Although many quilters find some oddball print has made it's way into their stash, those of us with inherited stashes have a great deal of prints that we would never buy for ourselves. I have stash from about four other people now and although most of it is wonderful, some of it just plain boggles my mind.
I've got several cuts of very nice feeling but ugly cloth in yardage and no ideas on how to use it. I've got things that clash with the rest of my stash. I've got seasonal prints and I don't intend to make holiday quilts. I've got plaids and stripes and no idea how to use them well. I've got odd geometrics, and even odder super size prints.
How do you use up those weird amounts of weird prints? Most of all what do you do with 2 or more yards of Ugly? Debra in VA See my quilts at
Large prints can be cut up- a large red rose can be cut into several red triangles or a red applique. Ugly prints can be backings. Seasonal prints can be donated to a church craft group or a school or a senior citizen's center or crocheted into rugs or used for picnic quilts or auto emergency quilts. Odd geometrics can be interesting or even pretty in small doses- chop 'em up! There are books that specialize in plaids. You can send any type of fabrics as squishies and *dare* the person to use it. And you can always send any washable fabrics to Jill for her critter quilts. VBG
I inherited a large stash several years ago from a quilter who was selling her five bedroom house and moving into a one bedroom studio apartment. Lots of stuff I'd never buy for myself! :)
My minigroup and I used most of it to make quilts for our guild's community service project (quilts for all the pediatric cancer patients in the area). There were a couple of prints where I had to firmly remind myself that just because *I* didn't like it didn't mean someone else wouldn't love it -- after all, someone liked it enough to design it, someone else liked it enough to put in a LQS, and still someone else liked it enough to buy it, so it was already three against one!
A former RCTQer used to have an ugly FQ swap once in a while. I never understood how she worked her magic -- I'd send in 12 truly hideous FQs, and get 12 delightful ones back! Everyone else in the group had the same problem. *big grin*
And when all else fails, ugly fabric gets cut up for the baseball swap. It's amazing how much better it looks cut into 6.5" squares. Especially when it's going to a team that had absolutely no business beating mine. *evil grin*
I have a bunch of fabric I got from DH's grandmother when she moved from her home since she can no longer sew, most of which is NOT cotton. I washed everything on hot to get the shrinkage out of the way. I sorted them by sizes: lg enough for a back; enough for binding and then everything else. I made a quilt for DH's granmother and DMIL (see the crazy quilts in my quilts album). I then cut what was left of the smaller ones up into 6 in. squares. I saved most of the scraps from this for string quilts (because I have too much of my granny in me - she saved EVERYTHING). I the sewed the squares together randomly to get a lap quilt. I have 3 of these finished, another 5 waiting to have the binding sewn to the back, and another 4 tops waiting to be tied and bound. Once they are all done I'm donating them to a local senior care center. I still have lots of squares left that are going with the string blocks into more quilts will be donated somewhere too (I have one of these waiting to be finished as well, but it is mine the rest are going to be donated). Any fabrics that I didn't want to mess with (slippery, too stretchy etc) I either have already given to Jill for the doggie quilts or have in a box waiting to send to her. Those that will receive these quilts will either be too blind to see the ugly fabric, or will be appreciative to have a quilt that the won't care what it looks like. And I'm sure none of Jill's doggie friends have had any complaints about the 'ugly' fabric in their quilts either.
use the stripes in borders (crosswise not lengthwise) or piece for backings or use to line purses/totes etc. tis my only additions to the suggestions already made. oh yea and have fun thinking up new ways to use them. like Kathy A said, at least 3 people liked it enough already so it cant be that bad. jeanne
Seasonal prints have always called to me to make a 'calendar' quilt. Y'know,
12 blocks, fairly large scale with a central focus fabric, the seasonal. Get it? ;-) Uglies usually get donated, to someone who thinks it's beautiful, or to our Jill, who makes the critter blankets for shelter animals
Unless there are a whole lot of teams who beat mine. Then there's not nearly enough ugly! LOL (Looks like I'll need lots of ugly this year. Both of my teams think having fun is more important that winning. *sigh* )
Ohhhh that's a great idea Cheryl! Especially for large yardages. You never quite know what you're going to get with different fabrics...it would be fun to play with "uglies" and make chenille!
oh lordy, aint that the truth, forgot completely bout chenille. doesnt matter what the fabric looks like then just the colour range. clever you for remembering that one, cher. jeanne
Have you seen the "Coil Bowls"? Several years ago Shirley Adams did an episode of her TV show on these. She used the really soft upholstery cording that comes in different sizes. (Basically something similar to batting strands with a very loosely woven tubular netting around it. Meant to be covered with fabric.) You tear the ugly fabric into strips, wrap the end with an end of the strip of fabric, covering the cut end of the cording. And continue wrapping, sort of diagonally, and very firmly, around the cord. Be sure to overlap the edges of the strip by about half the width of the strip or 1/2" or so. When you get enough done to start "folding" it, either into a circle or oval you start stitching. Use a very wide, but not too long, zigzag stitch in a color that blends into the fabric. (At least for the first one.) You will certainly be able to find one. Use same thread in top and bobbin. Just zigzag with the two edges of the cord next to each other, if you can reduce the pressure on your pressure foot, but don't worry too much about it. You may need to play with the length/width of the stitch to get it "right". Just keep wrapping and stitching. When you come to the end of a strip, pick up the next strip, wrap so that the end is concealed and keep on wrapping. Note: a safety pin through the fabric and about half the cord keeps it tight and secure. When you have the flat part as big as you want it, start curving up the side of the bowl. Just sort of hold the base up at the edge opposite the needle. Try to keep it even, which takes some practice. Keep on going. When the bowl is shaped/sized to your liking, cut the cord, wrap over the end and tuck the fabric tail around so it ends between the 2 cords. Just sort of "smoosh" the end of the cord and back stitch over it.
You really can't go wrong with these. If you miss a section, go back and re stitch it. (Do it before the bowl gets too big to get the spot under the pressure foot.) If you make flat ones with small cord they can be coasters/placemats/hot mats and so on. Ones with just a bit of a lip can be trays. Bowls can be shallow or deep. The tops of the bowls can flare out or curve in.
You can use lots and lots of yardage this way. And some of the ugliest fabrics look wonderful this way. Have fun with them. Mix fabrics that have the same sort of colors. The frayed edges of the torn strips help "hide" the stitching. But you could also stitch with a contrasting thread or a heavier thread in the bobbin if you become confident enough.
Second idea: Many times those big prints can make wonderful Stack and Whack style blocks. Depends on how many repeats you have. Yardage also works well for "charity" quilts. Lots and lots of places need these, especially needing fabrics for backs. And what is your "ugly" may be someone else's "wonderful". (VBG)
You could also forward it to a local 4-H group, Girl Scout troop, Clothing drive for those that can't afford new school clothes, Shelter for Women, and so on.
And Jill will always take donations for her Critter quilts.
VBG Pati, > Although many quilters find some oddball print has made it's way into
Hi Debra I send all of my "will never make anything of this" fabric to Jill at Critter Comforts. The little fur babies don't care what it looks like....... and she does such a wonderful service.
This reminds me of 20 yrs. of crocheting rag rugs. I can buy this double-ugly fabric, 5-10 yrds of it, cut it into 1" wide strips and start crocheting. Sold every one I ever offered (booths in local craft malls & shows), because once that fabric was twisted & turned and pulled this way & that it looked completely different. And makes the nicest flat rugs. I reckon some fabric isn't "ugly" so much as it is "different" and just needs a different use than my usual quilts. ;-)
InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.