Double Irish Chain Quilt from The Old Trunk

Here is a quilt I have been meaning to get up since clear back in July. The truth is I have been working on it off and on since then and finally have it done.This was probably the saddest quilt and yet one of the most beautiful I have ever purchased. It was designed and sewn, in its day so well, I just had to rescue it.

Here's is what it looked like when I bought it. The large red band was really making it pucker, so it couldn't lay flat at all.

I looked it over very carefully before deciding that the red band just had to go. It was not original to the quilt and was obvious someone had sewn it on much later.

I wanted to return it to its original state but wondered just what the later sewer had covered up?!

Even tho the border was also hand stitched, the sewer hadn't even attempted to match the skill of the original sewer. The border looked so bad that I really felt it just had to go.

You can see just how badly this made the quilt pucker. The only way this can happen is if the sewer pulled her stitches badly as she went along, or didn't prewash the boarder fabric, then washed the quilt later, and the border shrank puckering the quilt with it.

This looked really bad, but I wasn't unhappy, because it sure brought down the price for me. I knew I could probably fix it with just a bit of sweat equity. Aren't all of those tiny stitched squares delightful?!

 I knew this band was probably hiding some pretty bad damage, but wasn't prepared for just how awful it would be. Someone had cut off a top section with a rotary cutter than changed their minds and zigzagged it back into place. Still, at least they put it back on. I will not be removing the zigzag machine stitches for fear of further damaging the quilt.

As I began to remove the band, the true beauty of this quilt and what it must have looked like back in its day, was revealed. It original boarder was surrounded by flying geese and yet another delicate band of red and white. I could have shouted with delight when I saw it.

I truly love a red and white quilt and tho it was a tedious job to remove the wide red banding, I couldn't wait to see more and more of this beauty. I was not disappointed!

I didn't even mind the worn edges, but delighted in seeing the delicate stitching and wonderful talent and original effort that was put into this quilt.

When I was finally able to remove the last vestiges of the red banding, the quilt draped across my bed without a pucker, and my satisfaction was palpable. All that strangling red boarder was gone and there it lay, beautiful and free once again.

Removing that red band was like a treasure hunt, for tho it revealed damage, it also gave up other secrets. I found the initials, I believe are, BHT, inked on one corner and the launders mark 3411 marked clearly on another. Who was BHT? Sadly I do not know as the Old Trunk Antiques in Hood River, Oregon is yet another consignment shop, and they knew nothing about it.

Even with the damage this is such a beautiful quilt. The stitching is very fine and the pattern is so wonderful. This was no doubt a very prized quilt in its day. Maybe someone just wanted to extend its usage by sewing the broad band on it?! I don't know. All I know is I am happy to have removed the band and shall use the scraps of it in another project.

I think this quilt has the most stitching of any quilt I have purchased. Even with the damage and the stains on the back, it is a quilt I shall always cherish and admire. This is the first quilt I have attempted to alter, and normally I wouldn't, but I am happy I made the decision to do so. What a delightful treasure it turned out to be. I just love the flying geese border don't you?!