What to do? one fabric disintegrated
 

Washed the completed quilt and one fabric disintegrated. I assume the dyes in the black fabric did this. This fabric was also a looser weave. Regardless, what now? I need ideas and guidance. Should I leave it alone? Try to replicate the blanket stitch and add new fabric for the wings? The blocks were appliquéd by my friend’s mother in 1929. My friend has not given me any preferences. She says it “adds another story.” I told her I would sleep on it. After several weeks, I still have not come up with an answer. The rest of the quilt is fine. I appreciate your suggestions and advice. Thanks.

If it were me :-) I would look around til I found a similar fabric and replace the wings. I say that because I have quilts that were given to me that I will not use because of a similar issue. They would be a lot harder to fix than this. I'd rather fix the problem and use the quilt. Although if the quilt were that old I'd probably "use" them on the back of a seldom used chair, etc.

It looks like the applique was done directly onto the background fabric without cutting away any of the background fabric behind the applique. Is this correct? I also see no batting coming through the background fabric. Do you feel the background fabric remains intact?

If this is correct, then it seems the structural integrity of the quilt remains safe and that the applique, while damaged, is merely decorative. Because the quilt has such sentimental value, you should definitely consult with your friend on how she feels about using it. Personally, I would feel fine using the quilt since the background fabric keeps the batting safely enclosed. I would want to keep the quilt as close to how the person who made it as possible if it were me, but that is totally up to your friend.

I've also seen suggested to cover the torn parts with something like tulle to try to protect it some? But again, in this case, it seems you would only be protecting the decorative aspect of the appliques, and not because it was actually because the quilt was so damaged it was unusable. I believe it is still very functional, as long as the background fabric remains intact. If your friend prefers a new applique, you can also try to match the fabric and replace :)

I agree with Sephie. The background fabric peeking through gives the quilt a whole new look. I guess that problem might come in if it gets washed again because it could disintegrate even more. The tulle idea could help with that and still maintain the original quilt.

To me it looks like a simple fix. Is that the only place on the quilt that fabric was used? The blanket stitch is easily replicated. I would think a very similar fabric could be found and the repair made. My fear, in not repairing it is that the fabric will continue to shred and deteriorate.

It seems like a quilt that could still be used, albeit carefully. Try a little test area around a fray with Fray Check, let dry thoroughly, and check it for stiffness. If it's not too stiff, you might be able to put a tiny little line of Fray Check along each of the frayed/raw lines. Actually, I too kind of like the background peeking through. If in doubt, check with the owner of the quilt. Keep us posted and thanks for the share. It's beautiful!

Thank heavens for a friend who can say "adds another story"

Sad to see so much of your time invested in bad fabric. Maybe put wedding tulle over the wings?

Can you cut some plain black fabric just smaller than the damaged wings and slip it under them through one of the holes in the wings? You could use a crochet hook or knitting needle to ease it in. A few more deep blanket stitches should hold the new fabric in place.

I think as the friend says, it adds to the story. It certainly doesn't take anything away from structural aspects of the quilt. It is a "if you can't see it on a galloping horse" sort of thing, you really have to be looking for it to find it. And at basically 100 years old, it is in tremendous shape.

Fabrics do change over time. I accept it and sort of look forward to how a quilt changes. Some times the strong fabrics fade and the background fabrics take over. Sometimes nothing much changes. But a lot of what we think we know about Civil War fabrics is wrong, so many of what we take to be brown because that's what we see now started out as purple!

You can leave as is. You can embroider through the holes to the quilt top, maybe not go over the holes but a daisy design? Certainly should be able to get a true vintage replacement. I do still have a couple of graphic black and white scraps but I think the scale is wrong and no gingham.

The Tulle repair is already mentioned. You go to the bridal/fancy side of the shop and get a little piece of quality illusion netting. Not the stiff stuff where you see the lines, the veil stuff. It is (in my mind) going to make it more noticeable rather than less but is an option and a little iridescence on butterfly wings is reasonable.