All tied up ! Quilts made from neckties

We're wrapping up our tie quilt series (and tying up the loose ends). Here are the fantastic quilts we've shown over the last two weeks, along with some invaluable resources: books, patterns, websites, blogs, and tutorials (whew !)

Row 1, L-R: Ira's Quilt, and Key Quilt, by Bet Ison at Home for Wayward Babydolls; Silk Orange Peel and Carnival, by Stacey Sharman at Peppermint Pinwheels.  Row 2: Tie Quilt by Bette Haddon at Studio Art Quilts; TieBurst by Matthew Spong at mspong.org; Corporate Attire, by Dale Fleming at dalefleming.com; Unwinding the MBA, by Caryl Bryer Fallert at Bryerpatch Studio.  Row 3:  Power Ties in Bloom, by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, at Craft Sanity; Movement, by Louise Silk, at Silk Quilt; Tie Quilt by Renay Martin, at Purse Strings Patterns; Wedding Quilt, by Matthew Spong, at mspong.org. Row 4: Power Ties in Bloom, by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood at Craft Sanity;  Tie Repeat, by Louise Silk at Silk Quilt; Silk Tie Quilt, by Nancy Goodman, at nwgoodman.com; Tie Quilt, by Nancy Sturgeon, at Threads Through Time.  Row 5:  Catch, by Nancy Gamon, at nancygamon; Small tie quilt, by Nancy Sturgeon, at Threads Through Time; Silk Tie Quilt, by Nancy Goodman, at nwgoodman.com; Necktie hanging, by Nancy Gamon, at nancygamon.

Patterns for Tie Quilts

Row 1: Pieced Silk Tie Quilt from 1865, Shelburne Museum collection, pattern at Hoopla Patterns; "Untitled" and "Enticement", by Karen K. Stone (these out-of-print patterns can be found at Embroidery Etcetera).  Row 2: Making Memories, by Deb Rowden; Quilts for Guys, by Cyndy Rymer; Daddy's Ties, by Shirley Botsford.  Row 3:  Indian Orange Peel quilt, in Karen K. Stone Quilts; and Bella Bella Quilts by Norah McMeeking.

Memory Quilts: see Alix Joyal at Mamaka Mills (and her tutorial, how to sew a memory quilt using a silk tie); Lori Mason at Lori Mason Designs; Connie Bloom at conniebloom.com; and Cheryl Kirk at Sweet Dreams Quilting.

More necktie quilts and interesting blogs:  See "I've been working on the railroad", by Nann Blaine Hillyard, at With Strings Attached; Silk Treasure, by Barbara Hruby, at the Northern Lake County Quilters Guild; Sewing with Neckties and Woof Nanny are blogs written by Barb Lawrence.

Re-purposing neckties, by Nancy Gamon

~It's Day 12 of our 12-part series on quilts made from neckties!~
From her studio in Cincinnati, Ohio, Nancy Gamon transforms vintage neckties, clothing, and remnants into a whole range of decor and apparel items. One of the most creative textile artists we've seen, Nancy Gamon's work has been featured in Altered Couture; 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse; and in a recent exhibit at NVISION.  Here are two examples of her ingenious creations.

Catch, 26.5 x 20.5, by Nancy Gamon, at Nancy Gamon

"Catch", shown above, was made with vintage neckties, thread, and interfacing, and backed with artists canvas.

Necktie Hanging, 16 x 20", by Nancy Gamon, as seen at Nancy Gamon on Flickr

We love the improvisational appearance of this colorful wall hanging, which was made with about a dozen vintage neckties. At her online boutique at nancygamon.etsy.com you can find ruffled scarves, jewelry (check out her recycled-necktie cuff bracelets), fiber bowls, and other amazing creations. At her photostream, you can also see a photo of Nancy Gamon with her fabric stash (click here) !

Tie quilts and Peppermint Pinwheels

Now producing sophisticated,  modern designs, Stacey Sharman started sewing at age 8 on a treadle foot-operated sewing machine.  She opened her Peppermint Pinwheels quilt business in Berkeley, California in 2009.  She refers to herself as a "textile junkie", and she often mixes vintage and new materials.  Today, you can see that Stacey has ventured into the world of silk necktie quilts with really spectacular results.

