Yo-Yo Quilt Rescue today
 

I purchased a yo-yo quilt today at the Huntsville (Texas) Antique Show and I need this group’s kind advice to salvage it.
I think the quilt was cut because as you can see from the picture there are remnants of a missing column.
Because of age of the material I am hesitant to finish as a throw but I think there is enough for a bed scarf for guest bedroom.
Besides repairing the loose yo-yo’s do I add a backing and batting?
I have never made a yo-yo so I’ll start looking for video and instructions but hope for advice from you guys!
thanks!

would love to see the photo. didn't show up yet.

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Here is one pic that show where I think the quilt was cut

How to finish the yo-yos was always the question. This one was probably just a summer/fancy coverlet and was just the yo-yos as is -- the three-four stitches on a side and the open space was the standard way to put them together.

Yes, I agree, it does look like the right side row was cut. I would carefully remove the cut yo-yos and leave the rest of the quilt as is. (If some of the rows need reinforcing, you can whipstitch them together). Nice save!

Like Anita says, then clean with something like Restoration or Retroclean--nice find!

Nice save! I have been tempted to make a yo-yo coverlet from time to time then chicken out. I too rescued one a few years back ago. I mended it and it was a very large coverlet. I was able to re-home it by putting it into a silent auction for an Art Program called SHAC The Suzanne Haskew Arts Center. They had a fund raiser and they made several hundred dollars from it. (I paid 25 cents for it at a garage sale). Such a treasure you have I know you will get a lot of pleasure from it.

At first I wondered if you would like to put a backing on this but then you wouldn't be able to see the backs of the yo-yos. Hmmm. I've seen the idea of putting tulle over the top of antique quilts so how about using that as "backing"? It would stabilize the fabrics and perhaps make it easier to handle. It will take some work to attach each yo-yo, maintaining each shape but ----anyhow, just tossing this out for consideration.

I love these older quilts - have refurbished many! On the yoyo I inherited, I replaced all pieces that were frayed or very warn with as close to the same fabric as possible, then I re-stitched each and every one back onto their row. I then put a sheet back onto it, each yoyo had a small dot of yarn inside as I made it a tie-quilt. Sure is a heavy one - rarely used, so rarely having to be cleaned.

As a kid that is how I remember yoyo quilts, they were attached to a sheet with yarn or embroidery thread in the center and used for a bed spread. Making yoyo's was a great winter project that family would get involved in. We had long winter evenings with no TV.