TO RESCUE A QUILT

 

There is a local woman in town I've known casually for many years.  We run into each other once in a great while, have a brief conversation...then go about our lives.  Each time I see her, she mentions that she has quilts she'd like to give me.  This has gone on for many years.  MANY.  In January of this year, I ran into her in WallyWorld and once again, she mentioned the quilts.  In March, she called mid-morning one day and asked if I would be home and could she stop by.  "Of course," I said.  She showed up about half an hour later....on her way to get her hair cut.  We chatted a while and then she went out to get the quilts.  It seems she had inherited these quilts, not really knowing who had made them, and no one in her family wanted them, so for years thought she'd give them to me.

As she said, "at eighty-two years of age," she had finally "made up her mind to give them to me." She thought if I accepted them, it would remove the burden of what she should do with them.  This had been weighing on her mind for a long time.  She apologized that they had been slept on for years by her three dogs and two cats.  So, you can imagine what condition they were in.  I had been telling her for years that I would take them, so I wasn't about to hurt her feelings and turn them down.  I mean, she was depending on me to "do something."  She also told me that some of them would not survive washing.  This turns out to be more of less true.    I did wash all but one.  It was in such bad repair that I knew all I'd get from washing it was a washer filled with bits of pieces of fabric and lots of batting turned into stuffing.  She had also told me to do whatever I wished with them, including throwing them out, as she just felt better finally getting them to me!  Well, even at the worst, I knew they could be rescued in some way...even if none could be kept intact.  And, there were NINE altogether.  I had no idea of how many quilts she had wanted to give me for all those years.

So, each of them has now been washed at least twice (one at a time), with a good soaking overnight each time.  This took most of the month!  

There was one that could be used with just a bit of patching.  Three that can be rescued with a fair amount of work.  There are four I believe I can save pieces of and then, there is that one I'm just not sure can be saved at all, but I will try.

Over time, I will show you these quilts.  

So, for today, here is the first one I am trying to rescue.  Rescue is a loose term here, as at best, only a few blocks and some pieces of blocks will survive the hard life they have lived.  I chose this one to begin with, as I could tell right away, it has a blanket in it rather than batting.  The layers are only lightly quilted, so it isn't taking a long time to pick these blocks apart and I intend to use what few whole blocks I can rescue in a small quilt, if possible.  The remaining tattered blocks I will use for some mixed media uses, as this is something I have wanted to do for a long time.  As a matter of fact, I have purchased several old quilts...in "cutter quilt" condition, just for that use.

I am doing this 'picking apart' in the garage on the great worktable that the old navy man made for me, so as you can see....these photos were taken there.  It wasn't too bad out there this morning, but it gets too hot as the day goes on.  I'll show you what happens to this quilt, at some point, but thought you'd like the STORY.

  

As you can see...it's in pretty bad shape.  A shame really, but what happens in 'real life' to some quilts.

I feel bad about it, but all I can do is what we are supposed to do in life....."pick up the pieces and carry on!"

 

 See the blanket?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The backing of the quilt, patched with another fabric along some edges.

 

 There is no binding, both front and back turned in and then whip stitched together.

 

 

So there you are...the story of the nine quilts coming to me for rescue.  

Oh, my goodness!  

from

Bird Nest Cottage

until next time,

♥♥♥