For AGES I’ve had making myself a Vintage Sheet Quilt at the top of my selfish sewing to do list! FINALLY I’ve gotten it finished and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the way it turned out!
I’m a hardcore lover of all things vintage sheet… they bring back such fond memories, are incredibly soft and have the perfect amount of wear to make a great quilt! Not to mention this is a fun upcycle type project! Of course, when working with material that already had some wear and tear, you’ve got to take a few extra steps…
Tips for Making Your Own Vintage Sheet Quilt:
#1 Wash with Care. The first thing I do when I get any new sheets is wash with an effective laundry soap. My go to laundry soap for my precious vintage sheets? method’s4x concentrated laundry detergent! I love it for a its effectiveness, the fact that it has naturally derived cleaning power proven to remove tough dirt + stains. Its also great for keeping colors bright + whites white! All of these features make it perfect for washing your vintage sheets in. You can also use it to pre-treat any spots or stains. Plus it smells divine!
#2 Hang to Dry. I love letting my vintage sheets dry outside on the line. Not only does it help them dry a little flatter, its saves electricity and allows the sun to work its magic on any discoloration.
#3 Iron and use Spray Starch. Some vintage sheets can be a little on the flimsy side. Ironing and adding a little spray starch can go a long way to ensure accurate cutting, as well as make the fabric easier to work with.
#4 Cut to a Manageable Size. Its kind of hard to work with an entire sheet. I highly recommend cutting your sheet into 4th’s or smaller to make it easier to work with. This will also keep it from pulling in any direction when you’re cutting your squares.
#5 Extra Wide Seam Allowance. No matter what project you’re making with your vintage sheets, I always recommend adding at least an extra 1/8 to 1/4 inch to your seam allowance. I usually sew with a 3/8’s seam for my vintage sheet quilts.
Its rained non-stop for the past few weeks, so the lighting isn’t all that great. I’ll update with new pictures as soon as the sun shows up!
For this quilt I cut 30 squares at 12.5 inches. Sewed with a 3/8’s seam allowance. 5 squares wide and 6 squares long, this quilt is just 6 inches shy of being a twin size 🙂 I managed to quilt this one on my personal sewing machine, it was a bit of a feat, but it worked out just fine. Also I used this method to add the binding and finished it up by hand 🙂
Its the perfect Snuggling-on-the-couch quilt and I am in LOVE with it!
If you’ve been collecting vintage sheets for a vintage sheet quilt of your own, I highly recommend method’s new 4x concentrated laundry detergent! Right now you can save $3 by using THREEFORME for your online purchase. Check out the method x ASOS collection here!
Check out all the #101HandmadeDays projects here!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
mindofmeesh12 says
May 23, 2015 at 9:35 pmYou are so talented! I hope to one day learn how to quilt once I get more time on my hands!
Jill Herzberg Morgenstern says
May 24, 2015 at 6:21 pmSo pretty! I bet it feels great too!
mamamommymom says
May 25, 2015 at 9:53 amThat is gorgeous! I love quilts and this would make a wonderful gift too!
Brooke @ Blushing Noir says
May 25, 2015 at 11:56 amThis is so beautiful. My gram made beautiful quilts and I wish she’d have taught me how before she died. Some day I’ll figure it out 😉
Nina says
May 25, 2015 at 12:17 pmBeautiful! I love how cheerful and bright it is 🙂
Kristine Foley (@thefoleyfam) says
May 25, 2015 at 1:48 pmIt’s beautiful! Will have to try some of that detergent for ours!
Made By Meggs says
May 25, 2015 at 2:42 pmLOVE the final project! I saw you start this on IG and I am so excited to see it. It’s gorgeous & I love how all of the different vintage colors and patterns complement each other. I am not adding this to my long list of sewing projects. Where did you find the adorable sheets? Personal collection or thrifting?
Jennifer says
May 25, 2015 at 7:22 pmI find them all over the place 🙂 Thrift stores, antique stores, Etsy, and Instagram are the places I’ve had the most luck 🙂
Chelsea @ Olive & Ivy says
May 25, 2015 at 6:34 pmYou did an amazing job on this. I love the bright colors!
Shonda says
May 25, 2015 at 6:35 pmOne of my favorite gifts is a homemade quilt. It was made with love and I will always cherish it. Thanks for sharing how to make them.
Michelle says
May 25, 2015 at 7:08 pmHow lovely. I love Method’s products. I’ve wen using them for years.
A Little Claireification says
May 25, 2015 at 7:51 pmThat is amazing – great job Jennifer!!
