My mother had some old quilt tops that either my great-grandmother or great great aunt made many moons ago. Since my girls have a new double bed that they share, I needed a new bedspread. We pulled out the quilt tops and found this sunbonnet block one. Isn't it cute? And just perfect for their room!
I'm not so sure it's a quilt top, though. The seams are finished on the back, with bias tape covering up the unfinished seams on the front. The sides also have this thicker tape border like in the picture on the left below. I think maybe it was meant as a bedspread or bed cover.
Are there any quilters who read my blog? If so, what would you do? Would you make a quilt or leave it as is?
It's currently soaking in Oxi-Clean right now to try to get the stains out of it. You wouldn't believe the stank that came off this thing after putting water on it!
I read so many things on the internet on how to clean old linens and Oxi-Clean seemed to be on most people's lists. I even saw one website that recommended soaking the linens in buttermilk! Could you imagine that smell?
Update on my progress: I soaked this for 24 hours in the Oxi-Clean and that didn't get rid of the rust stains. Any ideas for what might work?
1 comment:
The sunbonnet coverlet is beautiful. What an heirloom! Before you alter it in any way, you might want to check with a quilters' guild--or even consider an appraisal--to see if it has historical value.
I found the following remedy for rust stains in Jerry Baker's "It Pays to Be Cheap."
For whites - Make a paste of cream of tartar and water. Soak in hot water for 10 minutes, then launder as usual.
For colors - Make a paste of salt and lemon juice. Dry in hot sun.
Given its age, you might want to just leave "as is" and consider any imperfections a part of its charm and character.
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