When I see quilt tops like this, I always wonder how isolated their makers were, since clearly they needed support and nurturing to acquire the skills needed for a design this complex. To complicate matters further, someone who received this top decided it would be a good idea to clean it was in need of laundering and that that task would bet be accomplished in a washing machine. Bad, bad idea!!!
Bobbie's mom owned this quilt top--possibly a gift from the person who made it, possibly after having been passed along through several relatives. Bobbie's mom passed away after a short illness last year; being well acquainted with grief, I agreed to work on this, although I didn't promise to meet any certain completion date. Since it's been around for years and years already, however slowly I work on it, I'll enjoy connecting with times past and the seamstress who dedicated so many hours to something she must have loved creating, however imperfect.
Some of the tiny pieces of fabric have fallen apart, so I said I'd replace the arcs where needed, but I'll do so with a single piece of reproduction fabric so she'll know what was replaced.
I really thought there would be plenty of 30's reproduction fat quarters available in the few quilt shops we have here, but I was wrong. I hope the pieces of fabric near the top of the picture will do the trick.
I need to get to work on this--it will give me a focus to distract myself from the dark cold of January!
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