I used to feel the same way, but after watching a few how to videos, it actually seems fairly manageable and much easier than I imagined!
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My Morewood Mystery Quilt is coming along! I completed 15 of these with this monthās āclue!ā
Iām very proud of myself for staying on track and hope to keep up the momentum throughout the mystery QAL. Next on my agenda (after the chores that Iāve been putting off) is our January BOM block. I decided on fabrics and am looking forward to putting the sawtooth star together!
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Oh pretty. I like that block
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love those colorsā¦good job keeping up!
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And here is the quilt I need to repair. My mom made this for me in 1975, before I went off to Girl Scout summer camp. She knew I run hot (I used to go barefoot in Michigan winters) so she didnāt add any batting, so it made a nice light summer blanket. Plus, she had never quilted - she sewed clothing and curtains and also reupholstered furniture. She used a cheater print & just tied yarn in the centers of ā¦ intersections? Heh. Not sure what to call it, block corners?
I always considered it a quilt, but was chastised at a couple different quilt gatherings when i brought it for repair advice and was told by multiple people that I should never ask a quilter for advice on it. (Um, wait, even if it isnāt a quilt, what, quilters wonāt help with general sewing/fabric repair questions?!) I never went back to those quilt guilds even for ārealā quilting stuff! I hope Lettucecraft allows it to be a quilt. Itās two layers of fabric joined by knotting!
The damage happened after college, when I used it for picnics etc in the Pacific Northwest. It got roughed up by the picnic basket & sat on when wet, and boots on it, and dogs, and washed multiple times ā¦ yeah, it got old. So after repair it will only be used as a light blanket on my reading chair for spring/fall cuddles. No rough stuff! Not even my cats will be allowed on it!
I am hunting for fabric that kinda sorta matches but not looking for anything identical, just something somewhat in the same colors. I thought i would undo the side seams, put the new fabric underneath the top, hand stitch (for some movement/flexibility) the top & repair fabric together, and then trim the frayed edges and do additional hand stitching to tack down the bits left. And then repeat for all holes, and reinforce the places where things are starting to wear out.
The backing fabric is holding up fine.
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Those sound like some pretty frustrating encounters when you were just trying to get some helpful ideas!
I like your solution. It reminds me of boro stitching on jeans (and other materials Iām sure). It will add to the quiltās history while breathing new life into it! Iām looking forward to seeing how it progresses!
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I was thinking the same thingā¦a boro type of repairā¦just cut away the worn pieces and areas to let some of the underneath fabric showā¦I would pick that light green or the yellowā¦It would be smart to line the entire thing and then if future tears happen, you can just stitch down those placesā¦it would be patchy, but who caresā¦I think it would add to the blanketā¦
@Camelama --about halfway down this link there is a small section on repairing a hole with similar but not matching fabricsā¦
How to repair holes in a quilt
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Iām also on board with boro layering or some type of visible mending with a complimentary or opposite fabric. Alternatively, inserting an underlayer, and keeping the wispy original layers, to retain it all, with hand stitching on top? I really love not hiding repairs, but the look is not for everyone.
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I never thought about lining the entire top, i like that ideaā¦ huh, i would have to untie the ties, lots of fiddly bits but hey, thatās a good tv-watching task!
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I would just cut them off and then tie them back later with new yarnā¦
I have an old quilt that I need to do something with as wellā¦
Heyālast call for anyone that wants a Purple Thang toolā¦I got my little mailing envelopes so I will be sending out tomorrowā¦so far, I have @princessP, @Cindy, @craftADDchick, @MistressJennie, @marionberries and @Immaculataā¦I am more than happy to send one out!
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I have such strong memories of helping Mom tie those in, it will hurt to cut! But they may be so old that cutting is the only way.
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I would try a purple thang!
I would love to get a purple thang as well. I kept thinking about how it would make things easier when sewing my last quilt blocks!
Thanks for the repair link, my mental images/ideas were right in line with hers, whew! 
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Oh @Camelama, Iām sorry you had to deal with people like that. Any supposed quilter who denies tied quilts, is doing a disservice to the history of all quilting, and of traditionally womenās work through the centuries. Tied quilts have a long and lovely history, and are made with just as much love as hand or machine quilted quilts. Sometimes they were tied instead of quilted for speed. If it comes to spending weeks hand quilting every night, or tying a quilt for an afternoon so that your children have something warm to sleep with right now, any sane person would go with tying. While group endeavors like quilting bees did exist, not everyone would have access to community help. And the idea of having the time to hand quilt is a privilege that traditionally was only possible for upper class women who were not laboring in more physical tasks.
I guess the point my rambling is trying to make is, āDonāt let the Muggles get you downā. Youāve got us to cheer you on instead. 
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Itās so lovely that you still have it. Iād try to untie instead of cut too but it could be that the thread is too short to tie it again (assuming you cut off the ends after tying it the first time).
Iām not a professional but I do mend for others sometimes - no zippers and other boring stuff, but I do repair sentimental items sometimes. I would never even think of saying someoneās special item is not good enough to mend! I just give an honest assessment of what I can and canāt do. I personally may not like what something looks like but thatās totally irrelevant. I would definitely call this a quilt by the way - technically a tied, whole cloth quilt. And as @MistressJennie said, Iām sure a lot of mothers in history have made similar quilts and they were treasured by their kids. Not every quilt has to be an art quilt.
I think youāve gotten great advice already about the different ways of repair, I have nothing more to add about that.
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Iāve finished the top. It ended up being 42 hexies (each of 6 triangles) I cut the triangles at 4.5" and the final size (without any borders) is 48"x51". All hexies except for the fill in pieces at the top and the bottom.
I still donāt love the colours, but I have enjoyed piecing it. I will finish it and probably gift it in the end.
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I love how it turned out!
I think it turned out fabulousā¦and the original fabric is not even recognizable!
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Thatās the best bit, of course my problem is that I still have another 3 or more yards of it and itās 60" wide. I might give a go at giving it a heavy overdye at some stage.
Just pinned up my baby quilt, I think thatās maybe enough quilting for today.
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