Tiara says
May 25, 2015 at 9:51 pmI wish I was crafty. I have always wanted to learn how to make quilts but I am not good at them at all. The one you made is absolutely beautiful!
cindyparrett says
May 26, 2015 at 3:56 amVery nice quilt! I’ve always wanted to learn how, but sewing clothes for the kiddos always keeps me busy.
Cori says
May 26, 2015 at 2:50 pmI’ll be attempting to piece my own quilt while on Christmas break. Thanks for the tips! ~ Cori from The Blog Love Project
LikeableNut says
June 1, 2015 at 5:01 amLOVE this! I have bins…literally BINS…of vintage bed linens from the thrift store in my garage. I just can’t pass them up- such inexpensive, pretty material. Thank you so much for popping by Snickerdoodle Sunday- hope to see you again this coming weekend!
Sarah (Sadie Seasongoods)
Behind the Seams Sew (@BTSSewing) says
June 1, 2015 at 6:46 amYour vintage sheet quilt is absolutely beautiful! I would love for you to link up to the Stitch It, Blog It, Share It Link Party going on now at BehindtheSeamsSewing.com.
~Bonnie
Shantel says
June 1, 2015 at 9:09 amI love it! I can never find cute sheets at my thrift stores :0( but I’m going to keep looking after seeing this quilt!
Sue D says
June 1, 2015 at 10:08 pmI have about 30 vintage sheets waiting for me to cut them up and make quilts just as you did! I was wondering what batting you used…or did you just use a backing and keep it really light for the Summer months? I have both a 80/20 batting and a nice Poly Down batting that I like to use in a quilt that may be washed frequently. Just haven’t made up my mind what to use before starting on some of these projects.
Jennifer says
June 2, 2015 at 1:32 pmI used a poly batting I had on hand with a very low loft. Its the perfect summer quilt now!
Susie at Oui Crochet says
June 3, 2015 at 7:33 pmSo pretty! And a great way to re-purpose vintage sheets!
I am co-hosting the Fiber Tuesdays Link Party, and I would like to invite you to stop by and share this link!
http://www.ouicrochet.com/2015/06/fiber-tuesday-guest-hosting-link-party.html
Have a wonderful day!
Susie
http://www.ouicrochet.com
Brandi Clevinger says
June 5, 2015 at 2:50 pmSo crafty and creative you are! This is cute. I agree with hanging to dry. Unless I’m in a time crunch, I don’t use the dryer.
Thanks for sharing at #SmallVictoriesSundayLinkup ! I pinned your post to the group board Small Victories Sunday.
Debi @ Surroundings by Debi says
June 6, 2015 at 9:51 amAmazing! This looks so comfy! Thank you for partying with us at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop!
2patkath says
June 6, 2015 at 8:50 pm#HomeMattersParty thanks you for bringing our readers this lovely creative quilt.
Kathleen
Lou Lou Girls says
June 8, 2015 at 3:21 pmI absolutely love this! Thanks for sharing it with us. Pinned and tweeted. I hope to see you tomorrow night at 7 pm. We can’t wait to party with you! Lou Lou Girls
Megan says
March 14, 2016 at 2:50 pmI have a stack of vintage sheets that I’ve been collecting to make a quilt. The only problem is, now I’m having a hard time bringing myself to cut them up! I’m hoping I’ll get over this soon!
Across the Boulevard (@AcrosstheBlvd) says
August 16, 2016 at 8:47 amYour quilt is gorgeous! What a wonderful way to use vintage sheets. Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle. Pinning
Kathi Riemer says
August 17, 2016 at 9:07 amWhat a great idea!! I love the pastel colored, vintage sheets you used for this quilt.
samantha says
August 17, 2016 at 2:24 pmBeautiful quilt! I love Method products too. They always smell so good. Thanks for joining the Family Joy Link Party!
MomHomeGuide says
August 20, 2016 at 10:49 pmBeautiful quilt! Thanks for sharing your quilt at Craft Frenzy Friday on Mom Home Guide!
createwithjoy says
August 21, 2016 at 2:01 pmI LOVE your quilt Jennifer and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to feature you at this week’s Inspire Me Monday party at Create With Joy! 🙂
Judy says
August 23, 2016 at 6:33 amAbsolutely gorgeous quilt. I will be featuring this tonight at my Sizzle into Summer party that opens at 8pm EST. Please stop by and pick up an I’ve Been Featured button. Thanks. http://diybydesign.blogspot.com