Vintage Sheet Strings – Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day (now closed)

12 May

Giveaway now closed, winner announced here

Welcome to new and regular readers of my blog.  Here I write about my sewing projects and fabric acquisitions, feel free to stay and browse.

Just over 2 years ago I opened my etsy shop selling vintage sheet fabrics from my rather large stash. I’ve sent fabric all over the world and I am continuously amazed and delighted at people’s enthusiasm/obsession for vintage sheets.  I’ve used them in quilts, cushions, bags and bunting:

Vintage Sheet Bunting

My goal for May for the #ALYoF is to make a vintage sheet quilt top and after a bit of indecision I opted for a string quilt. So it seemed like a great idea to enable one of you to join me in my current stitchy plan.

These are the blocks I’ve made so far:

IMG_3519

You might be able to guess that there has been no planning, just string after string pulled from the pile, I think it’s looking pretty good so far.  I’ve use Ashley’s tutorial and I’m using a 10.5″ paper rather than 7″.

So today I am giving away a pack of vintage sheet strips for you to make your own quilt blocks.  The pack contains 450g (approx 16oz) of vintage sheets strips. Strips range in size from 1″ – 3″ wide and 5″ – 18″ long. In a sample pack there were 170 strips, however packs are made up by weight so the number of strips may differ. Each pack contains at least 20 different prints.

IMG_3530

To enter:
Please leave a comment below telling me about your vintage sheet memories or why you’d love to win.

For additional entries:
Visit my etsy shop and add it to your favourites – leave an additional comment to say you’ve done that.
Tweet about the giveaway using the tweet button at the bottom of this post, then leave a comment with the tweet link.

That’s 3 possible entries.

Rules:
Giveaway open internationally.
Giveaway closes at 5pm PST on Friday 16 May.
Duplicate entries will be deleted.
Winner will be picked by True Random Number Generator and notified by email and by update to this post.
Please ensure that your email is linked to your profile or left in your comment so that you can be contacted if you win.

AND for all of you there is a discount code for 15% off everything in my etsy shop this week, use code SMS14 at checkout.

Thanks for visiting, now click on over to Sew Mama Sew and enter some more giveaways.

MayGiveawayDay2014

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219 Replies to “Vintage Sheet Strings – Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day (now closed)

  1. Oh Mary the string blocks look fab! I do love a vintage sheet, they take me back to my childhood, blowing on the washing line and snuggling under them on the sofa watching Val Singelton make things on Blue Peter. Happy Days 🙂

  2. I love vintage sheets and use them for backings when I can find them. I am just making a scrap string quilt at the moment and am very, very short of these lovelies. Thank you. jenny larking at gmail dot com

  3. I made a dress from a bright blue vintage sheet and people always smile at me in the dress. Thanks!

  4. This is why I love SMS! I love learning about new blog that I can fall in love with! I am always on the lookout for vintage sheets and have a few patterns from my childhood that are particularly special to me…I am excited to know about you!

  5. The yellow vintage fat quarter in your shop remind me of the sheets on my mom’s bed when I was growing up!

  6. Oh my gosh, I just love vintage fabrics! There’s something extra special about a fabric you can’t just get anywhere. I remember these floral sheets I had when I was a kid… man I wish I had kept those 🙂
    craftinomicon(at)gmail(dot)com

  7. I recently made (just have to bind) a quilt out of vintage sheets, too! I made it in a chevron pattern, and love it a lot. I think I would like to make another, albeit smaller, quilt soon.

  8. i have never worked with vintage sheets before. It looks wonderful. I would love to make some bed pillows with these. thanks for a chance.

  9. I haven’t worked with vintage sheets before, and I keep looking for them at local thrift stores with no success!

  10. I LOVE vintage sheets and am currently making my guilds block of the month quilt with vintage sheets. I love the colors and softness. I’ve got lots of strings myself but never made a string block. I think its time to give it a try 🙂

  11. What fun strips! I haven’t worked with vintage sheets before, but all of the project ideas I see online have been getting me to keep an eye out at thrift stores for sheets to try out.

  12. I love vintage sheets. I sewed my daughter a floral maxi dress from one that turned out lovely!

    glazefamily3 AT gmail.com

  13. I remember my grandmas sheets and always being tucked in nice and cosy. Would love to win and make some blocks
    Thanks for the giveaway

  14. I love string quilts and would love some new strips to add to my collection! Those look like wonderful colors and prints to work with!

