Repairing a Treasure

One of the local quilt stores is going out of business.  As a result they’ve been referring people to me that want their quilts repaired.  About two weeks ago I received a call of this nature.  She needed a quilt repaired.  We chatted back and forth and she sent pictures.  It was very difficult to tell how extensive the damage was.  I told her it would be best to just meet so that I could look at it.

Friday was the meeting date.  We met in the Hobby Lobby parking lot.  When she got out of the car, after the usual greetings, she said she’d like it fixed and finished. She needed to add batting and backing.   I was a little surprised when she said that.  

Her mother was with her.  As they opened it and held it up my eyes darted from block to block.  What a riot if color, pattern and texture.  What a treasure!  I’m guessing it’s from the 40’s.  They pointed out the damage.  I reached out and touched it.  I had never seen this technique but it’s finished!  There is no batting in it.  I explained to them that it was a summer coverlet and that it was finished as it was.  The pattern is a four patch of hourglass blocks.  I was excited to dig in and figure out how it was made. 

I told them I was getting ready to go on vacation and it would be a while before I got to it.  We talked about the difference between restoring it and repairing it.  Before I really looked at the fabrics I told them I’d be happy to repair it but wasn’t really interested in restoring it.  Now that I’ve examined it more closely I feel like I could actually restore it.  There is not a lot of damage so I won’t need a lot of fabric to finish the job.

Through this process they told me a story of the quilt.  I’ll share more of the details in a later post but here’s the picture of the full quilt.  I have not measured it but I’m guessing it’s a long twin.

Hope you’re having a quilty day!

June Happenings

I thought it had been two weeks since my last post but I see it’s been just over a week.    I haven’t sewn much since last week because I have been organizing and searching for the missing project!  It was driving my insane looking for it.  Friday night I finally told myself I was going back into my sewing room and open every single box, bag and tote and look again.  I was on the phone with a friend and decided to search while visiting with her because our quick chats usually go for 1-2 hours.  I thought it would be a good task to undertake while on the phone.

I went to the corner where I suspected it might be and started by folding loose tote bags, peering into small totes of fabric even though I knew what was in them.  I had one lidless tote that had a stack of books and magazines on top of it.  I slid it out of the way and kept looking through things. Luckily I caught myself and said you need to look IN that tote.  I lifted the stack and set it aside.  I felt disappointed when I saw a pattern on top.  I decided to put it away since I had a defined spot to put it.  

To my amazement there was the missing project!  Tears welled up in my eyes.  I was so relieved and thankful to have found it.  I pulled out the bag and looked everything over to make sure it was complete.  Everything was there.  Yeah!  I decided Saturday (now yesterday) I was going to devote my attention to that project.

The day started out and I decided to add the next border to my Peaches and Dreams.  The previous week I had cut three borders and only added one.  My heart was just not in it as my mind was on the lost project.  After I added the next I decided to add one more.  When that was on I decided to assemble the rows of my pieced borders then of course I had to attach them.  That was all I had prepped.  My day was done.  Here is how far I got.  I have to cut the two remaining borders to attach.

Before I left I layout the blocks from the project I need to assemble.  Shown here are nine blocks.  There is a bag of hankies that will be added in.  Here are the pics.  Open to ideas for how to use the hankies.  Some thoughts are butterfly blocks, or skirts of the ladies or use them as a block in some way.

Relieved in quilting!

June OMG in a Pickle

My goal this month is to assemble a quilt top that I accepted on consignment.  It will be made up of umbrella girl blocks and hankies that she and her friend had collected together.  Her friend is now deceased and she recognizes that she’ll never make it herself.

I can’t show pictures because the project has decided to hide on me.  I’ve been moving all the little caches I have of fabric all about the house.  In the process I’ve put it in a safe spot.  I’ll find it!  I have to!  I’m so embarrassed but haven’t given up.

Today I picked up fabric to complete my Peaches and Dreams.  While I was at it I picked up a fabric to make another kit using my remaining Fresh Squeezed FQs.  I’ll be heading to my favorite retreat in October and have decided to take all these kits I’ve been making with me so that I can concentrate on visiting and not have to be hyper focused on my sewing projects.  Subject to change of 

Here are repeat photos of what I’m working on.

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I have other 5hibgs in the works.  Will share as I go.

Linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal.