De-lurk, vintage quilt tops, and an idea

I'm 42 and I have inherited some quilt tops that were made by my great
grandma and grandma. These were not made to be pretty from fancy
fabric like today's quilt tops, they were made to be serviceable from
the fabrics left over from other sewing projects and the usable parts
of old clothing. They have been folded in a cabinet for years,
languishing unfinished and unused. They are crying to be quilted and
used. I want to use them. One is made from crazy quilt blocks with
light burgundy sashing, it's the one I like the best (probably because
I've thought about making one similar to it before). The other is a
nine patch. Neither of them are very special, or wonderful to look
at. But they have a homeyness that is seldom seen these days.

One of the tops I have, Great grandma sewed the blocks together by
hand and grandma added the sashing by treadle machine. The blocks are
simple two-color nine patches with some patches being made from 4
triangles to form a star or flower pattern, and all the fabric was
probably from clothing she and great grandpa wore. The sashing is a
large ugly print that doesn't really go well with the blocks. It was
what grandma had on hand, so it got used. Now I could easily put
padding and backing on by machine, but I'll never use it because of
the ugly sashing. Since I've got another quilt top made by them, I
don't mind taking the top apart. Taking it apart is not easy as the
machine was having all sorts of problems when the sashing was added,
but it can be done without harming the blocks, so I have started on
that.

I do have an ulterior reason for taking apart the quilt top, other
than to remove the ugly sashing. It is an idea that I came up with
after seeing something similar in a magazine. The magazine had a
picture of a country livingroom with one quilt hung over a window as a
curtain. I thought it looked marvelous. One quilt won't cover my
windows though. So I plan on taking two blocks and adding sashing
wide enough to span the height of the window and add tabs to hang them
by. I'll be able to make 6 panels since the quilt top has 12 blocks.
For the backing I am going to use a sheet set from MIL's home. I am
going to make them reversible by making the tabs button on and off.
To protect them from fading I will install room darkening roller
shades.

So am I crazy or what?
Debra in VA

I vote, "or what".
Welcome to the group... make yourself comfy!
Diana

--
Queen of FAQs
Royal Peace Maker
http://photos.yahoo.com/lunamom44
"Debra" wrote in message
...
I'm 42 and I have inherited some quilt tops that were made by my great
grandma and grandma. These were not made to be pretty from fancy
fabric like today's quilt tops, they were made to be serviceable from
the fabrics left over from other sewing projects and the usable parts
of old clothing. They have been folded in a cabinet for years,
languishing unfinished and unused. They are crying to be quilted and
used. I want to use them. One is made from crazy quilt blocks with
light burgundy sashing, it's the one I like the best (probably because
I've thought about making one similar to it before). The other is a
nine patch. Neither of them are very special, or wonderful to look
at. But they have a homeyness that is seldom seen these days.

One of the tops I have, Great grandma sewed the blocks together by
hand and grandma added the sashing by treadle machine. The blocks are
simple two-color nine patches with some patches being made from 4
triangles to form a star or flower pattern, and all the fabric was
probably from clothing she and great grandpa wore. The sashing is a
large ugly print that doesn't really go well with the blocks. It was
what grandma had on hand, so it got used. Now I could easily put
padding and backing on by machine, but I'll never use it because of
the ugly sashing. Since I've got another quilt top made by them, I
don't mind taking the top apart. Taking it apart is not easy as the
machine was having all sorts of problems when the sashing was added,
but it can be done without harming the blocks, so I have started on
that.

I do have an ulterior reason for taking apart the quilt top, other
than to remove the ugly sashing. It is an idea that I came up with
after seeing something similar in a magazine. The magazine had a
picture of a country livingroom with one quilt hung over a window as a
curtain. I thought it looked marvelous. One quilt won't cover my
windows though. So I plan on taking two blocks and adding sashing
wide enough to span the height of the window and add tabs to hang them
by. I'll be able to make 6 panels since the quilt top has 12 blocks.
For the backing I am going to use a sheet set from MIL's home. I am
going to make them reversible by making the tabs button on and off.
To protect them from fading I will install room darkening roller
shades.

