Quilt questions

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Just Cliff

Awesome Friend
Neighbor
Joined
Jan 8, 2018
Messages
326
Location
North Carolina
Hey all:

I have a few questions about making a quilt. How much denim would it take to make a queen sized quilt? How much should I expect to pay someone to make a denim quilt if I provided the material? How long would it take on average to make?
 
I saw this earlier and don't have specific answers, but to help find the answers to your questions, I have some questions. I am not trying to insult your intelligence, just clarifying terms on how quilts are made, and to see what it is that you want. Every different technique can make a difference in how long it would take to make a quilt, and therefore, how much it would cost.

A quilt is typically a certain design of smaller pieces of fabric which are sewn together in the selected design into what is called a quilt top. The underside is typically made from one piece of coordinating fabric. Quilt tops were once made from the scraps of making clothing, sometimes damaged or worn out clothing and other things. The quilt top can be made from one piece of fabric, either a solid color, or a pre-printed design. I have made quilts with pieces sewn together into a design and I have quilted with a piece of fabric that had a printed design.

Quilts can be made by hand sewing through the top, bottom, and batting in between. They can also be machine quilted. Another techniques is to use yarn and to "tie" the quilt top, bottom and batting together.

I once thought I would use old jeans, cut them into 4 inch squares, and design and embroidery something different on each square. I didn't get very far. I can tell you one thing about all that denim: it is heavy! It is heavy to try to sew on a machine. It is difficult to quilt together with a needle and thread. I do have a cousin who does make jean quilts for her sons (3), nephews, and other men in her family.

My questions: Do you want a solid denim quilt, that is just quilted together? This means you would purchase a particular type of denim fabric of your choosing and the person would put the top, batting in the middle, and the bottom together. This would be the quickest and the cheapest as far as labor. Having it machine quilted versus hand quilted would make a big difference. Hand quilting can take a long time. Machine quilting can be finished in one day by someone who has access, but there is a fee for that.

Do you want to select a few pieces of denim and have it cut into pieces and assembled into a particular design? The weight of the fabric will make it difficult for a machine to sew through the layers. Look at the seams of jeans.

If you have someone sew a quilt of fabric that is not cut and pieces, and simply assembled, you are going to get your quilt finished the quickest. But you may have a particular pattern that you would like.
 
I have a lot of old denim pants that are going to go away from here. 6"+ squares could be cut from them. The only pattern would be just the different colors of wear on the denim. Heavy is fine with me, i'd much rather have a heavy quilt.
That would be pretty easy to make a quilt from old jeans cut into 6 inch squares, but it will take time. This kind of quilt is often tied with yarn, probably best done at the corner of the squares. The back side can be something would go with the top. It could be something with a print in many possibilities of colors. A red bandana print in flannel tied with red yarn would be a good example. I found a denim quilt with a solid red backing with red ties and seams zig-zagged for more durability.

denim quilt.jpg
 
I always wanted to do one with family pictures on it, but that ain't going to happen anytime soon if at all.
I did as well, Meerkat. It combine my interest in family history with my interest in quilting. I have many projects to finish, and I have decided it is best to finish up some stuff before investing and acquiring more stuff. I already have way too much of that.
 
That would be pretty easy to make a quilt from old jeans cut into 6 inch squares, but it will take time. This kind of quilt is often tied with yarn, probably best done at the corner of the squares. The back side can be something would go with the top. It could be something with a print in many possibilities of colors. A red bandana print in flannel tied with red yarn would be a good example. I found a denim quilt with a solid red backing with red ties and seams zig-zagged for more durability.

View attachment 22838
Where'd you get a picture of my quilt?
 
That quilt will be heavy.
I usually do my squares in 4.5 inches- 5.5 inches, random pattern.
Random shades of denim, but I don't tie them.
A good quilter will have the necessary needles for her sewing machine.
When doing denim jean quilts I use double needles usually and go slower than normal because of the weight.
Also use upholstery thread if I have it on hand, otherwise denim weight thread will work.
I try to use flannel as backing on denim quilts as a whole, but have used other fabrics as well.
Good luck with your quilt.
If you decided to do it by hand :
Have good sturdy pair of leather gloves, sharp needles, good sturdy pair of needle nose pliers.
Good luck.
 
That quilt will be heavy.
I usually do my squares in 4.5 inches- 5.5 inches, random pattern.
Random shades of denim, but I don't tie them.
A good quilter will have the necessary needles for her sewing machine.
When doing denim jean quilts I use double needles usually and go slower than normal because of the weight.
Also use upholstery thread if I have it on hand, otherwise denim weight thread will work.
I try to use flannel as backing on denim quilts as a whole, but have used other fabrics as well.
Good luck with your quilt.
If you decided to do it by hand :
Have good sturdy pair of leather gloves, sharp needles, good sturdy pair of needle nose pliers.
Good luck.
So... Where should I send the denim?
 
I saw one of these at the Yoder Quilt auction last year, went for $75.00. Another auction going on the end of this month. I thought the $75 was cheap. It had denim squares and yarn tie offs, and the backing was a solid material. Queen sized.
That is a great price, IMHO for a hand made quilt. Now for the cheap stuff made in some other country on an assembly line, well, that is another story.
 
@Just Cliff If you stop in at your local quilt shop, they should be able to let you know if there is someone who would be willing to do that for you. Denim is difficult to work with so the more you have ready, the more economical it will be. You might have the squares cut into 6.5" squares (precise.). For the backing, if the fabric is 45", you'll need about 10.5 yards. You will need extra for binding. (Price could be between $7-$18/yd.). Regular cotton or flannel would be your most common choices for backing. The batting comes 90" wide so you will need about twice the length of the quilt. It is usually $10-12 per yard but there are often coupons for half off at certain chain stores. I would use cotton quilting thread as opposed to regular sewing thread. It will be stronger. Prices of fabrics vary depending upon quality and area (like anything else.)
A queen quilt is usually a 102" square so you will need 289 squares of denim.
*If your quilt shop isn't helpful, you might try calling your local extension office.
Hope that helps.
 
Back
Top