  15. I haven’t worked with vintage sheets before, but I have always wanted to. Thank you for hosting this giveaway!

  16. I have just started collecting vintage sheets. Love the hunt thru resale shops. Cindy

  17. I absolutely adore your gorgeous vintage bundles and I would LOVE to tackle a string quilt!

    Count me in!
    Hx

  18. I’ve been wanting to do a string quilt (or at least a mini!) for a bit now. To me, vintage sheets = grandma, both of ’em! Have a few pillowcases from my dad’s mom, can’t make myself cut them, have been using them instead!

  19. I remember some of the sheets we had when I was a kid, I used it all the time and eventually it just fell apart. I wish my mother would have saved one!

    jachelno at gmail dot com

  20. My mom once made a blanket for my bed out of two sheets, which would now be considered vintage. I still remember how it looked and sometimes see those same sheets for sale on Etsy. Thanks for the chance to win!

  21. Ah, memories of the (possibly M&S?) brown, patterned hexagons when I was a child. My best friend had the green version on her bed! I’ve been eying your lovely charm packs in your shop for ages, but had resolved to finish all my projects before diving into another! Would love the chance to win these 🙂

  22. Vintage sheets remind me of nights spent at my grandmothers, the scent of ironing her sheets, and the days spent hanging them to dry in her garden. Such sweet memories from the 1950s. I guess that makes me vintage also.

  23. Oh Mary, I really don’t think you’re going to manage to sell any of these, people have too many bad memories associated with vintage sheets…… I know, why don’t you send all your strings to me and I’ll dispose of them in the appropriate manor?

  24. Vintage sheets remind me of summers at the lake. I think your quilt is going to come out great.

  25. They would be perfect for a spiderweb quilt that I plan to make one day soon! I am sure every British home owned the same sherbet coloured striped sheets and yellow wool blend blanket with silky binding at some point in the 70’s and 80’s! Along with that M&S quilt cover with big flowers in purple or blue (probably tons more colours) that I see pictured!

  26. Unfortunately, my parents didn’t have great taste in sheets. However, when I see these beautiful vintage sheets, they remind me of the towels that my parents had. So, I guess they had decent taste, afterall!
    🙂
    Thank you for your generous giveaway!
    Jamie

  27. I love vintage sheets. They are so soft and cozy. It’s not hard to remember the fun flowers that used to grace my little girl bed. Thanks for the giveaway!

  28. I love vintage sheets! I am currently hand sewing a hexagon quilt from vintage sheets to replace the one my great grandmother made.

  29. Oh, my vintage sheet memories are all from the 1970s growing up. So many different kinds of patterns! Lots of floral prints with green, yellow, white and orange.

  30. I have some vintage sheets from my Grandparents house. I have such good memories of sleep overs at their house. I can’t bring myself to use them so far. But putting them in a quilt is better them sitting in my closet.

    Thanks for the chance to win.

  31. I really don’t remember having any vintage sheets when I was young. I have seen a lot of them on the internet and think they are so beautiful!

  32. My grandmother had these white sheets with yellow flowers. They were so soft and so happy. Thinking about them just makes me smile.

  33. I’m not good with vintage sheets as far as recognizing them. I see other people’s collection and I love them but can’t seem to find them on my own. Thanks for sharing.

  34. I collect vintage sheets and I am terrified to use them because what if I mess them up!? What if I need them for a different project than what I cut it up for!? They are not replaceable! Ahh! Maybe winning will push me to use what I already have stashed with your beautiful fabrics!

  35. My family has a summer home on a lake. Very rustic, and the bunk bed sheets are the ones that my dad slept on as a child sixty years ago. I always loved those bold patterns and colors and could recognize as a child that the aesthetic was very different to the sheets we had at home. (Though I am sure I didn’t say it that way!)

    Shannerpants AT gmail DOT com

  36. Crisp, line dried, sharp creases tucked in under layers of blankets and an eiderdown comforter at Grandmas

  37. I love these! My grandmother saved everything, so when I would visit her, sometimes I’d sleep on vintage sheets. Some of these patterns remind me of her!

