Those of you that know me know I am just beginning to quilt, and am in the infantsey of teaching myself to sew. This is the quilt I spoke about a long time ago that my granny made for me some 48 years ago. Last night I had it on my lap while sitting in my wheelchair. I went to go across the room and the quilt got caught under the wheel and I heard what had to be the most sickening sound I EVER heard in my life. PLEASE help me fix this!!! I am about to go into a deep dark depression!
David

Oh David that is aweful! I wish I could tell you how to fix it. I have a couple of quilts that my DGM made that need fixing but I have put them away until I have more experience. I am sure someone will be able to help you.

Oh I am so sorry!! The opnly suggestion I would have would be to pick out a couple fabric that might match and sandwhich them over the torn area. that looks like a pretty nasty tear! Cover up might just be the best idea.

Oh my!......Some one please help!

I would try to whip stitch it back together with matching thread.

So sorry...I hope you will be able to find a fix. I have Grandmother's Flower Garden that is old, and I haven't been brave enough to do anything yet.

First, Put it back together with hand stitching, don't try to make it right at this stage, just get it back together as best you can. Try to make it lie flat as you pull fabrics and batting together. The stitches you put in at this stage are for reinforcement.

Next, look for fabrics that come close.

First, whipstitch a patch on the back.

Second, Find bits of batting that come close to the original. Is it cotton or polyester? It looks like cotton from here. Put them in with hand stitches, kinda like darning.

Third, Layer in your replacement fabrics, whipstitching them in place.

All this will take time. Just remember that quilts acquire character, sometimes by accident. You will love it all that much more.

This really hasme on the verge of tears, it is one thing I have kept with me everyday since childhood Thank you everyone for your sympathy
David

OH Red! thank you sooo much!!! Could you just explain to me the stitches you mentioned ie whip stitch ect
Thank you
David

David, PM Debbieumphress she repairs quilts for people, she'll be able to help you.

OK David. Calm down. Perhaps this will lighten up your depression. You will need to remake the torn part. That means taking out the pieces, cutting templates and making new block. The backing would need to be pieced.
So it can be done. Now to fabric. You can go to Goodwill or Salvation Army and get faded clothing that would match the look of the replacing pieces. OR.......if you ever come down to the $1.99 store and bring it, I could go into my closet and find matching fabrics. Does either of these suggestions lighten up your day.

ahh thank you I know Debbie!
Thank you
David

very much so!!!
Thank you!!
David

please don't go into a depresson!!! we need you on here.now about the quilt....I would start with the back,cut a piece of muslin a little larger then the tear and appique in onto the back.then put some batting on top of the muslin,then put a piece of white fabric on top of the batting.then try pulling the tear together and whip stiching it.by having the white fabric underneath it will give you something to stich to.also if the tear can't be pulled all the way together you can stich it down.hope this makes sense.good luck and God bless

That is just terrrible - I don't know how to fix it either - unless you took it apart and added new pieces. I am sure someone on here can help you more than me. I have a couple of quilts my grandmothers made and I am afraid to do much with them - but I love looking at them - sometimes they have old material from our clothes - what great memories. I think your quilt still has all the memories - its just like us - as it gets older it gets a little worn around the edges (just like my body). Good luck my friend.

thank you emma!
yes otis this was mostly made with clothing scraps
thank you everyone
David

I'm so sorry this happened. I still have a quilt that my Great Granny made me and I just love it! Ratty and all-I love it!

I found an old quilt at a flea mkt with pieces missing and I found fabric close enough to match it I repaired it with light weight fusible web .I think you can find old material and patch it to look as good as old. hope this helps. Please don't be depressed

I know how that must have broke your heart, but you have had many suggestions from your friends here, so I bet you work it out. I'd probably get a piece of iron on interfacing and place it on the back, bring edges together as well as you can, then backstitch . For the top, use some Wonder Under on some fabric scraps, fuse down then hand stitch down. A whip stitch is just going from the patch to the background, moving forward each time a little bit.

David, just think how delighted your Granny must be that you still love her quilt so much after all of these years! I'm sure as you use all the great suggestions for repairing it, you will be putting a smile on her face.


Here is a video showing the whip stitch. There are several available. Look around until you find one you like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9kGyZDWZcA

Hi David, my dear, don't fret, the good witch is here. I think I can fix it up and you won't even notice it.Crossing fingers and toes here. Will send you a pm and you can send it to me bestway. It will be a challenge and I can show off my abilities. ROFL. I saw your pm to me and it sounded so urgent. Thanks for telling him about me, even though, yes he knows me. ROFL. Dry up the tears. I have fabrics in my "little" stash to match most. Let me know.

I am soooooo very sorry. Please don't try to mend this with new fabric. New fabric with old will make a bad pucker or blow out the old. Find some older fabric (I have a vintage flour sack apron that might work) Do you know how to darn? Hand darn? Whip stich? An older floursack towel would work. The batting looks like cotton from here (my mother in law used to tell me stories of her mother using cotton for her quilts (not what we would call batting. If you are interested in the apron, I would be glad to send it to you......wouldn't match but it's old and it wouldn't be glaring. Others may also have older things that would work. Feel free to private message me if you want. I've done a lot of handing mending in my lifetime. If you can find older thread, so much the better.

