This lovely old house block quilt was sandwiched between a matress and a box spring for years. It was in poor condition but it's looking pretty good now. (By the way, the dark spot in the botton right corner is a shadow.)
I took the backing off and removed the batting which had mostly disintergrated. It took seventeen gentle washings and rinsings in my kitchen sink to have the water run clear. Once the quilt was washed I gently pressed it and attached it to a new batting (bamboo - Fairfield Nature Fil) with tiny stitches.
It needed to be stablized and the easiest way was to attach the top to the batting.
This was one of the worst blocks. Knowing that the background (the not-house parts) of this block could not be saved, I carefully began to take it apart.
I slid a piece of the backing that I had removed and washed behind the block and pinned it in place.
Then I based the house parts in place and carefully removed the background.
Some of the other houses...
I love this red house block...
Once the blocks were repaired and attached to the backing. I put on a back of natural muslin and quilted it by tying like the original quilt - although I did make the ties closer. The thread is tea-dyed to get the just the right shade.
The binding was made from the "good" parts of the original back. Here she is all back together and ready for a nap on the couch!
"A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars."
~Grandma's Attic Quilt Shop