So am I crazy or what?
Debra in VA

I don't really understand the 'reversible' concept, as anything that faces
the outside is going to be damaged soon, especially since you are dealing
with old material to start with.... I mean, if these have sentimental
value, it won't just be a case of dashing them into the garbage and whipping
up some new ones to take their place when the sun damages them. If you
are set on using them for curtains, consider making the back stay the back
so the quilt top pieces stay on the inside of the room with the back acting
as the liner/sun protector for the quilt blocks themselves, and they will
last much longer.


Diana Curtis wrote in message
...
I vote, "or what".
Welcome to the group... make yourself comfy!
Diana

--
Queen of FAQs
Royal Peace Maker
http://photos.yahoo.com/lunamom44
"Debra" wrote in message
...
I'm 42 and I have inherited some quilt tops that were made by my great
grandma and grandma. These were not made to be pretty from fancy
fabric like today's quilt tops, they were made to be serviceable from
the fabrics left over from other sewing projects and the usable parts
of old clothing. They have been folded in a cabinet for years,
languishing unfinished and unused. They are crying to be quilted and
used. I want to use them. One is made from crazy quilt blocks with
light burgundy sashing, it's the one I like the best (probably because
I've thought about making one similar to it before). The other is a
nine patch. Neither of them are very special, or wonderful to look
at. But they have a homeyness that is seldom seen these days.

One of the tops I have, Great grandma sewed the blocks together by
hand and grandma added the sashing by treadle machine. The blocks are
simple two-color nine patches with some patches being made from 4
triangles to form a star or flower pattern, and all the fabric was
probably from clothing she and great grandpa wore. The sashing is a
large ugly print that doesn't really go well with the blocks. It was
what grandma had on hand, so it got used. Now I could easily put
padding and backing on by machine, but I'll never use it because of
the ugly sashing. Since I've got another quilt top made by them, I
don't mind taking the top apart. Taking it apart is not easy as the
machine was having all sorts of problems when the sashing was added,
but it can be done without harming the blocks, so I have started on
that.

I do have an ulterior reason for taking apart the quilt top, other
than to remove the ugly sashing. It is an idea that I came up with
after seeing something similar in a magazine. The magazine had a
picture of a country livingroom with one quilt hung over a window as a
curtain. I thought it looked marvelous. One quilt won't cover my
windows though. So I plan on taking two blocks and adding sashing
wide enough to span the height of the window and add tabs to hang them
by. I'll be able to make 6 panels since the quilt top has 12 blocks.
For the backing I am going to use a sheet set from MIL's home. I am
going to make them reversible by making the tabs button on and off.
To protect them from fading I will install room darkening roller
shades.

So am I crazy or what?
Debra in VA

On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 03:02:34 GMT, "cozy"
wrote:

I don't really understand the 'reversible' concept, as anything that faces
the outside is going to be damaged soon, especially since you are dealing
with old material to start with.... I mean, if these have sentimental
value, it won't just be a case of dashing them into the garbage and whipping
up some new ones to take their place when the sun damages them. If you
are set on using them for curtains, consider making the back stay the back
so the quilt top pieces stay on the inside of the room with the back acting
as the liner/sun protector for the quilt blocks themselves, and they will
last much longer.

The room darkening shades and the UV protectant glass in the windows
should be enough to keep them in good shape for years. DH and I are
second shift workers, so the shades will be drawn closed most of the
time the sun faces those windows anyway. I don't expect them to last
forever, but then quilts don't last forever when they are used
regularly either. Besides, I figure the material in the blocks got
the most sun damage before the pieces were ever cut because they were
cut from clothing.

