I bought a quilt top at a yard sale for $2 several years ago. It is all 2 inch squares and hand stitched. It probably was made in the 30's according to my guild buddies. I plan on finishing it and giving it to one of my grands..
Right now I look at it and wonder how many hours went into cutting and piecing those tiny squares and as I do when I quilt what was the person thinking about as she stitched away.
It is a piece of history no matter how well it was made. The women who went before us had many more trials and tribulations than we, trying to raise a family and bring comfort in sometimes the harshest of living conditions.
I treasure the old quilt I paid $2 for and will respect it as I would hope someone would of my humble attempts!

I would not change it mainly because when I was a little girl my Gramma had me learn to hand stitch before 'machining'-(her word,not mine) and as the project grew we could see how my hand sewing had improved and the same project was also machined to help me learn to get seams matched etc.So no I wouldn't change it or round file it.I lost that project full of memories of my Gramma in a house fire years ago,and still miss seeing it proudly displayed on the back of the couch

What's most awful about it is the sashing and borders. I'd take it apart and toss those....and then you have a stack of blocks. I personally love this top. If you want to sell it let me know how much.

If you go on picnics or if you have a dog bed that needs a new cover? You can make pillows? I couldn't throw it away.

believe it or not, I have seen worse. Someone tried.... probably had no direction or support. Play with it, finish it off (knot it) and give to someone in need. It's all good

I think we quilters just can't pass up what appears to be a good deal. LOL.

It would make a great pet blanket - my cat never complains about mis-matched seams!

it was made lovingly so enjoy it... hope you can make it where you like it... smile

How funny that I would see this post today - I was given 25, yes 25, of those very stars yesterday and was wondering the same thing - I would love to take yours off your hand to add to mine. I think I am going to find out a little more about how old they are - going to the Latimer Quilt Museum in Tillamook, Oregon on the way to the beach house on Sunday. After that, I think I am going to purchase some material and applique them down to squares to make blocks, then into a quilt to hang in my entry way at home. Please private message me if you decide to part with them, I would love to have them.

it may have been someone's first try at a string pieced star. A newbie to quilting? Someone who's finances and resources were restricted but still needed to feel crafty. Maybe something happened to her --sickness/death/increased finances/lost her ambition or interest---so never finished it. Main thing is she tried and frankly i find it more interesting than Gee Bend quilts. Find a good used flat sheet at a thrift shop and an old flannel sheet if you want to keep cost down but certainly quilt it. Donate it to a good cause--whether a poor doggie's bed --a homeless man's comforter--or some kid's play tent--let it complete its life cycle.

I think it is just terrific and thank you for sharing, if you do not want it sell it to Mary Mo, I am sure she would make it a treasure.
Have a Blessed day
Ellen

I would love to have it.

J J

Bonnie Hunter was the first person I thought of when I saw this too. Maybe you could send it to her. She loves old quilts and is the queen of scrappy.

I love it. I would back it with some crazy fabric, sandwich it and quilt it on the machine to keep handy for naps.

Get a cheap flannel blanket for backing sew it up like a pillowcase, no binding tack it with yarn and give it to someone who is cold or to a pet for his own blanket for a cover when you are painting, in the trunk so you can take it out and use it for traction if you get stuck as a demo for what not to do when you make a quilt, as a show n tell and act like you did it and are proud of it to see how your friends or guild will say, for a place to put muddy shoes and boots on in bad weather. fold it up and use it as a knee pad when working in the yard, use it to cover plants when it is going to frost. I can keep going just let me know if I have not at least got your attention. AND EVERYTIME YOU SEE IT YOU WILL SMILE AND SAY WHY DID I EVER BUY THAT THING. Oh yes wrap it up and give it to another quilter at Christmas and act serious as you see their face. wrap up it everyyear and give it to someone else. I have to stop

I had a girlfriend throw away 2 quilts like this from her grandmother.......I talked her out of them. For me they make perfect Picnic Table covers. That was nearly 20 years ago, and I still use them.

Perhaps whomever made it that was all they had to work with. I would find a way to save it.

I think the quilt is very special. I wouldn't rush to do anything with it. Let it tell its story to you. If you can't love it send it off to someone who can. In its own special way it is a wonderful work of art!

OOhh poor thing.Just love it will be okay

When I had gotten blocks like this (didn't match, seams were uneven, blocks were different sizes) I made them into animal quilts for the local shelter. The lady running the shelter loved them and the animals didn't know they weren't what I'd normally do. Now I look for these so I can make her more quilts. She gives them when someone adopts an animal. That's bettere then the round file any day.

Excellent idea!

It has a lot of character ............ and I bet with a "little help & imagination", you can make into a treasure :)

Because it needs some love?!!!!

Finish it up and use it for a picnic, donate it, let the kids use it........

Look at it like this, I think it has it's own character! It's a one of a kind & bet ya won't find another like it!! I like it, I have a few of those myself, like you I bought them at odd and ends sales. Keep it and give it life!

I was reading more of these posts...the stories makes a person want to cry!! Poor little quilty! :(

No doubt about it.....whoever pieced it enjoyed every minute of it.

Get some cute buttons & sew in the centers of stars. You can make a silk purse out of a sows ear. It sure is a scrapy one though.

I'd pick it out back to the white star blocks. The sashing looks kind of crappy and more recent than the blocks, which tells you the blocks sat around for probably someone's lifetime and someone else decided to finish the top. You can put the inner blocks back together and don't worry that their points don't match...all part of the charm! That yellow looks like it's going to ravel out pretty quickly and be problematic, so if you don't want to change it you should reinforce it somehow, or quilt really well along it's seam lines. The basic blocks are charming, it's just sashed and assembled badly. You definitely got your dollar's worth!

I wouldn't take it apart. If you were going to do anything, I'd add another border around the outside--maybe a 6" yellow and finish it off. Someone will use it.

Taking it all apart and redoing the sashing, etc? Not this lady.

It is a lot of work that you could be doing something you want to do--not just a rescue. Besides the uniqueness of it is what makes it so special. If you make it "really nice", then it won't be a story.

Besides, when it is really cold outside, it might just get "stacked" on a bed trying to keep someone warm and it is not important how beautiful it is then.

I love it just the way it is... All the different fabrics are amazing.

Keep the dollar. I'll take it and pay postage.

I agree plus it has CHARACTER!

I agree with finishing it and giving it to a charity.

You absolutely should think of the hours of work somebody put in because they loved what they were doing. I think it is pretty and I would put it all together & FMQ to use as a picnic blanket, or (I keep one in my car trunk in case of emergencies), there all kinds of uses for this 'labor of love'. You got a bargain and no way should you trash it.

Every quilt has a beautiful story. Think of the time and love someone put into your $1.00 special that didn't get finished or delivered. What a treasure.

Because you recognized that someone put her heart and soul into it, and it deserves to be loved by someone. Finish her up, and give her to a child who won't notice the mismatched points. children know how to love without judging, and every quilt deserves that.

because you thought you liked it and it was cheap.Have it quilted and if you still don't like it,give it to charity.Some will appreciate it and keep them warm.

I would find the sashing a little bit of a challenge to get over. LOL

You paid $1 to "save" it probably because you recognize the work that went into it and felt sorry for it. In the past I have bought things that I wanted to "save"--such as a partially sewn quilt top with polyester, rayon, flannel, and a mish-mash of fabrics of every kind and color. The bag sat in my sewing room for a couple of years until I realized it was so ugly and horrible that there was no part of it I could really "save." So I set it free to live in our landfill!! LOL. Lesson learned!