Hello All, I work with a great group of ladies making quilts for those that are less fortunate. We make the quilts all year round and then donate them to the local shelters and directly to those that find themselves living on the streets when the weather turns cold. We use almost all donated materials to make the quilts. We try to use nylon type materials, not only nylon but light weight materials, because it tends to dry much faster than other materials. We are always in dire need of materials. We have received a lot of old suits from my daughter's swim team and have found it very usefull. Her coach suggested that I try posting on the internet to see if others would be interested in helping our cause, so here it is! We cut the suits into smaller pieces we can use so the condition of the suits does not matter at all(we have received some that were just pieces). I was wondering if any of you would be interested in donating your old suits to a worthwhile cause? It is also a great way to recycle the old suits and keep them out of the landfills! If you are interested you can post here or email us at Quilts4homeless@yahoo.com
God Bless,
Jennifer
Former Member
Jennifer,
Don't get me wrong, you're doing a great thing. But I can't imagine my old swimsuits being of any use after I'm done with them. The Lycra suits are generally so threadbare that they are practically transparent. I can't imagine them holding together for any length of time.
I'm curious - what do you use for the other layers of the quilts? I assume the swimsuit fabric would be used for the top (pieced) layer. Isn't there generally some sort of fill layer, then a backing? What are those layers made of?
Anna Lea
Hi Anna Lea, Thanks for posting. We typically use the suits for the stuffing inside the quilts(the middle layer). We use other things for the top and bottom layers, usually polyester and thicker nylon type materials. The suits work great for the stuffing. As I said before, we have received some suits that were worn to the point that they were just pieces. Since we cut them into small pieces it really doesnt matter what condition the suits are in.
Hope this helps :angel:
God Bless,
Jennifer
This is actually something I have been looking for.
My son managed to "break through" the butt region of all of his jammers and we have a collection of them that he won't wear. The only ruined part is the fabric along the back seam, the rest is pretty much brand new.
Ahh, Speedo Endurance Jammers, I'd bet. That's some quality stitching...And he's probably a breaststroker - a little extra stress on the seam. I have 3 suits in this condition, each lasted about 30 days (admittedly in a heavily chlorinated Y pool.)
Back to your regularly scheduled program...
This is actually something I have been looking for.
My son managed to "break through" the butt region of all of his jammers and we have a collection of them that he won't wear. The only ruined part is the fabric along the back seam, the rest is pretty much brand new.
I didn't think it was possible to wear out Endurance suits. Kids are tough on suits because they will wear them long before and after they swim, often in dryland or while sitting on a concrete deck or the bleachers. If you only wear them for swimming, they seem to be pretty much indestructible. The only way I buy lycra for my kids is if they are in the grab bag sale for $10 each or forced for a team suit.
I've noticed that many of the teen swimmers (probably due to increased modesty awareness) will put on shorts over their suits between events or during dryland. This will also reduce wear.
I have seen this allot in jammers... if it happens too much you can always switch to briefs, or layer up if its just for practice...
I wonder if anyone makes jammers with no seam down the middle:-P
also you can always but the fully lined (FRONT & BACK) jammers.. an extra layer of material could help.
This is actually something I have been looking for.
My son managed to "break through" the butt region of all of his jammers and we have a collection of them that he won't wear. The only ruined part is the fabric along the back seam, the rest is pretty much brand new.
that said, allot can be said for changing when you get there and shower/change when you leave the pool, for hygene and it will help the suit last.
but that does not always fit everyones schedule. I myself have worn out a few suits from wearing them too much before i swim.. (i guess everyones guilty at some point.):dunno:
Jennifer,
I sent an e-mail to my team telling them that I am collecting old swimsuits to send to you. Masters swimmers must be closet swimsuit-hoarders, because in less than a week I've already been given nine suits.
I will send you an e-mail so you can send me your mailing address.
Anna Lea
Anna Lea, Thank you very much for all of your time and help. We wouldn't be able to do the quilts project if it wasn't for wonderfull people like you!
One of the great things about using old swimsuits and like material for the stuffing inside the quilts is that it dries very quickly. We have found this is quite important to those that receive the quilts.
I hope you are doing well and look forward to hearing from you.
Jennifer