Thank you one and all for your suggestions and for your caring!!!!! This site just blows me away!
I am going to send this to my angel Debbie. Thank you Debbie for offering your services!
David

I will even take before and after pictures for you so you have a record of it and send along some fabrics for future repair when you inadvertantly run over it again with your wheelchair. I'll let you know when my visitor arrives. Thanks for trusting me with your treasure.♥♥

Debbie you are so kind!!!! emmamarie

David, I'm so sorry that this happened to the quilt that your granny made. My heart went out to you when I read your post. I'm so happy that you have found somone to fix this precious quilt :-P

One of the special treasures of my life has been the advancing ability, due to just doing it, of mending and repairing beloved quilts and making a pieced top (somewhat like a table cloth) into something useful for the current owners. In addition of .ooking for "old" pieces in thrift stores and yard sales, etc., I found that constantly looking at new cloth, especially in plain colors as well as reproduction prints helps in finding what can be useful. I wash these pieces many times, using bleach to "lighten" and soften specific pieces, to blend in with the original. All the suggestions on how to insert and repair the damage are great.....And please, don't dispair. What better legacy than to keep your grandmother's quilt viable for many years yet.

Actually he was referring to my post - my name is Otis on the board - I don't know if the quilt has a name but he could use mine if he wants. What a great board this is.

Daivid everyone has offered great advice.....all I can do is give you a ((((((David))))))) and tell you it will look as good as new when your done. Just think......your stitches along with your grandmothers...can't beat that team now can you? :)
sass

David, this is a great idea.
I do understand how you feel though. But don't worry- you CAN fix it!
Sending you a HUG :)
Sue

I am so sorry that happened to you David. Recently I helped my daughter "repair" a quilt that her boyfriends grandma had made for him and over the years it had tons of tears in it and she asked if I could help her repair it so she could give it to him for Christmas. Well, naturally I said yes I would help her...man that was a project in itself. But we did get it done, maybe not perfect by no means but it was repaired to the best of my and her ability. We had to replace some of the batting that was inside and we used an old blanket and cut a big huge section and tucked it in as flat as we could, found some fabric from old clothes and things and cut out patches and we just whipped stitched them onto the front and back. This particular quilt was just a nine block so we didnt have to worry about trying to fix a pattern because if it were...we couldn't have done it. She gave it to him for Christmas and he was so grateful. He hadn't even a clue that my daughter "snuck it out" of the house because he had folded it up and put it in the closet so it wouldn't be totally ruined. So now it probably has another ten years or so of life left in it. So there is always hope David. I wish you good luck.

Find some old looking material, remake the block using the pattern that's there, and do QAYG method. I had to repair an quilt that a dog chewed. Not as much fun as making a new quilt, but it will work. Good luck!

Oh, I feel your devistation! But look at the bright side!
You have a chance to add to the story of the quilt for a future chapter!
I would flatten out the quilt and make it as clost to what it was. Then find a piece of material that would look right with the rest of the quilt. Then draw out something large enough to cover the area and using something like steam-a-seam lite (for applique)apply the patch over the area, and then do the same on the back. Use a matching thread to stitch the patch down. You could use a wheel pattern or a heart with a broken zig zag down the center of it. Look at the mishap as a way to add to your experience. This is how I have learned over my many years of sewing!! Good luck and don't forget to show us the outcome. A big hug for sympathy and encouragement!

You can use a piece of fine soft tulle for the first part and be careful not to try and bring the torn edges together if they no longer fit. This will help keep your quilt flat as you patch it up. Good luck. Take your time and you can do it.

OMG David, I am so sorry...the only thing I have to offer you is a cyber hug (how lame is that) My heart is sad for you :(

Hi David! So, so sorry. I can't even imagine how that sound made you feel. I am really impressed with the "fixes" you have received and in no way am I experienced enough to dispute these great quilters. But, I just had a thought! Wouldn't it be nice to put a piece on that spot with a photo of your grandma and some information about her and her quilt? The photo quilts I have seen are really memorable and if you did this it could make a "mistake" a really great thing. Just my thoughts. Good luck and happy stitching. Please let us see it when you have it done. Yolanda Wood River

OK here is what I did with a $4.00 king quilt I found at GW.
It had a hole the size of a silver doller all the way through like
yours. I started with a piece of batting bigger then the hole to
fill it up. The added fiber glue around the edge and just tacked
it on both sides. Then I found a patch close to the color for
the top square and patched it in the seams as best as I could.
On the back tear I put a heart shape top patch applique stitch,
and then made it a label with the info as to date, and discovery
data. Not perfect but came out better then I expected, and I
have to even hunt for the repair on the front.

Silver Lining: Think of it as a blessing, now you can say that you AND your grandmother BOTH worked on this quilt. How cool is that!

David-please show us a bigger pic. I might have fabric to ad to your lovely old quilt. Judy

What I would do is; pick a fabric for the top that goes with the rest,larger than the hole, batting large enough to fill the hole, and backing fabric a little larger than the hole. I'd start with the backing; hand sew your patch, whip stitch the batting , then add the top patch, by hand,I use the back sides of fabrics sometimes if I want a faded look.
Don't worry, with a little patience, and some hand work it'll be fine.
Good luck

You ROCK Debbie! Hope one of you can post the before and after pics here.