  38. I smile every time I see your sheet bunting. My first bedlinen in my first married home was the lilac and purple flowers from M & S. (1975). Please let me have a go at strip piecing too!

  39. I’m afraid I don’t have many vintage sheet memories, but I would love to make a baby quilt for an English friend of mine here who is due soon. I think she would love it!

  40. I think my Grandma may have had one of your blue sheets. I’ll bet people say that all the time, right?

  41. I remember the sheets being used on my bed at home when I was growing up so now I use any vintage sheets to make into clothing and the scraps into quilts. Every time I see my finished work being used it brings back very fond memories 🙂

  42. I’ve been eyeing up so many vintage creations on instagram and there is nowhere to source vintage fabric like that here. Would love the opportunity to create with them

  43. I favourited your shop. We had those 7 yellow sheets at home as a child. The ones with the big flowers in yellow and brown were on my duvet. Jennylarking at gmail dot com

  44. When I was little my Granny always asked for new bed linen for her birthday. We would always go to Rackhams (now John Lewis) to get some. But when we went to stay we never saw them. She died a few years ago and when we cleared her house we found a cupboard full of unopened bedding dating back to the early 60’s. There was enough for me to make quilts for all the family members, each recognising things that they had bought. It was fun and cathartic and now when i see vintage sheets they always remind me of her!

  45. Those blocks are gorgeous! My Granny used to sew with vintage sheets to make sweet dresses for us. Thanks for the giveaway!

  46. I think we are drawn to vintage sheets because of memories of feeling secure when we were little and they remind us of our moms and grandmothers.

  47. Over here it’s actually hard to come by vintage sheets, other than them being entirely white. But I love that firm feel of the cotton, it’s really sturdy and endurable and all the washing gives them that special feel.
    I love the look of the fabrics here, they’re so pretty with all the different flower prints. Thanks for the chance! 🙂

  48. Vintage sheets bring back memories of shaking mulberry trees onto old sheets and then making pies.

  49. I do love Vintage Sheet style, but have never owned any myself. wonderlandbyalyce(at)gmail(dot)com

  50. We sleep on vintage sheets, it would be so fun to make a quilt with them too, my MIL would just die if I started cutting up all of her vintage sheets that she has given us, and yes she does come over to do inventories, lol.

  51. I have lots of memories of vintage sheets, I love the patterns and somehow they just seem crisper than the sheets we have now.

    just in case: m3reyna at gmail dot com

  52. Love using sheets to make string quilts, have been making them for over 30+ years, you go girl, get new quilters involved with the use of vintage( recycled) sheets……

  53. I remember running and jumping in my mom’s bed during thunderstorms and her sheets were always so pretty with soft florals and smelled like fresh air from the clothesline! They made me feel safe! I wish we could buy beautiful sheets like that these days! Thank you for a chance to win. I have been wanting to make a string quilt but don’t have alot of scraps yet so these would be perfect!
    xo jan

  54. Squee! Pick me, pick me! I’m totally hooked on vintage sheets after doing two swaps with you! 🙂

  55. I love (and favorited ) your ETSY shop ( as Featherweight Quilt Co) . I really loved the strips sets and the little blue bundle and the charm sets! You have alot of sheets! really nice shop!

  56. I do not have Twitter but I did “Like” you on Facebook. ( I am the little orange EPP block icon) You do not have to count this as an entry, just wanted to let you now.
    xo jan

  57. i’ve never sewn with vintage sheets and think it’d be fun to try it out! what a great way to get started.

  58. Ive never had any vintage sheets to sew with. These would be great for some string blocks, they’d make great cushions and bags.

  59. Love the vintage flowers. Reminds me of my childhood. Great giveaway. Thanks so much for sharing

  60. I love vintage sheets and have been collecting them to make a quilt. They remind me of my childhood especially the florals as my mom loved them the best.

  61. I am dying to make a string quilt and would love to have these “strings” to put in the quilt.

  62. My sister made a rag floor quilt for my first baby out of some of my and my husband’s childhood sheets– we didn’t even know she had them! It was such a sweet surprise. I just requested books a out string quilting a few days ago, so this is perfect timing! Thanks for the giveaway!

