Alternative Uses For Quilt Tops

While we have certainly spent some time transforming quilt tops into garments, there are endless other uses for them that are arguably more timeless and convey and emphasis the artistry of the piece work overall, than in cutting and piecing it back together for a shirt.

That being said, you may or may not realize that there is often a reason that certain quilt tops were never actually finished into quilts.
Often they were pieced together irregularly, making the finished top entirely too asymmetrical and a nightmare to try to square up into a quilt.
There’s a lot of math and precision involved in quilting which is necessary for an adequate outcome.

Of course this is not always the case, it’s plausible that it just came down to people being more excited about starting another new quilt top vs. finishing the one they just made into a quilt (a very relatable habit in our own sewing lives here…). We can only speculate.

However, we certainly value the resourcefulness and ingenuity that comes with finding alternative uses for cast-off things, and while many of you may have the skills and desire necessary to finish a quilt top into a complete quilt (we certainly have a secret stash of them at the shop that we hope to do the same with one day..)
there are a large variety of fun and inventive uses for these left-behind textiles that showcase their beauty and we’ve compiled a list below for you!

Please feel free to comment below with your additional ideas and thoughts. We always love the community minded brainstorming that can occur when it comes to finding new ways to continue the life of old things!

• Shower curtain

• Textile mural on your wall

• Special tablecloth at your wedding, (or just for a Tuesday)

• Temporary canopy over your patio, to take inside when not in use.

• The most artful blanket fort/tent for your kiddos (or yourself…)

• Doorway curtain

• Under counter skirt around your kitchen or bathroom sink

• Photoshoot back drop, whether hung or on the ground for flat lays

• Split in half for two half window curtains

• To re-do an umbrella

• Really large flag

• Room divider

• Curtain for your wardrobe or hutch

• Display in a stack on a shelf

• Place over the back of a favorite chair or your couch

• Hang all in a row on a ladder for some visual appeal to that one dark corner

• Picnic blanket

• Reupholster a small piece of furniture

• Bolster pillow

• Set of matching pillows for your couch

• Canopy for your bed

• Table runner

• Or of course… finish into a quilt

For both the shower curtain and the shop window curtain we used this curtain wire and these clips from Ikea.
We just clipped the quilt top right to the shower curtain liner for these photos.
There is perhaps a more sustainable buying option out there, but we were eager to quickly achieve a proof of concept with this idea!

We have a special antique quilt top collection that is launching this weekend! Depending on when you’re reading this, it may be live already so we will go ahead and direct you to the new quilt top section of the web shop. We will continue to add them there as we find them!