Q is For Quilt

   

Or Queen, in this case. 

A few years ago, this sweet unfinished fifty year-old quilt top was found in a box at an estate sale, along with the original pattern and the remaining scraps of fabric. 

I know. 

For someone who relishes finishing old quilts and restoring old patterns, how lucky can you get?  Everything was there. 

I was able to use the pattern templates and the remnant cloth to cut out and piece together the missing section at the top and on two sides.  The central portion, with the embroidery, was all hand-pieced with the tiniest of stitches. I can only imagine the work that went into doing that. I did my best to match everything up.  Somehow it all came together, despite my lack of experience in piecing diamonds and squares. This was definitely a learning curve for me.

I lined it with cotton batting and quilted it by hand.  The bright pink binding finished it nicely I think. 

The pattern is called Playblocks, dated 1938.  The embroidery is done as Bluework.  The combination of squares and diamonds in light and dark colors creates an optical illusion of baby blocks.

The restored pattern is available here; the designs can be used for bibs, blankets, (simpler) quilt blocks and other nursery items.  And can be done in colors as well!

Comments

[Lilli]

Oh, don't you just wish you had a special time machine so you could see who was making this quilt, and for whom :)

[carol]

Oh Vicki,this post got me a little choked up. It's going to be beautiful when you finish it.

[Lauren]

How neat that you are finishing what was someone's labor of love.

[justine]

WOW. please let us know when you finish it :)

[Kathie]

Vicki,

This quilt is so beautiful!

I made a quilt for my daughter with nursery rymes on it and she still has it even though it is well used and a lot of the stitching is missing. However, my poor son never got his. I made the squares with ABC's like this one your working on, but never finished. I did at one time in desperation peice the top (rather badly I'm afraid) just so he could use it for a short while. I now have it sitting in my UFO pile waiting to be taken apart and put together correctly.

My son's son is now 9 months old. Maybe I can use your insperation and finish it for him one day?

[weirdbunny]

OH you really must finish it and show us the finished product. It's absolutely beautiful. To think some one sat there and sewed it just like you are.

[Shula]

That is one helluva find. I have a number of beautiful tops that I'm frightened to finish, in case I ruin them. There's years of someone's life in this one. What a treasure.

[brit]

awesome. I'm so jealous of people finding rare jewels like this at garage sales. It never happens to me! ebay is rough too cuz you never know just by looking. This is beautiful what a treauser

[Miss Pink Ponsonby]

Your site makes me happy every day! I just come for a visit and go away feeling...uplifted. I don't know what it is, just the sweet fun stuff you have! Thank you!