Thrifted sweater Quilt

Do you remember when I posted about getting ready to make a quilt out of thrifted sweaters? Well, I finally finished it! The actual project could probably be done in a weekend but with my crazy life, I never get a whole weekend to dedicate to a craft project. I've got constant interruptions from an adorable 4 yr old and a husband who likes me to realize he's alive once in awhile!

But after several weeks of interruptions, I finished the quilt last weekend and I love how it turned out! (I know, I say that a lot of my projects, but really I'm quite happy when my visions are realized! It doesn't always happen!)

If you purchase used sweaters for this project, be sure to wash them all together, in hot water and dry them on high heat before cutting. I did this because when you buy a thrifted item ya never know where's it's been so I wanted to be sure I was working with fresh and clean sweaters! I also put it through the high heat because my daughter's bedding has to be washed with hot water and dried on high as one of the measures we take to manage her asthma and reduce and neutralize the cat dander and other allergens that are present in our home.

So, let me show you how I made this:

To create the basic rectangles that make up the quilt: I first cut off the sleeves of the sweater, at the seam where the arm and shoulder meet. I then cut the sleeve open along the remaining seam on the sleeve. I determined the size I wanted the quilt to be and asked my hubby to help me with the math. Have I ever mentioned I hate math?

A Twin size comforter is 68"x86". I didn't want my quilt quite that big and I decided on 64" x 82" as the finished dimensions. My wonderful husband told me to cut 106 rectangles measuring 5" x 13" which would give me a 1/2" seam allowance and finish with a 64" x 82" quilt.

Once I had all my rectangles cut: I laid 'em out and hubby said I needed 7 rectangles in length and 16 in width. I arranged them on the floor in a random pattern, while also ensuring a somewhat even dispersement of color. Then I sewed the long strips (So I sewed the 7 rectangles end to end). Remember to sew them right sides together!

Once all 16 strips were sewn: I sewed the strips together lengthwise, adding another strip once one was finished until I eventually had it all sewn together. I then backed it with a jersey sheet by simply sewing the jersey sheet to the quilt, right sides together. I left an opening at one end to turn it inside out and then top-stitched it closed.

My girl loves it and so do I! Such a cozy quilt! I'm thinking of making one from sweaters in different shades of browns and cream for our master bedroom.

If you decide to make one of your own, leave a comment or e-mail me a link. I'd love to see how many variations can be created.

Any questions, let me know!