quiltincin

My Niece asked me to make her a quilt as a wedding gift using her wedding colors as a basis for the quilt. Her sister gave me her bridesmaid dress so I would have the actual color to work with. I'm wondering if I could use the dress to make a storage bag to store the wedding quilt in (we are in California so quilts are not used very often here). The dress is made from 93% Poly and 5% spandex and I was thinking I could line it in quilting cotton. Or use strips of the dress with cotton and line that with quilting cotton. Do you think that would work or do you see any issues with using the fabrics this way? I don't want to make a storage bag that will ruin the quilt over the years causing it to deteriorate....

Tartan

I would first check to see if she gave you the dress to match the colour but maybe not to cut up.

quiltedsunshine

I put my mother's quilt in a muslin bag. She had it cleaned before she gave it to me, because it had bugs nesting in it. So I added little pockets on my muslin bag to put bay leaves in. Bay leaves are supposed to keep the bugs away. I've used it in my cupboards and flour canisters.

The only thing I would worry about using the dress, is if the color would transfer onto the quilt. But if you line the bag, it should be fine.

GingerK

My 'letter' that goes with wedding quilts say specifically to not store in a plastic bag (poly fabric is close enough). Poly will not breathe. To preserve the life of a quilt, make a 100% cotton bag for storage or tell them to roll it in an old cotton sheet. Also, tell them not to dry clean it and not to store it in a cedar chest.

Peckish

Instead of making a bed quilt that will never be used, why not make a wall hanging? That's what I did with my wedding dress. I cut it up and used this pattern, called The Dress by Cherry Guidry. I added some of the lace and beadwork from my wedding dress, also.
Some more pictures: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/38/fb...7e111ce755.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f8/41...b443192f4e.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/93...d711ccf476.jpg

cashs_mom

Great idea!

Gay

May I ask, why shouldn't quilts be dry cleaned? I would have thought it to be better than a washing machine.

GingerK

I have always heard that dry cleaning solvents are very hard on the quilt fibers. My recommendation has always been, if you have a normal sized washing machine and a queen or king sized quilt, go to the laundromat and use the larger machine--cool water, mild detergent and a hand full of colourcatchers.

frannella

Ha! You know you're in the presence of a real quilter if she's cutting her wedding dress up! Hats off.

illinois

Yes, check to see that it's ok to cut that dress before you do it!! My suggestion is to make a bag from cotton but use the fabrics from the quilt--or dress--to embellish the bag. Perhaps make an extra block to put on the outside of the bag? It will identify what is inside.