Sunday, March 11, 2018

When a quilt is loved to death

My great grandmother made this quilt from scraps of clothing.  My little brothers dragged it everywhere in the late 1960s and early 1970.

My mom gave it to me to fix, but the fabrics that were used were scraps of clothing and didn't hold up well.  It was washed and played with too much.

I am a firm believer in using quilts.  I'd rather see it loved and used than safely stored in a drawer.  So today I started to "remake" my great-grandmother's quilt.  Here are my beginning blocks.




I'm using scraps for the 4-patch blocks and a simple print for the alternate blocks.  I even have the red solid fabric for the backgrounds.  I plan on using the quilt on the couch as a cuddle quilt.

My great grandmother's quilt was loved until the early 1980s when it was retired, but it had 20 years of love.  Once I make the "replacement" quilt, do I dispose of the old one?

Part of me says let it go... part of me wants to cut it apart and salvage the blocks I can. 

What do you do with vintage "loved to death" quilts?

2 comments:

Barbara said...

I would cut out the good parts and repurpose them. Frame a piece to remember the quilt by. If pieces are big enough, you could make mug rugs, zipper pouches, put a piece in a bag, etc.

Mary Anne Huntington said...

I would think there are enough pieces to fashion a pillow cover to complement your new scrap quilt.