Carnival quilt, 58 x 58", by Stacey Sharman, at Peppermint Pinwheels

In an interview at the Fat Quarterly Blog Stacey says, "You can’t go wrong with colors and fabrics you love. Value really is one of the most important aspects of having an interesting quilt, so pair the fabrics you adore with fabrics of a different value (light, medium, dark) and don’t be afraid to throw in a touch of something wild." In this case, one of the "wildest" and most interesting aspects is the choice of ruby red to accent the circular design, which highlights the precise border of geometric diamonds.

This "Carnival" quilt, made from tie silks and silk dupioni, was based on a pattern by Norah McMeeking from Bella Bella Quilts. Norah's book,  Bella Bella Quilts: Stunning Designs From Italian Mosaics, is an example of how tile patterns from floors and walls of past epochs can be incorporated into modern quilt making.  Stacey has taken these classic designs to a new level.

Silk Orange Peel quilt, 63 x 63", by Stacey Sharman, at  Peppermint Pinwheels

These silks, which reflect the light so well, were either samples or remnants - approximately 4.5 x 12"- from a factory that makes neckties. Stacey has blended the muted, yet eye-catching colors into a sparkling rainbow palette. Her "Silk Orange Peel" was based on the contemporary "Indian Orange Peel" pattern by Karen K. Stone. Stacey notes that "All foundation-pieced is the only way to go with silk quilting."  The results are gorgeous, as you can see here ! 

Stacey Sharman has interesting and useful quilting information at her blog, On the Design Wall, along with works in progress . We think you'll love Stacey's photos of her original, modern quilts on her Flickr page and the Peppermint Pinwheels store website.

Additional resources:  Images are shown with the generous permission of the artist. In addition, please see more information about Stacey Sharman and lovely photos in an interview at the Try Handmade blog.

Waste not, want not: a quilting tradition

Once upon a time... there was a magical place, just at the edge of the Appalachian mountains. A place where lost things are found; the discarded made useful. In this place, in Eastern Kentucky, quilting has a rich history and tradition that thrives to this day. This is the home of quilter Bet Ison and the Ison family, and where we found Bet's magnificent quilts.

Ira's quilt, by Bet Ison,  Home for Wayward Babydolls

We've always been fascinated by mathematical quilts, along with quilts made from ties and reclaimed clothing. This amazing quilt was made with denim, velveteen, neckties, and brocade. The quilt uses the golden mean to make a spiral, which you may know as a Fibonacci spiral. Did you also know that the golden mean was a fundamental principle in Greek philosophy? The Greeks believed there to be three 'ingredients' to beauty: symmetry, proportion, and harmony. They were very much attuned to beauty as an object of love. You can see this principle at work in Bet Ison's quilts.

Key Quilt, by Bet Ison, Home for Wayward Babydolls

We're enthralled by the Key Quilt, which is Bet Ison's masterpiece.  It took 7 years to make  (other quilts were made during this time.)  The quilt is about the things for which we all search, and about the epiphanies we have - those moments when suddenly the path to our goal becomes clear.  The quilt has a continuous line of color transformation  -- mostly made with ties!  Bet used other materials (old shirt, coat lining, scrap velvet, etc) for the repeating solid colors. The quilt is full of little games, stories and jokes.  For instance the border is a celtic "key" design.  In the photo above, the photo is shown hanging in Bet's former studio, where you can also see rows of neckties on the wall.  If you view the large image on Flickr you can read and ponder the embroidered quotations (e.g., "Chance favors the prepared mind"). 

Last but not least, here is a story about Bet Ison and her quilts from the Foothills Quilt Project (November, 2010)....

Image credits and links: Images are shown with the generous permission of Bet Ison.  You can also see a live interview of Bet Ison at the Eastern Kentucky Arts Project. There are some beautiful photos of the Home for Wayward Babydolls on Flickr.

Silk ties and textile art, by Nancy Goodman

When we came across this vibrant quilt we were struck by the colors. Although the quilt is made entirely from men's neckties, the warm golden yellows, oranges, and reds, combined with teal and royal blue, remind us of brightly colored silks from India or southeast Asia. The quilt was created by Nancy Goodman, a textile artist who has lived in Colorado, California, Gabon (Africa), New Mexico, and for the past 16 years in Alabama.

