Originally Posted by sarge1
My boss gave me this quilt. His grandmother made it, but alas, one of his dogs got to it, and he gave it to me to do with it what I wished. Well, what I'd really love to do is give it back to him in some form. It is not repairable as is. My next thought was to cut out the save-able blocks (about 13) and make a lap quilt; Or, even better, to use the quilt to make teddy bears for his two granddaughters. Someone told me teddy bears are tricky ??
Any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance
I've done many repairs/remakes of vintage quilts and here's my point of view:
As this is a family quilt as well as a vintage quilt, and as you'd like to return it to him for his granddaughters who are the Great-great-granddaughters of the maker of the quilt, I'd suggest keeping the integrity of the original quilt as much as possible.
If there are 13 useable blocks, divide them 6 and 6 between two new quilts for the GGGDs and make a pillow for the granddad.
Use as much of the original fabric as you can in the new quilts, keeping the setting similar - sashing with cornerstones.
But, to enlarge the quilts, perhaps you could set them with six newly-pieced blocks using fabrics of similar feel (1930s prints??) and similar colors.
Or, if you applique, you could make six new appliqued blocks to go with the six vintage ones. I'd suggest a different motif than her original butterflies just to allow them to be the "original".
You could set it as applique block/sashing/pieced block/sashing/applique block in one row.
Then pieced block/sashing/applique block/sashing/pieced block. You'd get a 3 block by 4 block setting that way, which is similar to the original.
Regardless, please share your eventual result!
Jan in VA