Ugly Quilt Fabric? - What To Do With It!

Have you ever gotten home with some new fabric only to see that it matches NOTHING in your house? Have you been gifted some fabric that you would never have purchased? Have you fallen prey to the "good deal" fabric and just cannot think of any way to use it? Perhaps you won some fabric at a guild meeting and now you feel guilty not using it for something? What is a quilter to do?

First - Is the fabric good quality?

Is the fabric in question good quilt shop quality fabric that is worthy of being incorporated in one of your quilting projects? If not, why not donate it to a school or scout troop to use for craft making where the life of the project does not call for the highest quality fabric. Another way to put this fabric to use is to use it to test new piecing methods. If the block turns out to be one that you don't enjoy making, you really haven't wasted anything because you didn't like the fabric anyway!

Read Chain Store vs Quilt Store Fabric?

Is the color pleasant but the pattern the problem?

If the fabric color is pretty, you may want to use the fabric in small bits where the pattern won't be noticeable like in string piecing or in a scrap quilt. Perhaps you might want to use it to make a toothbrush rug that has colors that match your room or to make a fabric bowl. All of these projects can use up quite a bit of fabric and only the color of the fabric will really show in the finished projects.

Is the quality good but the color just not your favorite?

Perhaps you have friends who have some "what was I thinking fabric" that you can swap with. Suggest a time to get together with your friends and each of you bring your "treasures" to swap. Or make small quilts to donate to a local charity – some guilds even ask that you use only “ugly” fabrics to make quilt pallets for the homeless as the “pretty” quilts can start fights. This is the perfect way to try a new pattern and bless someone with a quilt they will treasure. Another great use for this type of fabric is to help our furry friends at the animal shelter. Dog beds are made from a strong fabric and stuffed with fabric scraps. Don’t forget new quilters who may be young and not have the resources to build a fabric stash. Remember - one quilter's idea of pretty is not the same as another's. Your “ugly” fabric may be just what they need to help build their stash.

If all else fails....

Sell it! There are so many Facebook sites where you can sell your fabric now that this may be just the answer for you. Isn't it better to let someone else enjoy the fabric and it not be clouding your thoughts and filling your quilting space when it really doesn't make you happy? Let it find a new home where another quilter can give it a future.

Now don't you feel better that you have chosen a future for that fabric? Best of all, you now have room for something that will make you smile!