Cashmere Patchwork Quilt

Gather a few sweaters, cashmere is preferred for its long fibers, but other yarns or fibers will work also. I have used Merino wool, Lambswool, Silk, Alpaca, etc. Clean them (washing machine is fine even for wool, use cold water & regular soap. If it shrinks or felts, that will work to your advantage.) and line dry them.

Step 1 Cut into strips

Cut each sweater into strips. I like to start w/sleeves first. If you have enough time and patience, you can try to cut straight, following the knitting. Since you will be using fusible webbing along the seams later, this is not necessary, although it does look much neater at the end. Most of the time, the sleeve cuffs and neck cuff will not be practical for this project, however, if you save them, they can be made into other products.

Comments

[dlien1]

Thumbs up on this idea, made blanket! Recyclying sweaters is a wonderful idea. So soft...beautiful... Thank you for posting the steps.

[kalikabaharan]

Hate to nitpick, but cashmere has very short fibers. That's why it's spun on very high-ratio machines, like you do with cotton.

[myrrhmaid]

SUPER CUTE! Thanks for sharing!

[fireflyvixen]

This is SO great! I've been trying to replicate it, but when I sew the pieces together they curl up. How do you keep the edges from doing that when you are sewing over them so many times?

[urbangleaner56]

I LOVE this idea! It's green, practical, and very useful, AND pretty! I have a question though... how to you keep the sweater from raveling as/when you cut it into strips? Also, I'm still not clear on how you are attaching the backing to the top. Sorry, I'm kinda dense and I really don't sew that much. Leigh

[Sun Moon Lake]

I never sewed before starting this project, perhaps this is the reason for the vague instructions...When you cut sweaters (along the weave), they don't unravel! It's quite unbelievable, but true. try it on a scrap. The backing is attached to the sweater strips by fusible webbing. You would iron the webbing on. It melts on both sides so it fuses the top and bottom pieces together. Then I stick the whole thick piece (fused together sweater & cotton) under the sewing machine and sew along the long sides AGAIN. If this is not clear, just email me at [e-mail]

[OSEle]

What a brilliant idea - this looks like the warmest patchwork quilt ever. The backing does look a bit fiddly, but well worth the effort - thanks.

[jessiep]

If you'd like your project included in the Sew Useful Contest, be sure to add a link to your quilt's Etsy page.

[hulingpics]

I know i'm not the judge however seems like the link wasn't posted until after the deadline which was supposed to be the 16th at midnight...hmmm i think a big part of a contest should be the ability to follow directions

[Sun Moon Lake]

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5028791

where else can i add this link?

[jessiecreations]

I love your style. This is a very different look for a quilt. I love recycling clothing to make beautiful things. Thanks for sharing.

[jessyratfink]

I think this one needs more pictures, and perhaps some drawn images showing how to assemble the strips before sewing. (As in, how to cut them out of the sweater, how to make sure they're straight and the same size, etc.) Also a bit more explanation about the backing of the quilt and how to attach it as that can be tricky. Those with sewing or quilting experience might be okay, but I have a feeling there will be many confused people out there. :)

[Sun Moon Lake]

Thank you for the suggestions. I've added photos. I will be finishing up this instructable this week.