Silk Tie Quilt, 36 x 59", by Nancy W. Goodman

To make this quilt, Nancy Goodman started with a collection of neckties that were mostly dark red and navy blue, which were used to construct the kaleidoscope blocks. The pieced cross and borders were constructed with ties that were stripped and redyed with red, yellow and blue. Nancy explains: "For me, color drives a quilt. My primary task in designing a quilt is to figure out a way to distribute color over the two dimensions in a way that is pleasing and makes sense. I’ve found that as I move around the world, my sense of color changes dramatically, so that quilts I made while living in New Mexico, for example, are strikingly different from those produced in Alabama."

Nancy's interest in art quilts developed gradually, but took flight when she began dyeing her own fabric and abandoned traditional, templated patterns. Over time her interests have expanded to include many areas of fiber art: installations, public art, machine stitched embroidery, paper structures and books. She has exhibited throughout Alabama and in national quilt shows.

Image credits and links: For more information, visit Nancy Goodman's blog. The image is shown with the generous permission of the artist. Her statement on the use of color was published in Southern Artistry.

Corporate Attire, by Dale Fleming

One of the most intriguing contemporary tie quilts we've seen is "Corporate Attire" by Dale Fleming, who lives and works in Walnut Creek, California. The impetus for this quilt was her husband's decision to discard a number of silk ties after he had cleaned out his closet. The quilt received one of 7 awards granted at Quilt National '01 (out of 1,411 quilts submitted).

Corporate Attire, 46 x 62", by Dale Fleming

Dale's visually arresting quilt is made from silk ties and other silk fabrics; machine pieced and machine quilted. On her website, Dale explains that she has invented several methods to make machine piecing easier, one of which is a cross between paper piecing and foundation piecing, where the backing does not have to be removed. When the backing is kept intact, the quilter saves time, as well as providing a stabilizing effect for delicate silk fabrics.

Dale writes, "These ties with their rich colors, wonderful textures, and intricate designs just begged to be used." This quilt flows from a single square into a design-as-you-go quilt that plays with color, texture, value, and shape. It is as if she began working from the center out, to show that her designs and her life as an artist emanate from her core, evolving as they go.

In creating art from menswear, the quilter is often faced with the blessing of using fine silks and wools, but s/he also faces the challenge of drab corporate medium-value colors which do not provide much interest for the viewer's eyes. By selecting  pure reds and whites and juxtaposing them to show maximum contract, Dale solved this problem.  Dale combined the more subdued grays and navies together into a right-angle swath so that they do not diminish the high chroma reds, but rather provide a restful "negative space", much as shades of deep black serve to complement the brilliant jewel tones of Amish quilts.

Image credits and links:  The image is shown with the generous permission of Dale Fleming. "Corporate Attire" is featured in The Best Contemporary Quilts: Quilt National 2001 published by Lark Books. Dale Fleming is the author of Pieced Quilts So Simple by C&T Publishing.

A Father's Day quilt

Here is a tie quilt that reminds us of an ornate tapestry. The quilt was created by Bette Haddon, an award-winning quilt artist who lives in beautiful DeFuniak Springs, Florida. She used whole ties along with tie tips, labels, and buttons, to create a highly textured surface (we counted over 200 buttons and labels).

Father's Day 1976, by Bette Haddon, at Studio ArtQuilts

In addition to the quilts shown on Bette Haddon's website, check out her stunning 2006 Color Dance quilt (you can see a photo of Bette at the St. Andrew's Bay Quilt Guild Scrapbook of Memories).

Image credits:  The quilt is shown with the generous permission of Bette Haddon of Studio ArtQuilts.

Memories in silk: the tie quilts of Louise Silk

It's Day 6 (of 12) of our most-beautiful-tie-quilts series and we have some delightful quilts to share with you this week. Louise Silk is an exceptional fiber artist whose work has focused on the healing power of memory quilts. Louise uses spiritual themes, photo transfers, recycled clothing, and embroidery in her creations.  We love the way in which her tie quilts go beyond traditional designs.

Movement, by Louise Silk, at Silk Quilt

The quilt called "Movement", above, is reminiscent of a crazy quilt and yet it is pictorial in nature. The strip-pieced red airplane appears to be soaring over fields and mountains. Notice the fragment of a red, white and blue flag in the upper left corner.

