Rescue Notes

Quilt Rescue, - Sunbonnet Ladies

4/2/2015

I bought this sweet Sunbonnet top in 2009 from eBay. Shopping on line is always more of a risk than looking at a quilt top hands-on. I try to study the pictures carefully to understand both quality and condition of a quilt top that I don’t actually have in my hands. If you are unsure about an item you are thinking of buying, don’t be shy about asking questions of the seller. They want you to be informed and be happy with your purchase.

A detail photo of this top showed that the applique and embroidery were both done with a fine stitch and the quilt top in general looked pretty clean. When the top arrived, it was very much as presented, but it still needed a lot of work. I knew it would be worth the time and work to rescue.

The appliqued blocks had been set together with wide pink sashing and white cornerstones. There was also a row of sashing across the top edge, but not on the sides or bottom. I considered this top row of fabric might be useful for replacing other sashings - one that was pieced, one that had faded, and one with several holes in it.

But, I really felt that the 3" hot pink sashing was too wide, overwhelming the delicate blocks in both size and color. Cutting it smaller was an option and would have kept it closer to the original but even if I had kept the pink, there didn’t seem to be another fabric in this world that would work with it for a border. My solution was to take the top all apart and reset the blocks with a narrower green sashing. I also added a narrow stop border of the same green fabric all around. A 1930s reproduction pink and green plaid fabric and a muslin back completed this piece.

As I was working on the top, I found that the embroidery was not finished on one of the blocks. I used a light box to trace the details from a completed block, chose floss colors to match the originals, and added the missing details. I also found basting stitches remaining in a few places and those were easy to remove.

Even though I was machine quilting, I wanted to keep the quilting style as close to period as I could. I quilted a plaid grid behind the girls and added some custom details in the appliqued dresses. I chose a daisy pattern for the sashes, a classic cable for the stop border, and then repeated the daisy motif in the borders. A curved edge and green binding were the finishing touches.

This Sunbonnet girl not only found new life as a finished quilt, but she also became the logo for the Southern Belle Statler Retreats that Joan Knight and I host twice a year. We love our Belle.

Original quilt top.

Finished quilt 2010 Anita Shackelford

Our Belle logo

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Quilt Rescue - String Baskets

3/8/2015

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My string basket quilt is a more recent project and different from the earlier pieces. It’s not only a rescue, but a complete restyle.

I found the top on eBay and was charmed by the 1930s fabrics and the visual complexity of the string piecing. It was not expensive and I thought I would just quilt it up quickly and enjoy it. When it arrived, however, the picture was very different.

Although the color and graphics were still good, the completed top was narrow and very long; not a very functional piece. The strings had been hand stitched to a variety of foundation fabrics. Blocks were also sewn together by hand with seam allowances that measured from ¼” to 1” in width. I debated for a while whether it was really worth finishing. I considered several options, questioned “should I, or shouldn’t I? What would the quilt world think was OK for me to do with it?” In the end, it was my most dramatic rescue and I love it.

The scariest part was taking a rotary cutter to the piece. I cut blocks apart and then cut them to the same size. Then one more time, with the cutter, I cut them into triangles. The string triangles were set with another triangle of muslin and the blocks were set together on point to make basket shapes.

Then the question of quilting it…Quilt by hand or machine? Traditional natural-colored thread or something different? I decided I had already taken the quilt so far from its original roots, that I should keep going in that direction. I loaded it onto my Statler Stitcher and used a bright, variegated King Tut thread to put flowers into the baskets. A red binding finished it, because I love red, and because it brought out so much great color in the old fabrics.

I hope you love this quilt rescue as much as I do. A finished quilt is always better than an old top in a drawer, or closet, or in the trash. I am happy to have given this one a new life.

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Pinwheels Rescue

3/3/2015

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Today’s rescue quilt started with 25 blocks I bought at auction in 1986. The 3” Pinwheel blocks are a wonderful combination of late 19th century brown prints and shirtings. The alternate fabric in the nine-patch setting is a woven red and white check.

I set them together with a new (at the time) brown print and hand pieced them together. Looking at it now, I suppose part of what I learned with this quilt was how to size the setting triangles around the outside.

I quilted just one line in each of the small pinwheel triangles and then continued with straight line quilting in about the same density for the red squares. I suppose these lines were quilted by eye, or perhaps marked with tape.

I’ve always been in love with feather quilting motifs, so I drew feather wreaths to fill the plain blocks. I did not stitch in the ditch, but 1/4" inside each of these large blocks to frame and stabilize them.

Not much more to say about this one. Enjoy the beautiful fabrics. And if you enjoy feathers and want to try your hand at drawing your own, take a look at my Infinite Feathers book and tool on my website www.anitashackelford.com

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Quilt Rescue - Princess Feather

2/25/2015

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As I was thinking about how many antique quilts I've rescued or where to start writing about this adventure, I remembered this mid 19th century Princess Feather in the closet. As it turns out, this is the earliest rescue quilt I have documented. It seems like an ambitious first project, but I remember that it was very rewarding to work on.

