First I ironed, batted and pinned it. For the backing I used a scrap piece of cream-colored vintage muslin:
I decided to add a touch of my time period using a light gold Holographic Sulky to quilt it (just very simply with an outline stitch; I want the fabrics to be the show-stoppers):
How do I describe what it's like to work on a piece this old . . . magical, really. The fabric patches still have a bit of crispness to them, and yet are as soft as silk as my needle and thread sing through them. The prints are so charming and delicate, and fascinate me endlessly. I feel a connection to whoever pieced this each time I look at the colors and composition, or touch the fabrics:
As I work on it I run my fingers over the precise seams, and wonder where these bits of fabric came from 140 years ago. I think these might have been trimmings from the maker's scrap bag, leftover from the clothes she made for herself and her family.
Once I finish quilting and binding it I think I'll hang it in the office, to remind me that what we love (and what we do with that love) survives us to inspire future generations. :)
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