what to do with tons of yards of double knit

**oakie** · August 6th, 2012, 05:37 PM

My mom recently passed away and had left all kinds of double knit polyester in her stash.
There seems to be yards and yards of it.
She used to make lots of my clothes in the 70s.(double knit was cool back then) I would like to somehow use it to make lap quilts for me and my three brothers as a remembrance of her. I'm just not sure it there is a way to use it- help!

**Bubby** · August 6th, 2012, 05:48 PM

While doubleknit is not the ín fabric for making quilts you can make simple one-patch quilts and tie them with yarn in the center of each square and they are the warmest blankets because doubleknit doesn't breathe. My great-aunt used to make them and they never wore out and never faded. These would be a nice reminder of your loved one. Barb

**twnkeyes** · August 6th, 2012, 05:56 PM

I had the same issue, Oakie. I cut the fabric into charm pack size squares, sewed them in rows, sewed front and back together (back was also charm rows) and sewed a stitch around the edges to make a "binding". Be careful not to make the lap quilt any bigger than that, double polyester is HEAVY! The tying method could be used too with this method.

**toggpine** · August 6th, 2012, 06:25 PM

That fabric will make excellent picnic & car blankets! Nearly indestructible!

You can make precuts of any size with it to create some of the quilts you see with simple shapes. The seams will be a bit bulky, so I'd avoid things with points.

Good Luck with that stash!

**Klasien** · August 6th, 2012, 06:28 PM

Just one question..........What is double knit fabric?

Would like to know that, so I can understand this thread........might not be the most smartest question

, but still I would love to know.

**K. McEuen** · August 6th, 2012, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Klasien

Just one question..........What is double knit fabric?

Would like to know that, so I can understand this thread........might not be the most smartest question

, but still I would love to know.

It's 100% polyester fabric. Can melt when it's too close to a heat source, is stifling to wear. Think powder blue leisure suits from the early 70's. The stuff is terrible. When I saw the thread title "what to do with tons of yards of double knit", my first thought was "throw it away."

**Blondie** · August 6th, 2012, 08:57 PM

All the above is right on. Make sure you are using polyester thread and ball point needle in your machine as well. I think most of our Grands or Moms were right in style back in the day.

**Sandy Navas** · August 6th, 2012, 09:37 PM

Karen and I quite often think on the same wave length. However, I have a double-knit polyester quilt that we use as a picnic quilt and it is 40+ years old and still going strong. It is a double-size and as mentioned, HEAVY, even though it is backed with a double-knit something weird that isn't polyester. It is made of 8" square blocks and was tied. GO FOR IT.

**oakie** · August 6th, 2012, 10:30 PM

I like the idea of a picnic quilt - I think my mom would be glad I found a use for it - she hung on to it for 30 plus years - I would hate to dump it in the trash, sort of like recycling I guess. The memories will always be there.

**bec** · August 6th, 2012, 11:34 PM

My grandmother used to use double knit scraps to make "crazy quilts". Here is a baby quilt that she made 33 years ago for my daughter. It looks like she did 1/4 inch seams then did a decorator stitch on the seams. I'm not sure what she used in the middle of the sandwich, but she used flannel for the backing and then she tacked it.