I made this quilt for my grandson three years ago for his first big boy bed. He has always loved American Flags and the Buffalo Bills since he was tiny!
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| It might not look too bad from a distance..... |
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| This happened in the washer. Our best guess is a small, sharp toy (matchbox car??) was in the washer. |
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| These are some of the worst spots, but there are smaller holes scattered on the quilt. |
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The back has the same damage.
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| Even the binding was damaged! |
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I know that my step-daughter felt bad when she saw the damage and just stuffed on to a shelf in the laundry (in an unfinished basement) since it happened last spring. Last week, I finally demanded that she bring the quilt to me to repair. To add insult to injury, the quilt mildewed and bled.
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| Mildew stains |
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| I believe the pink is the back of the quilt bleeding through. |
Is this quilt worth trying to save? It's not an antique. I could probably make one faster than I could repair this quilt. I'm not sure how to even start to repair. Do I patch the holes first or try to remove the stains? If I do make a new one, what do I do with this quilt, just throw it out? Should I have a campfire/flag burning ceremony?
I'm linking up with
UFO Sunday (since the damage was done last spring) and hoping that some of you out there have a fabulous solution on repair (or just words of encouragement to start over).
Color Me Quilty!
Pat
Hmm.. I think I would trash it and start over! However you could probably cut off the four rows, trim and rebind it to make a lap quilt.
ReplyDeleteI know that this quilt maybe special to your grandson and it has been hidden for a year. Everyone needs a new quilt and with the material that is out there you can make a new one faster than trying to repair.
ReplyDeleteI know that Fabric.com has a lot of nice material with American Flags and right now you can fine the Bills material as well. Good luck on on your discussion on repairing or making new. I would go for new.
It's a cut quilt. Since you say it's easier to make another, why not do so and use this quilt as the batting for the new one? It would be a little thicker and heavier but not a total loss as you would still be using it. Good luck.
ReplyDeletePat, like Leah said this week, "quilt for you"! Would it make you happier repairing the old quilt despite the challenges? Or would making a new quilt lift your spirits? Consider yourself and your feelings first.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jen! Find where your feelings, needs and wants are before desiding what to do. :)
DeleteIf part of the old quilt is salvageable and can be made into something smaller (like a pillow) then make that but I would make a new quilt for his bed.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea, this way you keep part of the old quilt but have the fun of making a new one with no negative memories. What a shame, you must have been gutted.
DeleteI would start over. Chances are, his tastes have changed anyway. Ask him what his favorite color is. That is always a big deal with my kids:) Good luck with what ever you do!
ReplyDeleteStart over, and turn the damaged quilt into a superior paint cover- so you put it over precious things when you redecorate- that wadding would absorb spilt paint so much better than the usual old sheets!
ReplyDeleteOuch! If you made him a new one, perhaps you could shred up the old one and use it to stuff a matching cushion? That way he can still use it but in a different form.
ReplyDeleteI'd make a new one, for sure! And Moni is right about making something smaller with the undamaged parts of the old quilt.
ReplyDeleteOh I'm so sorry! That's heart breaking!!! It appears as though the damage is so widespread that it would be much easier to start over. Easier is not always better of course, but sometimes it's smarter. My granddaughter ruined one of hers by leaving it outside and I cried when I saw it. It was not able to be salvaged, but I had put Minkee on the back and that survived. Someday when she's older and can take care of it, I'll make her another and use the backing again.
ReplyDeleteI'd suggest using the undamaged parts of the quilt and make a pillow. You might also check out the prayer flag project at http://theprayerflagproject.blogspot.com . Some people use quilt squares or bits of old quilts and repurpose them into these flags to be given as inspiration to others.
ReplyDeleteOh, that is just sad.. I would start over not knowing how extensive the mildew damage might be. Hopefully lesson learned by your step-daughter.
ReplyDeleteOh my! That damage is pretty bad! I think I'd make a new one (flag one?), but also thought a pillow made out of the old one might be a nice way to salvage some of it. Make the new quilt to match? I'd be reluctant to keep anything with mildew like that. I've also learned that white is a bad color to use for anything that comes into contact with little boys (especially clothes). Even with my own boys, I keep their quilts very fast and simple because I know they'll get used and washed a lot!