  63. Love the vintage sheets…had some prints like those on my bed when first married! Had a dear friend that gave me some of her sheet sets a few years ago..she was 86 then…some are like brand new!!! Cherish them for sure…

  64. I would love to win the vintage sheeting strips to make a really colourful and pretty quilt just like the one shown – love it. thanks for the chance.

  65. I’d love to win because it’s such a variety pack. You get all the satisfaction of many vintage sheets without the bulk of having so much fabric to deal with !

  66. I’m collecting strings for a spiderweb quilt, so these would come handy. Thanks for the chance!

  67. Ive been looking at thrift stores for the last year to find vintage sheets and had minimal luck. Also when you buy one and find the exact same thing in another part of town a month later you know you’re doing something wrong and have poor taste! I love the soft colors in a lot of them.

  68. My vintage sheet memories go back to my grandmother and hanging laundry outside to dry. My mother preferred to hang her laundry outside even though she had a dryer in the basement…. right next to the washing machine.

  69. I’d like to win as I think this would be such a fun project to do. Zero vintage sheet experience here!

  70. We never had sheets like that, but I do remember some fitted sort of towelling ones in bright orange though!

  71. i have been collecting vintage sheets for a while now and would love to add your strips to my collection! Thanks for the giveaway!

  72. I would love to win as I have absolutely nothing in my stash as soft and pretty as this. I have way more contrast and color- don’t have knack of soft and prett though I love it

  73. There’s just something about vintage sheet quilts that’s so beautiful, the colors and softness make them so special.

  74. I’ve just started to get into the hunting for vintage linens. I found a sheet recently that is at least close to being vintage. I haven’t decided what I’m doing with it yet; I was originally thinking about making it the back of a blanket but I think that might be a waste and I should cut it up and do something else with it. :

    (I don’t really have any memories; we never visited our grandparents very much).

  75. I would love to win these because I have such a hard time finding them locally! I have only found good, pretty vintage sheets a handful of times, but they are so useful.

  76. Well shoot, to me those are just sheets! Everyone I knew grew up with those; my parents got piles of them for their wedding in the 70s — we used them till they wore out and I think they actually have some left 🙂 They’re beautiful in those string blocks you put together! sarah@forrussia.org

  77. I honestly do not have much experience with vintage sheets and quilting projects but I would love to get my hands on a variety pack like you are offering for your giveaway because the fabric is sooooo pretty!! Thanks for the chance!!

  78. I hearted you Etsy shop… OMG so many lovelies!! I am heading back over there to check it all out!!

  79. We had a set of Ninja turtles sheets (we weren’t even allowed to watch the Ninja turtles) when I was little that were hand-me-downs. And those got used on the bed, to make forts, as a cape; pretty much anything you can think of. My parents still have them, and they bring back fond memories.

  80. My very first quilt was made from vintage sheets and I use vintage sheets in most of my projects whenever possible. I love the bright florals, stripes, etc from the sixties and early seventies (as long as they are mostly or 100% cotton). Thanks! notwendy at gmail dot com

  81. I love my avatar in the first post! Very Zoidbergesque. I have you listed on my favorites on Etsy. Thanks for participating! notwendy at gmail dot com

  82. ACK! I’m currently working on a string quilt of my own! (You can totally check out my blog if you think I’m just saying that because of this particular giveaway. It is a huge coincidence… well… sorta… anywho…) I used to collect vintage children themed sheets for my Etsy shop. I have since decided to close the shop because I’m going back to work this fall. But when I was collecting, I just remember feeling so much delight in finding the sheets that remind me of my childhood. Ones that have Strawberry Shortcake on them, or Holly Hobbie. Squeeee!

  83. I never thought to sew from vintage sheets! We grew up with them and totally took them for granted, passing them up as ugly grandmotherly things!! How a few decades changes things!

  84. I would love to win those strips because I haven’t worked with vintage sheets before and have been wanting to try a project. And friends of mine have made some string quilts that looked wonderful and I haven’t tried that out before either.

  85. Vintage sheets make me think of sheet freshly washed and hung outside to dry in the breezes. Heavenly! Thanks for the giveaway!

  86. I love your vintage sheet strip blocks. They have that lovely shabby chic look. Would love a chance to win .

  87. I remember some yellow sheets my grandma use to have. I can remember much about them I just remember them when we would go visit.

