Bars and Stripes

This lovely old thing was a quilt rescue.  I picked it up at a flea market, eons ago, and paid practically nothing for it, because at the time it was just a big wadded-up mess.  Someone had apparently thrown it into a washing machine and the cotton batting shrunk, clumping into large balls between the ties, since it had not been quilted down.  So sad and pitiful it was.  Obviously just a scrap quilt, but I loved the colors, the feedsack prints, the simple design.  So I paid the dealer five bucks and brought it home to deconstruct.  Once I got the quilt top removed, gently cleaned and repaired, it was given fresh batting and backed with plain muslin.  I hand-quilted simple lines in the border strips and in the ditch.  I remember it was an absolute dream to quilt, with the fabrics being so time-worn and buttery soft that my needle just glided through them.  I imagined the unknown quilt-maker, happy to know that her humble efforts had been preserved.   

We've treated this quilt gently and its held up amazingly well over time, though after years of use I've had to retire it because the fabrics are getting fragile.  Some of the patches have disintegrated.  Which all too often happens.  That being the case, I decided it was time to fashion a new one. 

So, out came the jelly roll scraps and I got stitching.  

Everything came together very quickly.  I sewed four 18" strips (half a jelly-roll length) together, and then cut them into 6" sections which were randomly placed so that no two of the same print would be next to each other. 

I must admit, I was tempted to use purple strips between the bars.  But I had a lot of scraps I needed to use up that coordinated much better so used them instead.  One of these days though, I WILL do a purple version like the original.  Have to.  It's just SO good. 

After I got the top pieced, I machine quilted the whole thing, in the same way as before. 

And ya know...  I think it turned out pretty awesome.  Even without that beloved purple.  

Comments

[Janis]

I love both your rescued quilt and the new one you made. I have a couple of rescued quilt tops as well but haven't
done anything with them yet. I'm going to put on my thinking cap and come up with a plan to make them beautiful like you did.

[Sheila]

Both quilts are beautiful!

[Debra]

That quilt pattern would be great in Civil War reproduction or 1930 fabrics as well, but I love your selection!

[Debbie]

I love both the old, repaired quilt and the new one too! I have a redwork quilt that is over 100 years old. What a nice tribute to the original quilt maker!

[Lena]

Thank you for sharing how you used your jelly roll fabrics to create this pretty quilt. You make it sound very doable.

I like seeing how different the two quilts look from one another, because of the fabric choices. Yours looks so much more contemporary. I think because of the lighter fabrics.

Wow, that hanging basket of flowers is amazing!

Love your little butterfly.

[Julie]

Wonderful rescue! How awesome was that? :)

Love the new quilt you made...so sweet and the ends are really great (the blue and white fabric).

[Jane S.]

I just love it when people rescue old and/or mistreated quilts! Deconstructing and bringing them back is so satisfying, isn't it? I'm always on the look out for orphaned quilt blocks or unfinished tops. It makes me happy to turn them in to something beautiful. I think you did a wonderful job. :)

[Laura]

Amazing quilt rescue and amazing reproduction! Just lovely.

[Betty]

Wonderful save and beautiful replacement

[Velma]

It is so you to rescue a quilt. I know that you put love in everything you do. Beautifuly done.