New Life for an Old Quilt

 Happy Wednesday!  Today I want to share a project I just finished.  A sweet friend asked me to repair and finish her aunt's quilt.  She figured that her aunt started this quilt top approximately 45 years ago, hand cutting and stitching while her husband, my friend's uncle was in the hospital.

Years later, after Aunt Dot passed, my friend attempted to continue it and added some stars to the top but was never able to finish it completely.

This is top as I received it.  You can see that there weren't any specific, clear, outer lines, so my job was going to be to find a way to use the fabric in the top, without adding in new fabrics for the stars, and make it a useable quilt.

My first step was to make a plan.  I found the largest "square" portion within the top.  I straight cut along the black lines, then relocated all of the stars that were removed.

Originally, I used a border to block off the center and give some straight edges.  We chose this red with white dots as a tribute to Aunt Dot's name.  Plus, it plays nicely off the reds in the stars and really brightens the entire quilt.  

I then used the stars (and half-stars) that were removed to create a fun border.  It was perfect really.  There were just the right amount of stars and half-stars.  I then added this gorgeous yellow with tiny red flowers fabric from Oasis by 3 Sisters.  It worked so well with the yellow florals in the stars.

I quilted it with a meandering loop that will hold everything together nicely without detracting from the fabrics and design.  The loops really give it a lovely texture.

I bound it with the solid green I had originally intended for the inner border.  I so glad I saved it for the binding.  It's a soft touch that frames it without adding too much pattern or brightness.

Have you ever restored an old quilt?  I'd love to hear your stories and tips!  Thanks for stopping by!