DeeDeeM

My Grandmother used a method very similar to this to recycle her old worn quilts into new quilts. I've known her to piece a whole new top for the quilt and finish it this way. This article brought back some really great memories.

I love it when an old idea gets a great update. Thank you.

Let me suggest a way to make the T-shirt material handle better for the cutting and construction phase. Pre-wash all the T-shirts with a light to medium fabric starch. Use the package directions. Iron the T-shirts flat with a steam iron and fine mist water spray after they dry. Use a medium heat setting and a press cloth or iron the back-side to protect any screen prints or puffy prints that might melt. The T-shirts will be stiffer, less stretchy, and will tend to roll less. It takes a little more effort at the beginning, but I have found it to be more than worth it in how it improved the handling of the fabric. The quilt can be returned to normal T-shirt softness by simply washing it after completed. Enjoy.

It is so nice to see the old ideas get another run thru. My grandmother used to make wraps very similar to these. She didn't have the fancy plastic material though. She used to wax cotton cloth.

She melted wax, either parafin or beeswax. When the wax was hot enough to be very thin and watery, she would put the cotton cloth in the wax. Leave it long enough to absorb the wax and pull it out. She then hung the cloth until cool. The fully cooled cloth would be stiff. Holding the cloth over a basin to catch the wax, she would crumple and twist the cloth until all the excess wax came out.

When she was done, the cloth had a heavier, waxy feel, but was soft, waterproof, and washable. Washing with a mild soap in cool water maintained the waterproof qualities much longer. When the wax finally does wash out, just process the cloth again.

It would be easy enough to make some of these wraps, dip them in wax, work the excess wax out, and use them to your heart's delight.