When I'm thrifting online I often see quilts that most folks probably should not bid on. Take this vintage crazy quilt: it looks authentic, and likely dates back to the early 20th century What I see: it appears to be made out wool and homespun fabrics that (like the materials in most authentic crazy quilts) are deteriorating, and it's probably never been laundered. Dirty wool and homespun tends to reek. You can't launder something like this; it will fall to pieces and/or shrink. Finally, while the construction is interesting it's not very well done, and the embroidery isn't special enough to merit saving the quilt. Here's a more modern patchwork quilt that appears folded up in all the photos. This is either to hide damage or staining, or perhaps because it measures 94" X 106" (according to the listing.) Whatever the reason, never thrift a quilt unless you can see all of it front and back. Here's a quilting project that ...
I admit, I'm one of those annoying extra-tidy people. Like Felix Unger from The Odd Couple, I love housework, laundry and washing dishes. There's something so satisfying in making things clean. You wouldn't think I'd be this way, given my love of vintage and thrifting, but being a Felix actually helps me evaluate what I thrift as to condition. I can handle a little soiling, as long as it's something I can tidy up. When it comes to vintage textiles, that means a lot of hand-washing. I picked up these two pieces of feedsack at The Coop, and once I handwashed them in cold water with a little detergent and some color grabber cloths (these are a good idea when laundering anything old with red dye) I hung them up in the guest bath to dry. Vintage textiles (especially scraps) also often come with unwanted debris, like snipped or fraying threads. For a meditative evening I'll sit down with a few piles like these and remove all that stuff before I han...