've been recycling pretty pillowcases into dresses for Little Dresses for Africa at my sister's church, teaching others to sew. I come from a big family with very little money, and Mom made almost all the clothes for the 4 girls. Scraps went to my Great Aunt for hand pieced and treadled Bow Tie quilts.
I started this thread to caution about quilting with used dryer sheets to pass along information, and appreciate all the input. This Group is great for collaborating!

seasaw2mch

crumpled up piece of aluminum foil works great in the dryer for static cling

Alondra

Thank you for this information - I'd have never thought about it. I, like many others, figured they were "safe" after being used several times. More problems we do NOT need!... a good example of being penny-wise and pound-foolish. I have a pile of them - out they go! Old telephone directories are great for this purpose, and the pages tear right off, especially if you use short stitches.