ReplyDeleteI thought the first picture was bad but it just got worse and worse! I wouldn't keep anything with mildew either so I would certainly chuck it out :(
ReplyDeleteJust have fun making a new one!
I like the pillow idea. The start over on another quill.
ReplyDeleteI so relate to this. I made my sister a quilt about 5 years ago- I put my heart and soul into it at the time and it challenged my every skill. It was a crossword puzzle quilt with all our family's names in it. I designed it as a wall hanging quilt but she decided to give it the more utilitarian purpose of a couch quilt. A few months after receiving it her son got sick and threw up on it. Her husband shoved it in the was with many other things and since the load was overstuffed it came out in shreds. I cried for days when I found out and she has been begging me to make her another one for years now. I still can't muster up the will to do it as the wound of having a beloved quilt destroyed like that still hurts. Someday when I think she will give it the respect it deserves I will make her another, but only when it feels right. I think you should act according to your feelings- if it hurts too much to make another one then wait until it doesn't - he has lived without it for a year, he can live without it for more time. I am so sorry this happened to you- it really is a painful experience.
ReplyDeleteIt is a loss, I think. Do it over. (But do it just the same because it is fabulous!!)
ReplyDeleteI would start over and maybe choose a higher quality fabric this time. I know I have fallen in love with a fabric before because of the logo or just perfect design, only to be heartbroken when it runs, fades, sheds, or frays in the wash. I spent a long time once on adorable matching shaggy-raggy quilts for my boys after I found the cutest fabric on sale at JoAnn. I guess it was on sale for a reason, because even washing it several times beforehand didn't stop it from bleeding all over. After just a few washings, the flannel is so thin that you can see the fabric I used instead of batting. Never again!
ReplyDeleteThe other thing is, I wonder what your step-daughter uses for her laundry. She may need some instruction on using a gentler detergent and cycle for a quilt than for your grandson's clothes and sheets.
Sorry for this sad ending to a really cute quilt.
It does bring to mind a story I have called 'Something From Nothing', and the course of a boy's blanket's life. When I read this story, I feel sad because it reminds me that nothing lasts forever and we can only do with what we have. You can take the blanket and use the undamaged parts to make something new, but only if it is something you want to do. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame what happened to that beautiful quilt. And I have to agree that whatever you decide to do, do it for you, and have fun doing it.
I'm confused as to why there is a guess as to what was in the washer with it. Surely something came out of the washer and revealed itself as the culprit? This is such severe damage that it's shocking. It's hard to believe this happened during a gentle cycle, so....
ReplyDeleteLet this be a lesson to us all that we must send, and perhaps attach if possible, care instructions on our quilts.
Pat, I'm really sorry to see this happen. I would suggest that you have to do something about the mildew, so wash it yourself. Don't worry about further damage at this point--there is nothing that can be saved if it can't be cleaned of the mildew. Use gentle bleach if you must. When the item is clean and dry, take another look at it and do one of two things: (1) decide how to proceed with this item--whether it's toss it, take it apart, or something else from the great ideas above--or (2) put it aside for a while and pull it out when you're ready to decide.
Nobody can give you the "right" answer except; only you can determine what that is. So when you do decide, feel good about it.
IK would do what my grandmother woud have done. Use the old quilt as the middle for a new quilt
ReplyDeleteoooo yeah, but not with mold
DeleteMake a new quilt. Safe a bit of the old for a throw or pillow to go with the new quilt.
ReplyDeleteI would save what can be saved and use it in a new quilt in a quilt as you go kind of way. Good luck
ReplyDeleteIf you are familiar with Jude Hill and her approach to Boro patching, this might be a way to repair this quilt. It could be a project to take out on nights when doing a little hand sewing appeals to you. Jude has a site, Spirit Cloth, and examples of boro work.
ReplyDeletestill thinking about this quilt. :) Another thing might to be making pillows out of the good pieces, perhaps another piece for a wall hanging? Had to post this so I could move on. lol
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I am an avid reader of this blog, keep up the good work, and I'll be a
ReplyDeleteregular visitor for a very long time.
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