Tie Repeat, by Louise Silk, at Silk Quilt

An abstract work of textile art, the emphasis in "Tie Repeat" is on the artistic juxtaposition of the patterns, colors and values of the tie silks themselves.

In addition to working with neckties, Louise Silk has transformed t-shirts, clothing, and wedding dresses into quilts of all sizes and types. To see more of her inspiring creations, check out the tie quilts, commission quilts and original works of art in the Silk Quilt galleries.
 
Image credits and links:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Louise Silk. Her new book, The Quilting Path, includes images and instructions for truly unique quilts, such as Fragments of Life - a Remembrance Crazy Quilt and A Picture of Place and Time - Applique Quilt.

The Tie Quilt, by Renay Martin

Renay Martin has been sewing since she made her first Barbie doll dress on Good Friday in third grade. Now she designs sophisticated and adorable purses, bags and totes at her own company, Purse Strings Patterns.  One day, while we were browsing Deb Rowden's blog, we came across this lovely tie quilt by Renay.

Tie Quilt, 35 x 45", by Renay Martin, at Purse Strings Patterns

We were charmed by the clever and artistic way in which Renay wove the blue and red ties together to create the quilt, which was made in memory of a longtime friend and business partner. The quilt was made with 56 of his ties. Renay removed the labels from all the ties and re-applied them in various positions on the front of the quilt.

Renay explains the story behind the quilt: "The tie quilt was created as a comforting remembrance for a dear friend of ours, Louise, who lost her husband, Les, to cancer in 2009. Les and my husband were partners in an architectural firm for several years. Being the consummate gentleman that Les was, he wore a coat and tie everyday of his 50 year career. (I used to tease him that he probably had a special tie to mow the lawn in !) I never saw him without one on. Several weeks after he died I asked Louise if I could have his ties but that I would return them in some sort of art form. We presented the "tie quilt" to her several months later. She decided to drape it over his worn black leather chair where it remains today. Louise has told me several times that she sits and "talks" to the quilt in hopes that Les can hear her. I'm so pleased that this labor of love can bring comfort to her deep loss, and that if she wants, she can sit with it wrapped around her or on her lap. So, that's the story of my 'tie quilt'."

Image credits: The image is shown with the generous permission of Renay Martin.

Waste not, want not: quilts from men's ties

In keeping with "waste not, want not" (the new austerity chic) we've been fascinated by quilts made from reclaimed clothing.  Have you ever thought about making a quilt from men's silk neckties?  Hang on to your hats (and ties) as we bring you the best tie quilts in the world.

Matthew Spong is an artist and designer in Sydney, Australia. About twenty years ago, he became interested in making quilts and wall hangings to sell at arts and crafts fairs near his home.

Tie Burst 1, by Matthew Spong, at mattspong.org

 

To make TieBurst, shown above, Matt Spong purchased a large quantity of used silk neckties, then set about creating a pattern.  After washing the ties and un-sewing the back seam,  he removed the interfacing from the center of the ties and ironed them flat. As you can see, these ties all have points at the end, and Matt worked to incorporate the points into his design, rather than simply cutting them off.  Making use of the natural shape, he  came up with a type of  "Dresden Plate" pattern, where the long straight edges are sewn together and the points radiate out like a sunburst. Not wanting to waste the skinny part of the ties that go around the back of the neck, he cut them into small straight strips to make the center circle. This was the first design (though not the first actual quilt, that got sold). According to Matt, "it was simplicity to make".

Wedding quilt (Kate and Adams Quilt), by Matthew Spong

Matt Spong also became interested in turning silk ties into traditional bed-size quilts, or duvet covers, into which a comforter or blanket could be inserted. (In Australia, a duvet or down quilt is also called a "Doona"). In the beautiful Wedding Quilt shown above, the squares are about 3 cm across. Note that the pure, intense colors for which silk is noted, really cause the squares to "pop" off this quilt, especially the brilliant reds and burgundies. For more photos of this quilt, see Matt Spong's photostream on Flickr.

