Thursday, November 25, 2021

Happy Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving Day is one of the few days of the year that I do not get to stitch. I usually stay at my sister’s the night before and start cooking before dawn. We have fun catching up as we peel and stuff!

 I have neglected my “Bird’s Nest Soup” and all other creative projects to try and finish the repair on this treasure. It belongs to a friend of a friend who called me while visiting Maine last summer. It was made by his aunt 5 generations back. 


 An old family label was attached that stated it was thought to be made c1812. It is always so touchy when you know something about the history of quilts, and you have to gently tell the owner that you are quite sure it was made much later than that. He was very gracious and had done fabulous family research which helped us to determine that the date was closer to 1850. It is beautifully appliqued and quilted.

My job was to replace the fabric that had deteriorated. It was clearly a different fabric than the rest of the green that remained unharmed.


This happens quite often in 19th century quilts. You can still see some of the green under the seam allowance. 

I had to remove all the old in order for the new green to lie flat. It didn't take much effort as the fabric was really rotted.


He shipped the quilt to me in early September and it took nearly 2 months to find the right green. After searching for and dying and overdying many different greens, I finally found the right one in the first place I should have looked! I just never thought to look for a solid fabric at Cyndi’s (Busy Thimble), but there it was – the (almost) perfect solution. A Bella 100% cotton solid. You can see how the color matches pretty well. The leaf is my new applique onto the original stem. 

My goal is to finish the repair by the end of the month. I hope you all get some stitching time while resting after the holiday.

 Wishing all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

21 comments:

  1. Fantastic work on that lovely quilt! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  2. What a lovely thing to repair and give new life to!!! Happy Thanksgiving!

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  3. Happy Thanksgiving Wendy! Hoping to get in a few hand quilting stitches before heading to our daughter's home for the big dinner. Pecan pie ready to travel!

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  4. That is quite the undertaking you are doing! The job you are doing is beautiful and that quilt will come alive once again.

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  5. So lovely! And what a generous gift you are giving your friend i.e. your time and expertise. Such a pretty quilt.

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  6. What a treasure to work on! Thanks for sharing the quilt and your process. Happy Thanksgiving!

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  7. Wow Wendy that is quite a challenge--but I bet it will look all refreshed when you've finished it. It is a beautiful quilt;)))
    I hope your thanksgiving feast is wonderful
    Hugs, Julierose

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  8. Happy Thanksgiving Wendy! What a wonderful restoration you are doing!

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  9. What a treasure! Absolutely marvellous! Your fabric match is so perfect - your friend is going to be thrilled!!

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  10. You are the perfect person to be entrusted with a repair like this, Wendy. You're so careful. The green you found matches so well that I would not given it a second look or imagined it different than its nearly wreath. It's amazing the range of solid fabric colors that are available these days. Glad you found one that worked.

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  11. That’s a huge task Wendy! The repairs will hopefully see the quilt through another 150+ years. How amazing to be working on something that old.

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  12. What a beautiful quilt. The new green is a great match. I know there is always a debate to repair or not repair, but it will be nice for the owner to enjoy his family's treasure.

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  13. Wow, that is a great match! So glad you found it, and he will be so pleased with the results. A treasure!

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  14. That Two and Four quilt is just so lovely.
    Meanwhile, what an interesting read this post was. How diligent you were to search for the correct shade of green and from the photo, succeeded. You will return this quilt to its former glory, I have no doubt.

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  15. Wow, that is a commitment! But I can't think of anyone who could do it better.
    Isn't that funny how you look everywhere but the usual, and that is where your need is met?
    I can just imagine you and your sister working on the meal and chatting away. Good times. :)

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  16. What a labor of love to work on that beautiful old quilt! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

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  17. What a generous thing for you to take on the repair of your friend’s quilt. Good thing you found the green, it looks perfect!

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  18. What a labor of love for this beauty! And she is a beauty. Wonderful that you found the right green for the repair.
    You're doing an amazing job.
    Happy Thanksgiving!

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  19. Can't wait to see your progress.

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  20. Happy Thanksgiving, Wendy! That green leaf looks perfect. What a gorgeous quilt.

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