  88. Those string blocks look amazing! I would love to make something like that. Thanks for the giveaway!

  89. I’ve never used vintage sheets but love the look of them and would love to give it a shot. Great giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win.

  90. Hello, I love vintage sheets! I’ve started collecting them here and there in hopes of making a quilt one day. So I’d love to win. Thanks for the chance.

  91. I love vintage sheets, it is a new passion to me. I haven’t gotten my hands on many yet, just a few of my great-grandmother-in-law’s. My oldest is in love with mermaids so I am trying to find decently priced The Little Mermaid sheets, not quite vintage yet!

  92. Oh the blocks you made with the strips are lovely!
    My best memory would be making the bed at my grandparents house. They had tiny pink rosebuds and always smelled like lemons.

  93. Your blocks are gorgeous! I have never had any experience with vintage sheets, but would love to — their gorgeous!

  94. Love the string blocks.. I feel inspired to make them myself.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

  95. Would love to win this. I bought 5″ charms from you last year and using them in a charm pack cherry quilt pattern from the fat quarter shop….I’ll post a pic when I’m finished!

  96. I actually recognize one of the patterns up there as one my grandmother used to make matching dresses for me, my sister, my cousin and herself when I was about six years old! She made me a quilt in the early 80’s and in that hexie quilt are patches of that sheet, too. I also have a few sheets from a lake place we had. When we sold it, the sheets (old ones from grandmama) came to my house. Memories of my sweet grandmother come flooding back when I see the colors and patterns. Sorry, that ended up being a book! Thanks for the chance.

  97. Vintage sheets just “feel” good. Does anyone remember getting sheets in the boxes of detergents we bought. Usually it was a towel in the Oxydol box. But every now and then, there was sheet for free with the detergent box! I loved the big and bold florals!

  98. I’ve never thought about vintage sheets before! My daughter inherited a sheet & comforter set from my sister in law. I loved the floral pattern and how soft the sheets were/are. They have been very loved!

  99. This is the first I’ve seen about vintage sheets. I love it! I remember having some sheets with big purple flowers on them. I also remember ironing sheets!

  100. Those strings are gorgeous! I’ve been wanting to make some string blocks, so these would be great!

  101. Love these strings! I actually found my favourite sheet pattern from childhood in a shop- I am still looking for what used to be ubiquitous, the pink and white or blue and white stripe Marimekko sheets. I doubt I’ll find them, but I really love the look of so many of them!

  102. These vintage sheets remind me of my childhood. Oh I wished I had saved all those sheets. Thanks for participating in the Giveaway Day.

  103. When my grandmother passed away I was given her vintage still in use sheets as well as some of her old clothing to make something. I think that I am finally ready to tackle that task this summer.

  104. I have a few vintage sheets and I love how soft and sweet the colors are for scrap piecing. I love the strips you have pictured… it would be so fun to play with them.

  105. I LOVE vintage sheets, pillowcases and hankies. I don’t know where the obsession came from, but I just picture an old farmhouse, or cute little cottage, with lovely vintage fabrics everywhere.

    Thanks for the awesome giveaway

  106. Ok I’m going to confess, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about vintage sheet memories.. ironing!! Yes I was the primary sheet ironer in my house as a kid, and I didn’t love it. I couldn’t see why I had to iron sheets you were just going to sleep on!

  107. I’d love to win because those vintage strips are sooooo pretty! I have a very small collection of vintage sheets and wouldn’t mind adding to it! Thank you so much for this giveaway!

  108. I love vintage sheets. I’m constantly on the lookout for them at car boots and jumble sales! They get used for everything, from patchwork quilts to cushions to bunting. I love the colours and patterns together! Xx

  109. I love vintage sheets! I seek them from thrift stores to make classic clothes for my 3 1/2 year old daughter

    detroitgirl77 AT gmail DOT com

  110. Ha you know I’m more than on the way to becoming addicted to vintage sheets. Not tried a string quilt yet though but looking fab!

  111. I have some vintage Holly Hobbie sheet fabric. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com

  112. My gramma has snoopy sheets that I remember always reading the little talk bubbles before sleeping when I stayed over. She still has them so when I visit, it is a fun memory to sleep on them again. Thanks for the chance to win!

  113. Love vintage sheets, I have used them for several projects including quilts but never a string one. Would love to have a go if I won this pack!

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