Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Story of a Quilt

So, I moved to the Richmond area 15 years ago,(gasp! I'm old...) and started working at a veterinary hospital.  People often brought in their old sheets, towels, blankets, etc for the animals to use.  So one day, a huge quilt came in the donate pile, and I just couldn't stand the thought of it getting peed and pooed on, and ripped to shreds in a matter of weeks, so I kinda took it. Yes, bad me taking a blankie from the doggies....

Seen here being enjoyed by toddlers in 2005.



So, it's been everywhere....on the bed, the couch, the floor, picnics, road trips, and finally it ended up at a civil war reenactment.  The hubs is a reenactor on occasion, and he decided it was perfect.  At 90" x 100" it was actually big enough to cover him and keep him warm.  So, it spent a few years at war.  Then it started to wear. This was before I even knew how to use a sewing machine, so my mom made a valiant effort to save it and patch it all up. 

It was ok for a while, and then the fabric just got too worn, and it has started to disintegrate.  It's been left in the garage in a box for a couple of years, and when I recently pulled it out, I discovered that the rodents had started making nests, and whew!  did it smell!!


So, here is our poor quilt today...





So now, I'm going to make another valiant effort to save it again.  The back is not in as bad shape, and has been patched. 


The front, not so much.  So, I am in the process of making a new top made out of civil war reproduction fabrics, ( I think they're drab and ugly, but The Hubs likes them, and says they're "manly" ).  hee hee.  Then I'm going to quilt the new top right onto the whole quilt, and put a new binding on.  Will this even work?  I do not know. 

The new top is in the works, and I hope that we can make this 'family quilt' last 15 more years! 

2 comments:

  1. i think your plan will work fine.

    fellow richmonder, by the way!

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  2. Ha! That looks like a quilt that lives at my house! Mine is in bad shape, too. I've been debating trying to rescue it....I know I should, but it is huge! Ours is a family favorite. Figures, the one quilt I didn't make!

    let me know how the revamping goes.

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