I'm known in my local quilt guild as someone with a great interest in quilt history. People bring me articles, tell me stories about family quilts, give me old fabrics, blocks, and even old worn out quilts. One donation was a group of small nine patch cheddar blocks. They were paired with a variety of shirtings, red, indigo, brown, and green fabrics. Most of the cheddar fabric, also called antimony or chrome orange, was threadbare, torn, or stained but a few pieces could be salvaged. I decided to take every little piece apart, which I am still doing, and ended up with sorted piles of 1-1/2" and 2-1/2" usable squares. I've had to trim them down to keep them consistent. My plan is to save the best pieces and try to re-create the quilt pattern. I scanned some of the fabrics on my computer and printed copies on muslin since finding the exact shirtings was impossible. I did find some similar reproductions online and at a favorite quilt shop.
The work is tedious and I keep putting it back in the bin for another day. Soon I hope to get back to the project. The top will have to be hand quilted, of course. I'm thinking of adding sashing and cornerstones to allow the vintage fabrics to be prominent.
As I am taking the teeny tiny stitches apart, some made by hand and some by machine, I am imagining...who started this project, who was it for, why was it not finished? I'll never know the details. Historically these fabrics could date from after the Civil War to the early 1900s. The collection is not all from the same era so perhaps they were from someone's scrap bag. I especially like the minuscule red polka dot fabric.
Trying to salvage these blocks might seem futile but it gives me pleasure to reclaim someone's hard work. These pieces are a treasure.
The work is tedious and I keep putting it back in the bin for another day. Soon I hope to get back to the project. The top will have to be hand quilted, of course. I'm thinking of adding sashing and cornerstones to allow the vintage fabrics to be prominent.
As I am taking the teeny tiny stitches apart, some made by hand and some by machine, I am imagining...who started this project, who was it for, why was it not finished? I'll never know the details. Historically these fabrics could date from after the Civil War to the early 1900s. The collection is not all from the same era so perhaps they were from someone's scrap bag. I especially like the minuscule red polka dot fabric.
Trying to salvage these blocks might seem futile but it gives me pleasure to reclaim someone's hard work. These pieces are a treasure.
"Gather up the leftover fragments,
that nothing may be lost.” John 6:12
that nothing may be lost.” John 6:12