I need your help!
 

Ai was gifted with 17 sun bonnet sue blocks. The figures have been cut off the original quilt. They are made from feed sack fabric and hand made by my pastor's grandmother. I am wanting to put some of them together on muslin block, 12x14". Only to be used as display quilt for the great grand daughter. I have a couple of questions

1. can I soak them in a laundry bag With Woolite and then rinse likewise and dry on towels on the floor?
2. I am going to appliqué them to muslin will I need to put some sort of iron stabilizer on the back or just sew them on? They were cut off the original quilt so have that fabric on the back.

Thanking you in advance for ny help, suggestions you can give me!

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I think I would wait until the quilt is finished before I would soak the pieces. Right now they look like they lay flat and haven't raveled. As far as the stabilizer it would depend on how the pieces feel now. If they haven't stretched out of shape they may be fine as they are.

I would use a lightweight fusible heatbond, It helps them from shifting when you machine applique them.

To keep them from getting too stiff, I would just stitch them to the background as is then trim the excess from behind them. Unless they have an overly offensive odor or feel too dirty to work with, I wouldn't try to wash them until the quilt was finished.

They are really adorable and such neat treasures.

I wouldn't wash them in Woolite. When and if they ever need to be washed, use something formulated for antique linens. Have you thought of setting them on point?? Just a thought. Good Luck. They are adorable !!

They do lay flat and won't ravel because someone stitched around the edge of both the front and back of each one. I can see that is done by machine. I also had to remove some of the threads from the hand quilting done on the original quilt.

Thank you for the wonderful suggestion. I hadn't thought of setting them on point. Guess that's why more minds are better than one! I won't wash them until I am done. Washed, dried, and starched the muslin.

I love Sunbonnet Sue. The blocks are gorgeous. I'm in the process of doing Sunbonnet Sue monthly wall hanging.

Congratulations! Those look in great shape, and well made. Lots of times what you find (in vintage SBS blocks) is funky.