Thread: Flea market blocks

Thanks Jan! No matter what their age is, i'm still glad they have a home!

I once found 4 quilt tops at a dime and dollar store. I offered to take them home and finish them up. They wanted me to pay for them, but I said No, I would just like to finish the quilts so you can sell them. They let me take them home, and I had them back a few months later.

Just last year, we had a member pass away whose family donated all his fabric. Truck loads! After offering the fabric for about 6 months to the club members and then at the quilt show (we sold tons of it there for very cheap), it was heading for the dumpster. I said, "Oh, no. I'll find a home for it." There were about three boxes left. I found fabric to use for cat pillows, wheel chair and walker bags, upholstery, and a set of 20 beautiful blocks made by 20 different people. They had their names embroidered or written in pen on all the blocks. One had embroidered "1989" in here block. There was even extra fabric to match what each member had in their block. I was going to put them together with sashing, but they fit together so nicely without; squares with light outsides fit next to squares with dark outsides. I knew one person whose name was on a square, so I asked her about it. Now I found out who all these people are. Only one has passed away. I'm keeping this one. After all, if one of the makers has a grandson who becomes president or something, think how valuable it will be! ! ! ! LOL

A great find! I think it would be pretty to sash them.

I'll be a cheerleader! I, too, have rescued blocks. I just think about the person who worked on them and wonder what the rest of her life might have been like.

A great flea market. Over the years, I've bought several quilt tops there and gave them a home. Nice treasure.

I am a vintage nut. So far I have finished about 10 quilts that have been handsewn tops. I have bought over 300 blocks so far, and that might be an gross understatement. I just bought 10 of them 2 days ago. The most important thing I can suggest to you is to wash them. They are really dirty even though they do not look it. Be careful of the reds, they do bleed easily. I will soak them in laundry soap in my kitchen sink one by one to see if they bleed. Then I let them sit in a bucket of oxyclean/laundry soap for a day or so. Sometimes I have to change the water several times. I have always done this and I have never been unhappy with the results, the blocks come out so much brighter without all that dirt and it is easier to block them afterward. Right now I have about 25 blocks in my freezer because I didn't have time to iron them when done. I usually put them all in a dryer and dry them until almost done and then I iron them. I absolutely have a 'thing' about these vintage blocks, I always thank the maker who is unknown. Good luck with whatever you make. I have found that when I put these blocks together, I usually use solid colors and they have turned out great.