Quilt Repairs

Helen's Tulip Quilt
December 2014

Maria, my nephew's wife, made this tulip quilt several years ago, and gave it to her mother. The nursing home frequently washed the quilt, and either the strong chemical wash or the laundering itself was not kind to the quilt. Since Maria lost her mother to Alzheimer's this year, the quilt had a special meaning for her. She asked if Marilyn and I could salvage enough of the quilt to display on a quilt rack.

We looked at the quilt and discussed ideas with Maria. We wanted to know what her expectations were. She rolled up the quilt and took it back to the bedroom. The following day, Christmas Eve day, Maria and Dwight went to visit Maria's aunt and uncle, so Marilyn and I tackled the project as a surprise Christmas gift.

Damaged portion of the quilt

This photo clearly shows the damage and its severity to one area.

We determined an action plan and began picking stitches to remove part of the binding so it could be reused.

Then, we made the first cut to remove the damaged section and allowing for seams.

Applique butterflies were ironed on some small holes and some larger ones, too. 

Marilyn tacking down the binding

Dwight and Maria returned before we were finished, so we had to wait until they went to bed before the quilting elves could add the finishing touches. The final chore was hand tacking the binding and the fabric we added to the backing to camouflage the seam. 

repaired quilt without butterflies to hide the smaller holes.

Marilyn presented the repaired quilt to Maria on Christmas morning. She was surprised and emotional: she thought since we had only given ideas and suggestions that we were not going to do the repair. Her hugs and tears were straight from her heart.