Drawstring Bag Made From a Worn-Out Family Quilt
Several months ago, I was walking through an antique store when I noticed a drawstring bag made from old quilt pieces. It was simple, a little uneven, and clearly handmade, and I remember stopping and thinking that I wanted to make one of my own. Not with just any fabric, though, because I already knew this wasn’t a project that would feel right with brand-new material or random scraps.
I wanted fabric with a story, fabric that had already been used and worn and saved for a reason.
That meant waiting, because you don’t cut into a quilt full of memories unless there is truly no other option. I could never bring myself to take scissors to a quilt that was still holding together or could still be used, so the idea sat in the back of my mind until the right moment came along.
As it turned out, my mom had exactly what I needed.
Until recently, I had never heard the term cutter quilt, but learning it helped me understand that some quilts really have reached the end of their usable life. These are the quilts that are worn thin, tattered, and falling apart, and taking them apart is sometimes the only way to save anything at all. This quilt was made by my mom’s mother, Glendora, probably close to sixty years ago, using fabric from my mom’s and my aunts’ college dresses.
About twenty-five years ago, my other grandma, Mom H, tried to repair some of the tears to help it last a little longer. Now, in 2026, there is no way to piece it back together. Some of the fabric is so thin that it starts to rip if you barely touch it, and the backing, which was made from a camper blanket my mom and her siblings used while traveling all over the United States in a VW camper, is just as fragile.
This quilt holds a lot of history.
A few weeks ago, my mom brought it over, and we started salvaging as much of the fabric as we could. As we worked, the memories came rolling out, with each piece bringing up another story. She would pick up one square and say it had been her dress when they lived in Florida, then another piece would remind her that this came from one of her sister’s dresses. Other pieces brought up memories of college dresses, jumpers, aprons, and reversible jackets that Glendora had sewn over the years.
Some of the colors have faded, and many of the pieces are barely holding together.
When we were taking the quilt apart, we looked for 2 pieces that were large enough for my drawstring bag since I already knew what I wanted to start with. We set them to the side and labeled all the rest of the small pieces.
Now all the small pieces are stored safely away, because I just don’t know what fun projects are going to come out of these pieces.
We didn’t rush through this part of the process. This is the kind of work where you listen and capture memories as they are shared.
Making the Drawstring Bag
Sewing the drawstring bag was straightforward and really basic. I made a small fold at the top to create a channel for the rope, folded the fabric with right sides together, pinned it carefully, and sewed the sides and bottom. After turning it right side out, I threaded the rope through the top and tied a knot to create the drawstring.
I’m using this quilt bag to store plastic grocery bags that we reuse for trash, which feels like a fitting job for something that has always been practical. Instead of sitting in a storage box, these pieces are now out where I can see and use them, and every time I reach for the bag, I’m reminded of the people and family memories stitched into it.
One other fun piece of history connection. Many years ago, I inherited a couple of thimbles from my Grandmother and her Mom. So when I do any hand sewing like mending a couple of the ripped pieces, and need a thimble, I’ve got one that has been used for many years by my family members.
It feels like a good way to honor a quilt that did its job for a very long time and still had something left to give.
