Quilt Restoration

As a rule, I would rather start from scratch and make something new than mend or repair an item.  This tulip quilt  was a neat project to work on.

Quilt

This quilt came to me as an old, worn out piece with a lot of  holes and tattered areas.  You could certainly tell this quilt was used and loved.  A young girl had used this quilt for years.  It was her favorite!!!  She was getting married and her mother wanted to be able to give the quilt to her to use in the years to come.

First I repaired the quilt top as well as I could.  I sewed the seams that had opened, repaired many of the spots that had worn through and replaced the tattered border.  Once the top was repaired I added a new backing and new batting.  Next, I quilted the piece in an all-over wandering loops design and put a new binding on the "almost new" quilt.  This method is quite successful for breathing new life into an old quilt with sentimental value so it can be used and loved for many more years. 

Fixing an old quilt like this does not add any monetary value.  In fact, if you add new materials to an antique quilt you can ruin its chances to be worth anything at all.   If you have an old quilt and you are contemplating having it repaired, you may want to have it appraised and/or evaluated by a professional before altering it in any way.  When you have all of the facts, you can decide whether you want repairs done to the quilt or if you want to leave it in its original condition.

If you have a quilt that is important to you, that holds memories or sentiment it could be worth fixing it up so you can use it again!!!

Happy Quilting,
Laurel