Resurrection of a Quilt

Back in 2008 one of my very first blog posts showed a quilt I was working on for my uncle’s 80th birthday present. 

Here are a couple of more photos I never shared at the time.

The quilting featured apples, as my uncle was an orchardist.

Here I am handing over the finished product.  The outer border fabric is a William Morris design with birds and pomegranates.  Both appropriate, fruit and my Uncle’s surname is Bird.

After my uncle passed away a couple of years ago the quilt was returned to me.

I was a little shocked at its condition.  It was absolutely filthy and some of the binding was coming undone and the label was coming off.  It looked like it had been used as a dog blanket.  As so much was happening at the time I just put it in the bottom of the dirty clothes basket and left it there……..for about a year!!

Finally, when we were getting our house ready to put on the market I pulled it out to see what I could do.  Yep, it was filthy, but I thought it was probably from a farmer coming in from a day’s work outside and keeping warm under the quilt. 

The more I thought about it the better I felt.  I made the quilt to be used, and it had been.  So much better than being folded up and put on a shelf.

So, what to do? I didn’t take a “before” photo, as it was just too awful.

I really didn’t have a lot to lose so I put it in the laundry tub and filled it with hot water and Napisan to soak for a day. You should have seen the water.  Yuck!  Then I repeated the process.

The batting is cotton, so I then put it in the washing machine on a long, hot cotton cycle and crossed my fingers.

To my absolute delight the cream returned to cream and the quilt looked bright again.  Some colours had faded, but that was to be expected.

So, I then folded it up and put it away….for about another year!

In autumn this year, as the weather cooled down Mick requested his “Blankie”.  Sitting on top of it in the linen press was the quilt, so I pulled it out.

I sat myself down to do some running repairs.

The binding seemed to be coming off along one side only.

It didn’t take all that long to have it looking much better.

I love the quilting.

So now we have a lovely quilt to be used.  It has a nice, crinkly, faded, aged look about it.  It is a quilt we won’t be precious about, but will be happy to curl up on the lounge under, or take on a picnic, and each time we use it we will think of my uncle.

Speaking of the lounge, after I finished it I threw the quilt on the arm of our old club lounge.  When I came in later Mick had put it over the back of the lounge.  It looks like it was made for the spot.  The colours couldn’t be better.  Guess where it lives now?