Matt has made hexagonal tie quilts, in a type of "Grandma's Flower Garden" arrangement, along with square patchwork quilts in a type of "Sunshine and Shadow" pattern. He explains that the quilts made of squares were more challenging, because the squares had a tendency to go diagonal, and it was difficult to get the seams to line up properly.  (Small squares must be cut exactly perfect on the straight grain of fabric, which may be difficult to do when working with recycled clothing, or they have a tendency to want to go diagonal; that is a problem that challenges even the most experienced quilters). For a construction tip from Matt, see the comments on his Flickr page.

Bitmapped images: Michelle Quilt, by Matthew Spong

 

One of Matt's most interesting quilts was designed from a photo of the face of Michelle Walker, his partner. He changed the photo into a bitmap image, using a graphic converter program on a Mac, with a pre-chosen palette of red, blue, yellow, cyan, magenta, green, black and white. That software program then produced produced a design which specifies each pixel (or tiny square) by the number of its color. The tiny squares became 5,924 pieces of cotton fabric, which he sewed together in the precise arrangement specified by the software design.   He finished it just in time for Valentine's Day, then hung the quilt from an upstairs balcony as a tribute to Michelle. What a romantic gift !  You can read about the design and construction at the Michelle Quilt page, and see more photos at Matt Spong's photostream on Flickr.  This quilt looks challenging, but absolutely fascinating to design and construct.

Image credits and links:  Matt Spong works at Reverse Garbage, one of Australia's best known and most highly regarded creative re-use organisations. Reverse Garbage has been operating since 1974; they provide high quality, low priced, useful and unusual materials for use in arts, craft, education, small business, home renovation and other activities. What a fabulous idea.... we wish we had such a place near us !

Waste not, want not: Quilts from reclaimed clothing

Throughout history, quilters have incorporated recycled clothing into their quilts. The photo below is of an African American crazy quilt from the early twentieth century. In the south, such quilts were often made as memorial quilts, incorporating bits of clothing worn by a loved one who had passed away. Of course, the re-use of old clothing in quilting was not reserved for such occasions - it was often done out of economic necessity. Many examples can be seen in the scrap quilts of the 1930's. These days, the 'green' movement has inspired the use of discarded materials to make new products that are useful and beautiful. And, our economy is inspiring a new wave of thrifty quilting. A recent article in the Times Online (UK) had this headline: Waste not, want not: here comes the new austerity chic. In keeping with the Times...(pun intended)... we’ve searched the globe for contemporary quilters who have taken upcycling to a whole new level. What amazes us is the sheer beauty of the quilts that these artists have created... from used clothing?!

African American patchwork quilt, ca. 1900-1920, 78 x 81, at Silkwater Antiques

In this beautiful quilt, the plaid, striped and print fabrics create a vibrant design. The quilt reminds us of a work of abstract art when viewed from a distance. Although this quilt is 100 years old, it is in excellent condition. Visit Silkwater Antiques for more information, and for other outstanding antiques of all kinds, including a 19th century silk cigar band quilt.

Eva in the Garden, 50 x 42, by Lori Mason, Lori Mason Design

Lori Mason is a textile designer and creator of fabulous contemporary quilts… but that’s not the whole story. Her memorial quilts are made of reclaimed clothing that was once worn by the person whose life is celebrated. Lori works individually with family members to fashion these one-of-a-kind pieces. Eva’s Garden, above, was made in memory of Lori’s own grandmother: it incorporates Eva’s jeans, Oxford shirts, and her favorite pair of gardening shorts. We love the bold graphic design of this quilt and the lively contrasts between the light and dark plaids, stripes and solids... and we love the whole idea of a contemporary memorial quilt, providing solace and beauty for many years to come. Also don't miss the splendid quilt called Eva in New York, which was made from Eva's colorful couture clothing. For more inspiration,  visit the galleries at Lori Mason Design. (By the way, take a peek at Lori's brilliant fabric line, which is carried by RJR Fabrics: the Shasta Collection.)

Missing the Point, by Richard Killeaney, at Ocheltree Design

When we came across Ocheltree Design we were immediately struck by the sophisticated contemporary quilts, with their clean lines. Witness the elegant “Missing the Point” quilt, above. Believe it or not, the quilt is made entirely of recycled dress shirts! The backing is a sumptuous organic cotton sateen. Although Richard Killeaney has an MFA in textiles, we learned that his quilts are designed to be used - not just to be displayed on the wall as works of art. Oh yes: we can easily imagine ‘missing the point’ in a seaside cottage, with whitewashed walls and a view of the ocean (sigh). “Missing the Point” also comes in an ultra-stylish red colorway. Also don’t miss Richard’s exquisite Full Grid and Golden State quilts.  For more quilts, and gorgeous pillows made from recycled shirts, sweaters, and tweeds, visit the Ocheltree Design website.

