Masculine Rag Quilt Throw

I've been in the mood to sew (in case you can't tell), and I've been whipping up rag quilt throws about as fast as I can think of them. My plan is to give these as gifts to our nieces and nephews this year, since they all loved the ones they've seen so far.

This particular rag quilt throw is dear to my heart, though, because it's made from 100% reclaimed materials (i.e. materials that would otherwise have been thrown away). Not only that, but it turned out awesome ... and it can be used for a guy (which is terribly difficult for me) ... and it's all cotton.



For this throw, I used clothing that was ripped, stained and headed for the trash can. First I tore off all the buttons and separating zippers, then I cut 5" squares out of the remaining usable fabric. There are cotton canvas, (lightweight) corduroy, flannels and denims in this quilt. Since all the clothes I cut up for it were from guys, I figured it was a likely candidate for a nephew's gift.



I used 1/2" seams on this one, and I doubt I'll be doing anything else from now on. It's the perfect seam, since it's not so big that it blurs the fabrics.

I have enough squares leftover to do another one just like it (or at least similar)! I'll post that one, too, when I do it.

One word of caution: If you intend to try a similar project, keep in mind that denims (and apparently corduroys and flannels) shed like crazy when you wash and dry them. That's great, though, because that was the look I was after.

I cleaned out my lint trap on the dryer halfway through the drying cycle and at the end, and it was completely full each time. This is one that you don't want to just throw in the dryer the first time and walk away for a few hours. (After the first washing, it doesn't shed as bad.)

I've heard of people mentioning this about regular rag quilts, but this is the first one that shed that much for me. I hope that helps someone else!