I found this quilt at a fairgrounds flea market in 1984. As you will see, the applique was in very bad condition. The price was $25. I also remember that the seller wanted to know what I was going to do with it. She said if I was going to cut it up, she wouldn't sell it to me. I said, "I think I can save it..."

The body of the quilt, and the quilting stitches were in tact and the green applique fabric was faded, but still strong in most places. The red fabric had deteriorated, with only shreds of it remaining where the quilting lines held it in place.

I did not remove the red appliques. I traced each piece, one at a time, to make templates, and appliqued over top of the originals. Then I re-quilted, following the original lines, but not quilting through the back, so the maker's stitches are the only ones showing there.

This quilt has been shown several times, as part of my Red & Green collection. Some have asked why it's not finished after all these years. My reply is that it's a better teaching sample unfinished. But, now i wonder...should I continue?

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Quilt Rescue - Finishing Antique Tops

2/23/2015

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The Quilting:

Many people will argue that antique tops should only be hand quilted. Will you invest the time to do that? Or might it be OK to machine quilt an old top? This topic is the one that always brings the strongest opinions.

How important is it to quilt in a style appropriate to the period of the piece? Should we use a traditional thread color, an invisible thread, for an antique look, or can we step away from tradition and allow the thread to make its own contemporary statement?

Quilting Style:

19th Century quilting might include straight line (single, double, triple), grid, hanging diamonds, cables, feathers, fans, and clamshells.

20th Century quilts would more likely be quilted by the piece, and include echoes around applique, feathers, flowers, and ribbons.

I hope you'll follow me on this Quilt Rescue journey as I show you some of the antique tops I've rescued, refreshed, restyled, and reinterpreted.

Anita

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Collecting Antique Quilts

2/10/2015

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Collecting antique quilts has been a long-time passion of mine. I didn’t grow up with quilts in the house, but from an early age, I was attracted to them. I fell in love with their softness and their color and pattern. I continue to be charmed by the stories connected to antique quilts and their makers. I enjoy my small sampling of nineteenth century quilts and am always looking for that next wonderful piece to add to my collection.

There are many good reasons to consider collecting antique quilts. For years, people have known the comfort and beauty of displaying quilts in their home. Simple scrappy quilts can add charm to an antique or country-style decorating scheme. For others, quilts are a trendy decorator item, displayed on the wall as any other piece of fine art would be. Antique quilts come in a great variety of patterns and colors; with a little searching, you should be able to find one to suit your style.

Quilts also have value beyond simple decoration. Quilting instructors often have a collection of antique quilts for their own study and for examples to be used in the teaching of others. The patterns and techniques used in the last century can often inspire new work being done today. Collectors and dealers buy quilts for the investment potential that they hold. I have used this rationale a few times during the purchase of a more expensive piece, but my husband reminds me that it is only an investment if you sell it again.

A good place to begin looking for quilts may be right at home. Many people find that quilt collections begin quite innocently with quilts given to them by family or friends. Perhaps your relatives have quilts that have come down through the family. Has someone expressed an interest in caring for these pieces? Volunteer to document their history, have them appraised and store them in a safe place. Let friends know that you are interested. As surprising as it may seem, many people are not interested in old quilts and quite often they are willing to give them to someone who will care for them and enjoy them.

Some people begin a collection by acquiring quilts as they come along, with no particular plan. Garage sales, flea markets and auctions are sometimes a good source for finding old quilts. If you have the time to spend, and are interested in a variety of styles, you may begin or add to a collection in this way.

If you are a more serious collector, your quilts may have a specific focus; perhaps you are in love with red and green applique, scrappy turn of the century darks, or the light and airy look of the 1930's pastels. Antique dealers, especially those dealing in antique quilts, can be the best source of quilts for those collectors interested in specific styles. The price will be higher, but you may be able to find just what you want.

Prices for antique quilts have risen and fallen over the years. How can you begin collecting and be able to afford the quilts that you want? Study the market so that you know what you are looking at. Condition is probably the most important factor in determining the value of a quilt. Quilt appraisers figure the monetary value of a quilt based on its condition and known history. Good advice is to buy the best that you can afford. For many collectors, sentiment can also play a big part in the importance of a quilt. Buy what you like. As your collection grows you may decide to skip the purchase of several of lesser price in order to buy a more expensive one. Another idea is to trade up; sell off several of the less valuable pieces and use the money to purchase that really special piece.

If you are interested in collecting quilts, the first step is to start looking. Whatever your interests, you will be able to find quilts that will fit your budget, fill your needs and satisfy your soul.

Some of my antique Red and Green quilts on exhibit at the museum in Paducah in 2008

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January 05th, 2015

1/5/2015

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Quilt Rescue, - Sunbonnet Ladies

Quilt Rescue - String Baskets

Pinwheels Rescue

Quilt Rescue - Princess Feather

Quilt Rescue - Finishing Antique Tops

Collecting Antique Quilts

January 05th, 2015

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