Monday, June 28, 2010

an Amish quilt top flea market treasure


I found this quilt top at the flea market recently,
for $12.
For years I've searched for something
like this, but they are always out of my
price range--it was apparently my lucky day.
The vendor told me he had bought an Amish buggy
and this quilt was inside it--the Amish
folks told him he could have it.

There are so many great vintage prints,
I love it!


There are, however, 30-some patches that are very
frayed and need replacing,
like that striped piece seen in the middle
there.
I am cutting out replacement squares
of vintage-looking fabrics from my
scrap bag.
If you have any suggestions on the best
way to remove the damaged squares and
replace with new,
I would appreciate it greatly!
~Deb

35 comments:

  1. I have worked with old quilt tops like yours. I don't remove the damaged piece I sew (hand stitch) another piece on top of it or behind. Once it is quilted it blends right in and is not noticeable.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Judy,
    Thank you!! That sounds like a great solution,
    Deb

    ReplyDelete
  3. I was going to say... applique a patch over it.

    I agree with Judy.

    WOW!! What a fun find. I love, love,lOVE vintage stuff found like that.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's beautiful!!! :) What a great deal you got! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. My goodness! That is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous5:06 PM

    Oh my!!! What a wonderful little quilt top.
    I have no idea how to replace the worn squares... hopefully someone will be able to help you out with that.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I agree with Judy. Applique it and you will have your history AND theirs. Cool!

    ReplyDelete
  8. How lucky you are Deb! That is a pretty quilt.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a lucky find! I love all the beautiful things the Amish make...can't wait to see what you do with it!
    ~Elissa

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've noticed too that old worn aprons are a good source for this type of fabric, and the edges of the aprons are still very durable.
    wonderful find

    ReplyDelete
  11. Julie,
    That's a great idea to use fabric from old aprons--and luckily I have a few. Thanks!
    ~Deb

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hey Deb
    Do you need some real, old fabrics to put in your top? I do have some vintage fabric scraps you can have, just let me know. Elaine

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous7:58 PM

    That quilt is amazing beyond belief. It's my dream to someday find a handmade quilt like that at a flea market!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Glad people already said applique... That's what I was going to suggest. And I'd say too that, depending on your asthetic, it doesn't always have to be square applique patches over each frayed square. I've seen some lovely examples of decorative vine and werath type applique done over old quilts with the flowers sized and positioned to cover fraying spots.

    ReplyDelete
  15. umm... that should be vine and WREATH
    oops.

    ReplyDelete
  16. That is a super great find! It is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh how fortunate for you to find such a neat piece at a great price! I love it! The fabrics are beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've never done what you're attempting but I would do what Judy said :-)) It is a lovely quilt and I guess it was your day indeed. Good things come to those who wait.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a treasure! That is fun to see those neat fabrics. :) Sorry I don't have any ideas for getting the frayed patches worked with.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Just gorgeous! Love all those happy little squares!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Mary Janes Farm had an article in their magazine a while back on repairing vintage quilts. I believe you hand sewed patches over the old ones.

    ReplyDelete
  22. It was your lucky day, for sure! I'm so glad you asked this question. My son's bed has a quilt made by his grandmother many moons ago and many of the squares have disappeared altogether or are tattered. I've never known how to fix it. Now I do. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow what a great find....you hit the jack pot! Love it!
    Good luck with repairing it!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm glad to have read the suggestions here. I picked up a quilt made in the 1940s (it was labeled! How great is that?) from the "free" pile at a garage sale and it has some damaged squares, too. It also needs new binding.

    I hope you love your quilt as much as I love mine, Deb!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm glad to have read the suggestions here. I picked up a quilt made in the 1940s (it was labeled! How great is that?) from the "free" pile at a garage sale and it has some damaged squares, too. It also needs new binding.

    I hope you love your quilt as much as I love mine, Deb!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wow! You really hit the junkin jackpot! How lucky are you? You also have a nice little tale to go with it.
    I like Judy's idea of sewing another square on top of the worn one. Also, as I'm a romantic soul, I would sandwich a little secret between the old and new square. xx

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love, love, love quilt tops and have collected many over the years. I use them for table cloths on special occasions but I do think about making them (or having them made) into actual quilts. Yours is beautiful - what a great find.

    ReplyDelete
  28. what a fabulous find.... all good things come to those who wait... truly special.. xx pam

    ReplyDelete
  29. Beautiful find. It's beautiful. sorry I don't have an idea how to fix the squares but you have me think. Would love to know how you decide to approach the problem.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I too would sew new squares over the worn-out ones.
    I had an old quilt and I cut out the good part and put it behind an old window frame. My quilt was in very poor condition.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Oh Deb,

    You certainly scored! What a beautiful quilt. I can almost picture the flour sacks filled sitting on the plank wooden floor of a pantry waiting to be emptied for the making of a quilt :) Thanks for sharing and enjoy :)
    Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  32. A treasure indeed! Congratulations on a beautiful find. And thanks for asking about repairing it. A couple of my vintage quilts are in need of some TLC - and now I know just what to do to fix them! :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. What a lovely old treasure. I find these at sales, too. I clean, mend, and share them. One I spotted thrown over the hubby's tool chest in the garage and they gave it to me. I made teddy bears from the salvageable pieces. Love your blog! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  34. What a great find! Happy to have discovered your blog this morning. It's beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  35. By now you will have mended this quilt probably, but I wanted to also add my encouragement that PATCH-WORK quilts are just that. And indeed mending and adding your own layer just makes it that much more personal. Rather than hiding the patches, use contrasting fabric or thread and handstitch small patches over the areas that need mending. My favourite finds tend to be things like old cotton sheets and linen that have been mended to within an inch of their lives. The idea of people salvaging and not wasting is at the essence of quiltmaking and sewing. Be proud of its history, all of it. It will continue to be a treasure and heirloom. x

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking time to leave a comment--I love reading each and every one! I will try to answer any questions you have in the comment section. Due to the amount of spam, I am sadly no longer able to accept Anonymous comments....Kindly, Deb

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails