Amazing applique'd blocks from the estate of a 95-year-old friend of mine
 

This wonderful friend of mine just passed away recently. She was 95 and had lived a very full life with lots of travels across the world. Throughout much of the 1980's she lived in Panama with her husband while her husband tended the animals as a veterinarian on the military base in the Panama Canal area. During this time, she collected tons of "molas" or "molitas." Molas are made by reverse applique, with some more complex molas having 7 or more different fabrics layered on there.

Additionally, there were some rectangles of "crazy quilting" I believe. Those will make a quilt of their own.

Anyway, I wanted to share with you guys and get your opinions on how to clean them and prepare them for one big quilt. They're quite wrinkly and kind of have an "old house" smell. Not musty or moldy, but just old house that hasn't been tended in a bit. She lived in a retirement home and hadn't spent the last few years in her house.

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She made that last one herself while she was there. :)
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Crazy quilting?

Wow!!!! What a great gift you have! I real treasure. I'll be looking to see how you do put them all together.

they are wonderful. wow can't wait to see what you come up with

I would put a shashing around then. I think it would be random placement. They are beautiful fabrics.

I think I would do a random placement also with sashing. I would also make the quilt have it quilted and then wash it with a whole bunch of color catchers.

Those are just beautiful! The color is so vibrant. It would be fun trying to arrange them into a quilt. I wouldn't wash them before assembling, since you may lose some seam allowance doing that. Always quilted with love had a good suggestion about using a lot of Color Catchers. You could try using Retayne to help set the colors, too.

Leslie

As long as they aren't actually dirty or moldy or cat smelly, I'd probably just iron them and work with them as they are. Then, after I get the quilt together, I'd (maybe, unless I had a moment of unbelievable madness) take it to the dry cleaner and have it cleaned.

Are they cotton? The Same kind we quilt with? Can you just spray it with fabreeze? I would be afraid to wash them , not knowing the origin of the fabric ..maybe if you have an extra one you could try that..it would be a shame to ruin them ..just my thoughts..

Have fun with your new stash.

They are a wonderful collection! They really just need to be aired out in fresh air if possible. A closed up house gives a musty smell.