I have always loved quilts and I have some very special ones handed down through the family, but this is the first one I ever purchased with my own hard earned money. It was the late 1960s and I was a teenager out on a drive in the country, with my mother for company, in my little Triumph Herald convertible. I have no memory of where we were going that day but on the way we spotted a wonderful old barn with an "Antiques" sign above its door. We stopped, went in and browsed the many wonderful things that were there for sale. I spotted a marvelous Log Cabin quilt, in excellent colors, and then I spotted this striking basket quilt. I debated long and hard about which one to buy and the baskets won. The colors are so striking and it was a perfect graphic piece of graphic wall art for my room.
For the last decade or so, it has hung on a wall in my daughter's room. But that room is way overdue for a paint job and a new look. So, now I'm debating what to do with this quilt. It has completed its journey with me, of that I am sure. Should I sell it? It is such bad shape, I probably can only sell it as a cutter quilt, at a fairly low price. If someone else is going to cut it up, should I just cut it up myself and see what happens? That may seem like a logical approach but, considering its history with me, I'm not sure I actually want to cut it up. It might be better to let it go to its next owner, someone who will have a vision of what to do with it.
Decisions, decisions, decisions ..... not my strong suit.
The quilt is still very lovely. You can still see where someone put heart and soul into it. If you do decide to keep it and cut it, is there a large enough piece to make a wrap or shawl? Then you could wrap yourself in the memories of that day with your Mother.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very cool idea. I'll have to think on it.
DeleteThat's a tough one. If it were mine, and I always knew it as a whole quilt, it would be hard to cut it up, so I would be more inclined to sell it as is, and let the next owner decide its fate. Someone else might look at it, and see what it could be right away.
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be the way I am leaning. But, who knows?
DeleteI understand the dilemma, but I can readily imagine four or six of the baskets being transformed by your running stitches into something magical.
ReplyDeleteDee - That is exactly the temptation - to add lots of stitches - and I could get all kinds of colorful with it, too! :-)
DeletekHi, Morna. Beautiful quilt. I'd say find someone who will treasure it and repair it and gift it to them OR use it as the base structure for your stitching. I've got a utility quilt I made years ago that's beginning to pop some holes so I'm going to go into it and add appliqués and stitching and have fun with it. Come to think about it, I like the second solution best. Especially as the colors on your quilt are so striking.
ReplyDeletebest, nadia
Hi Nadia - I think you are right about using it as a base - my hesitancy is most likely fear-based, as in "What if I ruin it?" I'll just have to get over that!
ReplyDeleteDon't cut it up. You will scatter its memories into a vanishing dream.
DeleteHmm ....... You make a good, good point.
DeleteTruth is, there are so many things that need doing, ahead of this quilt, that I think I'll just put these thoughts on the back burner.
It needs to come3 down from its wall because we want to paint that room. It's dirty, so I need to figure out how to safely clean it. I'd like to clean it and then just roll it up and put it away for a while. :-)