The Shirt Off My Back , 71 x 81, quilted by Betty Leppin, at Silks and Quilts

Beautiful blue plaids, stripes and dotted fabrics were artfully arranged to create this fabulous three-dimensional tumbling blocks quilt. It's one of our favorite optical illusion quilts. We were surprised and delighted to learn that this quilt was constructed with men's 100% shirting fabrics. The name of the quilt, "The Shirt Off My Back", should have been a clue! The quilt top was discovered by artist Betty Leppin at an estate sale; she finished and quilted it. Betty creates magnificent hand painted silks, and original art quilts, in her studio near the Chesapeake Bay. Betty's love of color, composition, and technical details are apparent in her fabric creations, which can all be seen at Silks and Quilts.

Shirt Quilts, by Judy Peterson, aka 'WhiteStone'

While perusing the World Wide Quilting Pages (WWQP) we 'discovered' Judy Peterson, aka "JudyPete", aka "WhiteStone". Judy creates magnificent quilts from gently-used shirts and blouses, which she has collected from yard sales, thrift stores and family members. We're showing two beauties: "Manly Quilt" and "Fred's Double Four Patch". The Manly Quilt was made from four neutral-color men's dress shirts as the solids, plus numerous fat quarters from the quilt shop (click on the image to see the details). You can read about it on the WWQP (scroll down the page to see that post, and you will also find links to her other Shirt Quilt posts).  But wait, there's more: you can learn about Judy's shirt selection methods, and ogle her elegant Lady of the Lake and four patch variation quilts,  here.  Her own blog is called Wanna Walk Along?

Shirt Stripe Boxes, by Kaffe Fassett

The classy Shirt Stripe Boxes quilt was featured in Kaffe Fassett's Passionate Patchwork: Over 20 Original Quilt Designs, with Liza Prior Lucy, which is just one of Kaffe's bestselling books.   The book also has a pattern for "Baby's Corrugated", below.

"Shirt Stripe Boxes", with its mitered corners and myriad scrap options, instantly captured the attention of modern quilters and helped to inspire a Reclaimed Clothing Quilt-Along, which now has 67 members! For more information and a link to the quilt-along, visit the Bloomin' Workshop. One of the prettiest quilts so far  is Brandon's Quilt by jewelry designer Stella Maris, aka polyesterstella. (See her photostream on Flickr, and her website at Etsy). For all of Kaffe Fassett's books and designs, visit the Kaffe Fassett Studio.


Bargello in Plaid, and Shirt Tails, by Bonnie K. Hunter, at Quiltville

When it comes to quilts made from shirts and scraps, Bonnie Hunter wrote the book (literally). Her "Shirt Tails" and "Bargello in Plaid" quilts, above, are just two of the wonderful quilts in her Scraps and Shirttails book (to date, every reviewer on Amazon has given the book five stars... that says it all!) If you visit Quiltville you can see a preview of all the quilts in the book (thanks, Bonnie!) Many more quilts can be found on the extensive Quiltville website. Bonnie's love of quilting and "making do" with scraps really comes through in her entertaining tutorials. Also check out her clever Adventures with Leaders and Enders. We like ordering books directly from the artist, whenever possible; Bonnie's books are available at Quiltville.

Do you think I'll have crazy dreams... by Stefanie Japel

Stefanie Japel heads up her eponymous design studio, a knitter's paradise that offers original patterns, books, and workshops. Her Glampyre Knits blog is loaded with knitting tips... with an occasional foray into quilting. After hand-dyeing some yarn one day, Stefanie tossed some fabric scraps into her dye pans, and used the over-dyed fabrics to construct this fantastic log cabin quilt! We love the turquoise-and-persimmon color scheme with its sepia tones. We know about hand-dyeing fabrics for quilting, of course, but usually it is done by starting with new white fabric as a base. Stefanie's ingenious approach/solution has us envisioning a whole new trend in ODSQ (over-dyed scrap quilts; we made up the acronym). To read about the quilt and the dyeing process, visit this Glampyre blog post.

