World Wide Quilting Page

Question of the Week

Question for the week of September 30, 2002:

Our question this week comes Rose C

I inherited a quilt that my Great-Great grandmother had made (circa early 1800's). Because it was only preserved by being in a paper bag, by the time I received it, it was already starting to fall apart, revealing that there is another "finished" quilt beneath the ragged and torn "top" quilt - Should I remove the top "rgged layer and try to preserve the bottom "Original" quilt?

Anne Marie :
You might consider salvaging parts of both quilts, and maybe doing something 'new' with them. Or perhaps you could mat and frame the blocks that are still recognizable. What a nice find!

Jackie :
The problem being that the "original" quilt was probably pretty ragged when it was used as a batting for the "finished" quilt. Most people would not have put a "good" quilt to use in that manner. If you take apart the top, you may discover a quilt in even poorer shape. Is there no way to save the one you can see? Perhaps by basting net or organdy over the more worn or delicate areas to try and prevent the pieces from coming apart? Good luck and congratulations on your lucky inheritance!

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