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Hello to all & a Crazy Quilt Delimma

Hi everyone, I'm new to this group. I've been sewing/knitting/ crocheting since I was a child, & come from a long line of sewers. Heres the dilemma:

I've inherited a number of crazy quilts made by my great grandmother & her daugheter (my grandmother). The problem is that she made them small, to fit in a crib (and I suspect, she didnt want to spend a lot of time waiting for the finished project). They are made mostly of wools & rayons. Well, now some of them are falling apart, & I'm wondering about fixing them. This would be a perfect time to deconstuct and sew them together, thus making bigger quilts. Also, I suspect that these quilts are stuffed with other vintage fabrics, since she was extremely frugal and wouldnt have bought batting. Also, her other daughter (my great aunt) worked as a tailor for a well known department store and would often bring home fabric scraps. I suspect the quilts are made from these & stuffed with them. We're talking fabrics from the 1930's to the 1950's maybe early 60s.

What do you more experienced crazy quilters advise? Keep them as they are & just repair? I'm not finding crib size quilts to be very useful. Or take them apart & harvest the fabrics inside & resew together to make a normal sized blankent? I know I'm about to undertake what I feel is a momumental task and would really appreciate any advise, comments etc. Thanks....linda

Reply to
Linda H.
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I, personally, wouldn't drive myself nuts trying to mend. then. Just keep them as they are! Barbara in FL

Reply to
Bobbie Sews Moore

I vote with Barbara. You could spend hundreds of hours and wouldn't have much when you finished except maybe a big old quilt. Put them away and let us teach you how to make a beautiful new quilt that's just right for you. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

Welcome Linda I don't know whether you could repair/re-make them to such an extent that they could be laundered, for instance, with varying fabrics. However, how about making/getting someone to make! a clip-together frame (back and front that could hold a quilt when pushed together locking somehow? or a glazed frame with a hinged and open-able front?). Then you could repair the least damaged ones, make these to be the same size, and show them off in your frame - changing them throughout the year - with the seasons perhaps? You could repair them simply as tops, if you were going to show them in this way. . In message , Linda H. writes

Reply to
Patti

I asked before but couldn't find your reply. Are you the same Barbara that posts on a Brooklyn and Queens NY Board?

Reply to
Marie Dodge

I asked before but couldn't find your reply. Are you the same Barbara that posts on a Brooklyn and Queens NY Board?

Reply to
Marie Dodge

Have you considered using them as wall hangings?

Reply to
Marie Dodge

Nope, I just post to this group and also alt.sewing! Barbara in Florida

Reply to
Bobbie Sews Moore

I'm with Patti....I'd have them framed. I did sewing for a few museums and it was often the case that as try to mend or repair decomposing or old weakened fabrics it just falls apart that much more. You have what could be some wonderful heirlooms. Take them and have them mounted and framed. I wouldn't even try to repair or mend them in any way. Think of it as "beautifully unique artistic character" ;)

Val

Reply to
Val

She uses the same name and is also a quilter, that's why I asked. :^)

Reply to
Marie Dodge

I always sign my name Barbara from Florida (in the winter) or Barbara from SC (during the summer.) I think there are 2 or 3 Barbara's or Barb on this group. Barbara in FL

Reply to
Bobbie Sews Moore

Hi Linda, and welcome to the group. I'm with Patti and Val on this one. I'd try to repair the quilts as best I could using similar fabrics and then have them mounted and displayed as heirlooms. I wouldn't plan on using such a delicate vintage quilt they wouldn't stand up to normal usage. Make a new one as Polly suggested for using. The other thing you could do is see if any museums would be interested in having you donate your vintage heirlooms if you feel you wouldn't be able to use them for display. Just an idea. Let us know what you decide upon. Elly- on the north coast of Scotland where it is nice and sunny and

49F... positively balmy for us this time of year.

"L> Hi everyone, I'm new to this group. I've been sewing/knitting/

Reply to
Elly

Depends how much you love the fabrics. taking everything apart is a big job and you may not like the results. Crazy quilts were seldom made to be really used, they were more often a showcase for embroidery skills. If these have lots of fine embroidery embellishments, they might be worth repairing. Museum-quality repair involves the use of silk gauze carefully tacked over the holes. It does not restore a quilt to as-new level. Or you could just mount them and use them on the wall. But if you want a bed quilt made of wool and rayon, it's not a very practical thing to own! OTOH, I share your curiosity about what's inside :-) Depending on their condition, you might also use them as pillow covers. Roberta in D

"Linda H." schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@s8g2000prg.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
Roberta Zollner

That's almost criminal. What a waste. What a shame. >:^(

Reply to
Marie Dodge

you are correct, Maureen. probate happens first with a will. then the executor is bound by law to carry out the wishes as written in the will. no two ways about it. if there is nothing in the will, that is a whole different issue.

lucky my mom had written up a 'liv> Connie, I'm not positive, but I think as the executor, she must carry out

Reply to
nzlstar*

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