Look what I found!!!!!
 

Last fall we bought a house and land at auction, it had a house and an old falling down house on the property. Both were filled with stuff. In all the cleaning, I was surprised I had never found any quilts. There were signs the elderly lady had sewn when she was alive but no signs of quilts. I assumed when the relatives went through and took the valuables out and that included any quilts.

I was in the old falling down house yesterday with some folks wanting to buy the old built ins, an old dresser and the old kitchen sink. While there, I stumbled upon a box. This is what I found. Two quilt tops.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psjhhzlqgt.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psup3l5vuk.jpg

I don't know what pattern the blue and white one is. The log cabin looks to be made of ribbon? Can I wash the log cabin?

They look to be machined pieced but I'm still a very happy camper to have found both of them.

I plan to try to repair any damage and finished them.

It was in a house that was falling down and you could see that mice had used the quilts to nest in. There was mice poo everywhere. Kinda why I'd like to wash it.

Pretty finds! I agree with Tartan.....gentle wash as possible.....

Don't you just love it when you find unexpected treasures?

More pics of the blue and white.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...pscph3iqxb.jpg

A place where the mice ate through the border. Do I replace the border or just mend it?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ps1ivxnzz7.jpg

A stain in the fabric.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psctaizyq0.jpg

And one tiny hole to repair.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psqxqwaiyi.jpg

Wow - those are quite a find. I agree with the others about doing the very gentle wash/soak in the bathtub to get them better smelling. It may take a couple times though. You could always mend the holes. Helps keep the quilts as original as possible.

I would just mend the border.

What a lucky day for you !!!

Great find. I would mend, but I don't think it matters which you decide on. Being somewhat flip by nature, I would put a mouse applique over the spot on the body, as a reminder of the joyous day of your find.

great find!!!

Rofl! Love that!

How lucky for you. They both look like nice quilts. I think I would do the bathtub rinse like suggested and let it dry flat before quilting. I would cut out and mend the border. You could probably just mend the little mouse holes. I hope they quilt up nice for you.

Thread: stains

Here is a thread you might find interesting. It was posted within the last few days.

Cute idea!!

Beautiful quilt tops. Glad you found them.

great find

Hey, a mouse applique is a really neat idea!

Lucky you!! I love the Log Cabin one!!

What great finds and wonderful projects you have ahead of you! I wonder if the family went through the old house? Can't believe someone would leave behind family heirlooms. But then again it happens.
The blue and white looks like a color variation of the Star of the Milky Way block, made with HST's. The free block pattern and tutorials are online. One here at Jinny's site:
http://www.jinnybeyer.com/quilting-w...fm?blockid=204

What a great find.

Log cabin has satin strips? Could it be paper piecing. I have washed entire satin quilt in a wringer washer, came out OK but after time it ruined it.. Next quilt I would put a crochet lace blanket on top to preserve it.. Now, I'm quilting so make my own..

Yes, you need to wash it, gently of course. Mice carry diseases and the stains are probably mouse urine. Try not to breath any dust from the quilt when you're working with it. Mouse applique sounds adorable.

I love QM's solution -- put mouse appliques over both places you have to mend. Include a label on the back with the whole story, including why the mice were included. It will be a quilt that folks will chuckle about for many years to come, and marvel that it was in as good a shape as you found it! Both will be gorgeous when you're done.

I would just do the best I could, and love them.

can you say "score"? what a great find.

I'd mend it, too - the stains are part of the story behind the quilt. Love the idea of a mouse applique!!

What a great find!

I would clean them up as best I could WITHOUT washing, assemble and quilt. THEN wash. I think it is always a mistake to wash a quilt top that hasn't been quilted. You could vacuum through a screen on light vacuum or simply lay out on dry grass for a little while to freshen up any odors, then assemble and quilt.

White Vinegar in the Water to help with smells/stains and to help set colors.?.. and some Dawn Dishsoap ? or mild laundry Soap? Borax?

Is it possible that the Log Cabin was made of ribbons from a florist's shop? I've seen some gorgeous projects made from those ribbons. Some families collect the ribbons as from funeral displays and recycle into some meaningful projects.

Good luck with these.

A quilting friend looked at the log cabin quilt yesterday and said is a combo of fabrics from satin to silk to cotton.

Great find!

they are great finds.I would also find a way to complete them.

Hope I'm not too late but wash that quilt!! If it falls apart, it falls apart. As said previously, mouse urine carries diseases. That's not an if!! It is a fact. The Hantavirus kills.
[h=2]Outlook (Prognosis)[/h]Hantavirus is a serious infection that gets worse quickly. Lung failure can occur and may lead to death. Even with aggressive treatment, more than half of people who have this disease in their lungs die.

I agree with this. We had mousies (my name for them, actually it should be 'destroyers') in our utility room and they got in my fabric. It has ALL been washed or thrown out because of the chance of disease. After washing, I ran some old towels with bleach through the washer. The smell before washing was pretty bad. I would try to air these out as a bare minimum before working on them. There's a product that will get the stains out without harming the fabric. Good luck. Share when you're done!

I hope you 'poke around' some more in the old house. I once found a box of blocks and an unfinished old wool crazy in the attic of a half collapsed old home. Remarkably the mice and squirrels had not been able to get into the box.

QM, Cute idea about the mouse applique. Great finds.

never wash a unquilted top!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did that and now have to get the courage up to redomany, many of the pieces.tiny hexagons as it is a king size grandmothers flower garden, hand pieced.... what a nightmare!!!!!!!!!! if you must clean it lay it out in a bathtub and just soak it.. hang to dry NO DRYER.. handle with extreme care.. please do not make the mistake I made.. Good luck...