How to Strengthen a Worn Out Vintage Quilt

[@suzisaintjames]

Humm! 🤔. I've gotta think about quilting over holes. I've been thinking about re-quilting old quilts onto a new backing as I love heavy covers on my bed, but I've gotta consider whether I can live with the patches over the new quilting or do I have to have all the patches under the new quilting. Food for thought!Thanks for your thoughts. 💕🌞🌵😷

[@SederQuilts]

@@suzisaintjames My favorite old quilts are “too far gone” to replace fabrics… (you could raw edge appliqué over some spots) … but this is a good way to add strength, keep the softness, and preserve the Real Look of the well loved vintage quilts.

[@suzisaintjames]

@@SederQuilts I think what you're doing is fantastic! My complaint is my perfectionism and my automatic negative thoughts... the conversation I had was something like: oh, you could raw edge appliqué. Well, it is hexis... As long as you're going to all the trouble of raw edge why not just replace the pieces. (I did this once on a 9-patch and used modern fabric to celebrate the re-birth of the quilt.) But the conversation continues with you'll need lights and darks, and vintage fabric would be fantastic, but you could do the modern fabrics again. What about adding batting... I'd want more batting in a bed quilt, but totally understand not adding anymore for a garment. And the internal conversation/argument (or is it called artistic process) continues. I know me. These conversations continue as I'm wearing the finished garment. .. I'm in the process of hand quilting a bed quilt that I tied 20 years ago (the blessings or is it the curse of a quilt label.) First, the border was too floppy. Then it was... might as well appliqué something in the plain blocks. Now it's... the pieced blocks need to be done. After that... the binding really needs replacing. yikes! Now I'm overwhelmed! I might as well make a duster out of a brand new quilted fabric! .... It goes on and on! It's totally me. I saw the last video from your class and think they're wonderful. I think it's wonderful that you can use the best pieces and eliminate the tattered bits. So I guess if you're going to mend the bits (raw edge or not), you should really do it after you cut the garment out. So that you don't waste your time mending a block that doesn't make into the garment... but then you can always make something from the scraps... those little zip bags are so handy.... There's always sashiko or boro... 💕🌞🌵😷

[@SederQuilts]

@@suzisaintjames yes! Yes! YES! Exactly!! I truly am more ArtsyFartsy than OCD overall … but… when it comes to Details, I tend to roll down the rabbit hole of perfectionism … and that leads to never getting it quite good enough… so I don’t finish, because if I set it aside and think a bit more, I could find a better way! So things sit in piles… Perfectionism and Procrastination run hand in hand! … so whenever I find myself catching a breath and looking away for a moment… I shake away the cobwebs and ask myself… will this really be worth the extra time and effort and self imposed stress to attempt to gain perfection (and never achieve that, nor finish it) … or is this already Wonderful and delightful and enjoyable right now as is?!?! Ohhh we creatives tend to run and roll down those same rabbit holes!! Thank you for understanding, sharing, and expressing our common thought process!!🌸🎉🥰🎉🥰🎉🌸

[@suzisaintjames]

@@SederQuilts , Exactly! That's why I tied that quilt in the first place... So it would be finished/usable. Now I hand quilt in my lap (no hoop) when ever the mood strikes and I have one rule... Finish that working thread. That way if I move on to a different WIP then it's still useable and not stuck in limbo. Yes, it's still tied in places. (I think of the ties as thread bastings.) And quilted in others, but it's my favorite WIP. And my favorite napping quilt. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I try to get a piece to a usable place and still work on it as creativity allows, instead of putting it in a pile and sitting... After all there's no quilt police nor snoops around here. 💕🌞🌵😷

[@SederQuilts]

🌸@@suzisaintjames Amen Sister! Amen! Enjoy your Quilty Stuff!! 🤗I do hope we can meet in person some day! So much in common 🥰🌸🥰🌸🥰

[@sandan2358]

I have the perfect worn out quilt for this, I just need to find a pattern.

[@SederQuilts]

@@sandan2358 there are tons of patterns out there. I’d love to see your old quilt! My preferred method does Not use Set in Sleeves. The soft worn out quilts are perfect for my technique.