Discussion:
Repairing a quilt, part 2
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Brian Christiansen
2016-10-14 01:29:42 UTC
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Some months ago, I made a post about repairing a quilt that my
grandmother had made when I was really little (I think when I was born).

I took a look at it, and it requires a bit more work than I originally
thought, but I decided to repair it any way.

In fact, at one point I considered buying the appropriate fabrics and
just entirely making a new quilt in the same pattern, it is a very
simple pattern, which I will describe in the following paragraphs, that
is within even my skills, but I decided to repair the quilt.

The quilt consists is a 7x8 arrangement of ~8" blocks (I will measure to
be absolutely certain of the size) with a simple white backing.

The blocks aren't anything fancy like a courthouse steps, a
whatever-state-star, or something other pieced block, they are merely
gingham prints in the colors yellow, purple, brown or pink, with a few
solid white interspersed amongst the gingham prints.

As far as I can tell the batting is just a piece of slightly heavier
material, it is not regular quilt batting, or even white fleece, which I
suppose could be used as "ultra-thin" batting.

The quilting isn't freehand or even "in the ditch", but rather is 3
squares, with the sides of the largest being about 1" in from the
outside of the block, another being another inch in, and the smallest
square being another inch in.

I guess my grandmother had more of the purple, yellow, and white than
the pink and brown because most of the quilt is those 3 colors and there
are only 3 each of the pink and brown.

I need to replace the purple and yellow squares in the quilt.

On further examination of the quilt, I decided that I also needed to
replace the backing and binding as well, and that is why I pondered
making an entirely new quilt or just forgetting it.

I also pondered putting "real" batting in it, but decided not to do that.

I am also pondering putting a label on it that says something like:
"Originally made by Ruth Sherwood, 1961, repaired by Brian Christiansen,
2016."

I will try to take pictures of the various stages in repairing the quilt
and perhaps put up a "pictoral history" of the repair process on my
flickr account.
--
Brian Christiansen
Bobbie Sews More
2016-10-14 16:04:57 UTC
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"Brian Christiansen" wrote in message news:ntpce2$6rd$***@dont-email.me...

Some months ago, I made a post about repairing a quilt that my
grandmother had made when I was really little (I think when I was born).

(clip)

Brian sometimes my thoughts are a little unusual, BUT, depending on what
shape the quilt is in, maybe you could consider
copying the old quilt in the same colors and using the old quilt as a
batting. On one of the blocks write "Made with love by ****** my
grandmother 19---. Remade in 2016 by Brian. Christiansen.-----Something
that lets people know it was made by a family member.
Years ago I made my sister and her 2 children a quilt and wrote, "Made for
Jane Heaton by sister Barbara, and the year." Did the same for her 2
children, made by Aunt Barbara.
Barbara in FL


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Brian Christiansen
2016-10-14 20:51:14 UTC
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Post by Brian Christiansen
Some months ago, I made a post about repairing a quilt that my
grandmother had made when I was really little (I think when I was born).
(clip)
Brian sometimes my thoughts are a little unusual, BUT, depending on what
shape the quilt is in, maybe you could consider
copying the old quilt in the same colors and using the old quilt as a
batting.
Like I said, I did consider totally remaking the quilt, and what I
actually decided to do is almost what you suggested, since I have to
replace the backing, and I counted the number of blocks I have to
replace is over half of them.

It turns out I have to replace the brown blocks as well, and the grand
total is: yellow, 23, purple,6, brown, 3 for a total of 32 out of 56
blocks.

I am also considering replacing the brown blocks with a plaid that is
not a gingham, but still a kind of plaid, and in the end, I will have
the following: ~1/2 the blocks being the originals, ~1/2 the blocks
being new but the same pattern as the original, and a very small number
that have a new block that is sort of similar, but also very different
from the original (if I do the "pictoral history I am thinking of, I
will include a picture of the non-gingham plaid I am planning on using).
Post by Brian Christiansen
On one of the blocks write "Made with love by ****** my
grandmother 19---. Remade in 2016 by Brian.
Christiansen.-----Something that lets people know it was made by a
family member.
I have some quilt labels (I think) and was considering just using one of
those, but actually making my label one of the blocks as the label is
something I never considered, and now will.
--
Brian Christiansen
Bobbie Sews More
2016-10-14 23:58:11 UTC
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Sounds like a great idea!
Barbara

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m***@gmail.com
2016-11-10 15:25:26 UTC
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Hello Brian,
My grandmother use to make and repair quilts even though she never had a sewing machine but did everything by hand. I did a lot of watching, when quilts started wearing, especially on the binding she would take the old off and replace it with new, getting as close as possible to the colors used in her quilt. For summer quilts batting, she would cut sections of old worn out sheets stitching them together. I know I loved her quilts because I would find material used from old shirts, dresses not only mine but my aunts and uncles. It made me feel close to those quilts like a part of each of us was within them.
Sandy$

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