I have a vintage quilt top which I plan to assemble and quilt. I washed it on a very gentle cycle to remove the smell (smelled too strong to quilt it first). Most of the blocks fared well since they are cotton. Some of the very loosely woven fabrics unraveled and will have to be re-made with vintage flour sacking that I have on hand. But even on the blocks that are intact, the seams are small and the hand-stitching not that sturdy. The fabric also ravels badly. Is there anything I can put on the seams to keep them from unraveling further, before I assemble the quilt? I would hate to finish it and then have the seams start coming apart.
Fray-chek It would take a bunch though. Maybe if you took it to a quilting shop someone there may offer some suggestions, since they deal specifically with quilting issues, you'd think they may be able to offer some expert advice. ?? Be a shame not to be able to salvage it.
please dont use fray-check it turns yellow and gets brittle in a few years. quilt blocks should have been basted to a sheet with seems facing the sheet and washed by hand in a tub never in a machine to much agitation. that said damage is already done and can't go backwards in time. you can stitch over the previous seams by hand or machine machine won't be able to get into all the corners. I would do hand stitching and do two rows of it to hold it together. Also on the quilting I would shadow quilt the quilt meaning I would quilt 1/4 an inch on both sides of every seam and quilt in the ditch this will also strengthen the seams. What I am telling you to do is a lot of work but worth it if you want to keep the quilt.
Would have been easier to fix with greater care in the pre washing stages. reference for future block finds
Vintage quilt question
Posted - Aug 24 2007 : 09:05:31 AM
