Which old clothes work best in a memory quilt?
Woven cottons like shirts and dresses are easiest. Knits, wool and delicate fabrics can be used with a little extra preparation.
Woven cotton is the easiest: shirts, cotton dresses, pyjamas, tea towels. It cuts cleanly, doesn’t stretch and wears well. But nearly any fabric can go in with a bit of care.
Easy fabrics
- Cotton and poly-cotton shirts
- Cotton dresses and skirts
- Baby clothes in woven cotton
Fabrics that need help
T-shirts, babygrows and jersey stretch as you sew. Iron a lightweight fusible interfacing to the back first and they’ll behave. Wool, velvet and silk are lovely but bulky or slippery, so use them as larger feature squares rather than small pieces.
Before you cut
Wash everything gently. Lay the garments out and decide which details to keep: a pocket, a button placket, an embroidered name. Cut from the least worn areas. Take a photo of each garment whole, so the story stays with the quilt.
The step-by-step guide: a memory quilt from old shirts.
Gentle quilting lessons for beginners, families and keepsakes