sweetpea

what a hual.

gailinva

Wow! Looks like 30's fabric to me. I'd better finish some of my UFO's or they might end up in a yard sale one day. HA HA

Check with your local quilt shop about stain removal, there's a product out there that helps to restore older fabric and its safer than bleach. Can't remember what it's called.

rndelling

I just finished reading a book, it was a novel, about a woman who restores antique quilts. She mixed together a qt of buttermilk,a gallon of water, a tablespoon of lemon juice, let it sit for awhile and dabbed it over the places that needed to be cleaned. She didn't rinse. Just let it air dry.

AprilG

Just put them to soak in Woolite and cool water. Rinse and roll in a WHITE towel and wring. Place them flat on another wHITE towel to dry.

If that doesn't help remove the discoloration. I have found the Efferdent tablets help remove a lot of the old "storage" stains.

I say white towel because I washed doll dress that was on my antique doll in warm soapy water then rolled it in a very old blue towe. That towel had been washed at least a hundred times. The organza dress had blue spots on it!! The efferdent took them away.

djbruno51

Wouldn't it be great to make one more to then have 12 and make a lovely wall hanging. But then you could leave one out and use 9 on the front and have 1 leftover for a label. Maybe find some old fabric to make the sashing and borders and you'd have something very sweet to hang on the wall. I think it would be a very nice project. I would have loved to find this!
djb51 in CT

djbruno51

There is a woman in our area Sue Reich that retores old quilts. She has a website so if you google her name you will find her. She might be able to give you a hint on how to clean them etc. She's excellent and written published books.

cooper

I am so envious, my grannie made butterfly quilts back in the 60's and 70's. those look a lot like them, she just sashed them on her treadle and made family quilts.
You lucky thing

CarrieAnne

Great find!

Cyn

I have had great luck washing on delicate cycle with powder dishwashing detergent with no lemon or scent, just the old cheap kind is the best. I let them soak for maybe an hour and wash as usual but I usual sew first and then do it to prevent unrsveling. I love your butterflies. Sash them and make pillows with left overs. Nice find!

catmcclure

The first thought that came to me was a really scrappy double or triple Irish chain with these blocks occupying the empty spaces.