I am not trying to make a keepsake. I am not terribly sentimental
about the quilt tops, especially the one I am taking apart. What I
love is the potential use of them. Great grandma made the blocks to
be used, and I am lucky to be one of the people that will make sure
they get used. I am trying to follow the old way of putting things to
good use rather than hiding them away from the light of day. Great
grandma was one of those folks who re-used things as many ways and
times as she could until there was nothing left of them before she
would buy anything new. I feel like my great grandma would be happy
that someone is going to use her blocks rather than keeping them in
storage until they turn into dust.
Debra in VA

On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 16:22:54 -0600, "Diana Curtis" wrote:

I vote, "or what".
Welcome to the group... make yourself comfy!
Diana

Thanks.
Debra in VA

I think you took my thoughts as a criticism of your using the blocks. That
is not what I meant to convey. Many people have no idea about sun damage
and wish someone would have mentioned it. That is all I was trying to give
you a heads up about and, not scold you for using them. You don't have to
defend your using them rather than hiding them in a box to me. Sorry for
offending you.

Debra wrote in message
...
On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 03:02:34 GMT, "cozy"
wrote:

I don't really understand the 'reversible' concept, as anything that
faces
the outside is going to be damaged soon, especially since you are dealing
with old material to start with.... I mean, if these have sentimental
value, it won't just be a case of dashing them into the garbage and
whipping
up some new ones to take their place when the sun damages them. If
you
are set on using them for curtains, consider making the back stay the
back
so the quilt top pieces stay on the inside of the room with the back
acting
as the liner/sun protector for the quilt blocks themselves, and they will
last much longer.

The room darkening shades and the UV protectant glass in the windows
should be enough to keep them in good shape for years. DH and I are
second shift workers, so the shades will be drawn closed most of the
time the sun faces those windows anyway. I don't expect them to last
forever, but then quilts don't last forever when they are used
regularly either. Besides, I figure the material in the blocks got
the most sun damage before the pieces were ever cut because they were
cut from clothing.

I am not trying to make a keepsake. I am not terribly sentimental
about the quilt tops, especially the one I am taking apart. What I
love is the potential use of them. Great grandma made the blocks to
be used, and I am lucky to be one of the people that will make sure
they get used. I am trying to follow the old way of putting things to
good use rather than hiding them away from the light of day. Great
grandma was one of those folks who re-used things as many ways and
times as she could until there was nothing left of them before she
would buy anything new. I feel like my great grandma would be happy
that someone is going to use her blocks rather than keeping them in
storage until they turn into dust.
Debra in VA

On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 16:34:20 GMT, "cozy" wrote:

I think you took my thoughts as a criticism of your using the blocks. That
is not what I meant to convey. Many people have no idea about sun damage
and wish someone would have mentioned it. That is all I was trying to give
you a heads up about and, not scold you for using them. You don't have to
defend your using them rather than hiding them in a box to me. Sorry for
offending you.

Not to worry, I'm not offended at all. You didn't seem to be
scolding, just concerned that a keepsake would get ruined quickly, or
an heirloom lost forever. I never thought about someone not knowing
about sun damage though. But I guess someone who was a newbie to all
forms of needlework might not know about it.

BTW, are you the same Cozy that posts to RCTN?
Debra in VA

While it's possible I might have posted there at some odd moment... but if I
did... I can't remember it. So, if there is a Cozy that is a frequent
poster there, it must be another.

Debra wrote in message
...
On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 16:34:20 GMT, "cozy" wrote:

I think you took my thoughts as a criticism of your using the blocks.
That
is not what I meant to convey. Many people have no idea about sun damage
and wish someone would have mentioned it. That is all I was trying to
give
you a heads up about and, not scold you for using them. You don't have
to
defend your using them rather than hiding them in a box to me. Sorry
for
offending you.

Not to worry, I'm not offended at all. You didn't seem to be
scolding, just concerned that a keepsake would get ruined quickly, or
an heirloom lost forever. I never thought about someone not knowing
about sun damage though. But I guess someone who was a newbie to all
forms of needlework might not know about it.

BTW, are you the same Cozy that posts to RCTN?
Debra in VA