Housetop, 55 1/2 x 55 1/2, by Deb Rowden

Deb Rowden's dazzling Housetop quilt, above, was made with recycled shirts and purchased plaids and stripes.  Her site, Deb Rowden's Thrift Shop Quilts, proclaims:  "It's not trash, it's found".  Just yesterday she showed a lovely Springtime quilt made from scraps of pretty florals. We also covet her blue plaid quilt (and so many others on her site).   Deb is not only a quilt artist and thrift-shop-quilt guru, but also a publisher and an author. Her newest book is called  Making Memories:  Simple Quilts from Cherished Clothing.  The book shows examples of antique and contemporary memory quilts, and explains how to create one-of-a-kind quilts from clothing (bring your memories out of storage, and back to life!)  For more inspiration, read one of Deb's real-life stories about memory quilts. 


Attic windows in plaid, by Jean Dyer Goulden

This is one of our all-time favorite attic windows quilts. Just imagine the possibilities for the re-use of cottons and flannels, and madras plaids (remember madras shorts? If you're lucky, you'll find some at the thrift store). The warm and cool color contrasts of the mitered window 'frames', which are done in prints, create a fantastic pattern. Note the arrangement of contrasting values; the lightest fabrics are used on the tops of the attic windows, so that the light source appears to be coming from  the bottom of the quilt. To see this quilt and many others, visit Jean Dyer Goulden's photo gallery. For tips on attic windows quilts, see the tutorials by Susan Druding on equilters.com.


Antique Rug, 52 x 65, by Pamela Goecke Dinndorf, at Aardvark Quilts

Aardvark Quilts has a fantastic selection of patterns that are perfect for stripes and plaids, including "Antique Rug", above. We love the quilt as shown, with its masculine red, brown and black colorway... wouldn't it also be pretty in red, white and blue shirting fabrics? For another great pattern, consider the delightful Squares Squared, which is shown below. Aardvark Quilt patterns are carried in many shops; for one online source, see Gruber's Quilt Shop.

Shabby chic quilts

Rag quilts are one of the fastest ways of making quilts from used clothing, and keeping said clothing out of landfills. The quilt above was featured in How to Use Used Clothes in a Variety of Ways. For a  basic tutorial on rag quilting, click here.  A "ragged squares" quilt tutorial (like the quilt shown above) can be found at Crazy Mom Quilts.  But can rag quilts be über stylish? You decide... see the shabby chic quilt patterns at A Vision To Remember and the adorable rag quilt patterns for kids at Sweet and Shabby Designs.   Quilt Country has many great rag quilt patterns by Sandy Brawner. Another rag-and-scrap quilting diva is Evelyn Sloppy, the author of  Frayed Edge Fun (her website is Little Miss Sloppy).   In addition, here's an article with some advice about rag quilts (to save your hands, use spring-loaded scissors!)

More reclaimed clothing quilts:  Barbara Brackman, of Material Culture fame, has some outstanding articles and examples of reclaimed clothing quilts... they'll knock your socks off!  See this post and  this one.  Sonja Shogren has a quilt called String Beans that is perfect for recycled men's shirts. Ionne McCauley's classic Blue Plaid Shirt quilt, "In Memory of Raymond",  is in her book, Color For The Terrified Quilter.   Lisa Boyer, who writes a blog called That Dorky Homemade Look, used thrift shop clothing to make a totally non-dorky quilt called "Half Price Day at the Salvation Army"; you can see it here.  You might be interested in the Thrifty Quilter, which has a complete tutorial on making a quilt with seven shirts (Seven Shirts + Seven Steps = One Thrifty Quilt). And finally, a request: if any of you know of a reclaimed clothing quilt or blog, would you kindly share the link in the Comments below? We'd love to see them and/or post them (and thanks in advance!)

Note added on June 10, 2010:  Please don't miss the wonderful Fisher Foresi Quilt by Erin Wilson.  It was made with 42 pairs of boxers, several pants and button down shirts, and was made in memory of the young man who wore the clothes. 

Image credits:  Images are displayed with the generous permission of the artists.