Doing a Good Deed

A while back, Kevin, one of my co-workers, approached me about quilting one of his mothers quilt tops. I was shocked when he showed up with a bag of about eight flimsy, and that wasn't all of them. He also has grandma's which he will bring in one day for me to take a look at.

Anyway, we looked thru the bag and decided I would quilt the Christmas Irish Chain. Mrs. Kevin was delighted since this was her favorite one and it was a bonus for her to know the name of the pattern given her ancestry.

To say this top is "vintage" is an understatement. Created before rotary cutters and templates, with many of the points flat and the seams a little askew, and two blocks in the lower right hand corner pieced oddly. I asked Kevin about this and he told me that mom lived over 30 miles from the fabric shop and if she ran out of fabric, it would not be uncharacteristic for her to make do with what she had and put something else in. Also I need to ask him if there was a factory of some sort nearby because there was some strange thread used in piecing. It was loosely twisted, nylon and stretchy. It reminds me of serger thread that would be used on swimsuits. (At one time, many of the factories allowed employees to take home remnants or short spools and I suspect this was the case.) If only these vintage quilts could talk, what a story they would tell.

Quilted all-over using a feather design, I am quite pleased with the result. I hope Kevin and Mrs. Kevin enjoy this quilt for many years.

So, what's in your closet? Do you have grandma's or mom's UFOs waiting to be finished? What wonderful treasures to finish up and share with family and friends.