When Quilts Need Repair
September 19th, 2007 by Julia
About six months ago I found a hole in my favourite quilt. My husband and I were hanging this big butterfly quilt on our bedroom wall. The quilt had lived several lives and now it was to be a wall hanging.
In the orange swirly border section was a thumb size hole that went right through all three layers. This is the first time I have had to deal with a major mend in a quilt. I felt daunted. How would I mend three layers?
I thought about matching it with exact fabric patches. I might just have some scraps somewhere. I considered finding some sewing guru to do it for me. The quilt was damaged now. It was spoiled. I didn’t really know how to fix it.
Months passed and every time I looked at the quilt I felt bad about that hole. The quilt was ruined I thought sadly to myself. Over six months the quilt mending job built up to be a bit of a problem.
Finally yesterday I took it down and inspected the damage. I considered what I could do. It was like looking at an old friend fallen in battle. After a few sad sighs I decided to give it my best shot. I found my coloured thread box and carefully matched the colours. Then I thought to myself - I can’t take this imperfection away I can only mend it with as much love as possible.
I took my time and I darned gentle stitches that I have seen my mother sew. Stitch by stitch I felt better. As I worked I thought about how my quilts are working quilts. There are carried around, snuggled under, picnicked on, laid over sleeping children or shivering pets. They have been children’s cubbies and hiding places. In all probability this hole started as the mark of some child’s jam covered finger. My family life had been here.
The mending slowly transformed from a loathsome fixing task to a gentle homage. I was honouring the site where some living had taken place. This was the place where the life of a perfect quilt ended and business of living just kept on going.
I smiled to myself as I surveyed the little ridges of the final mend. Not so much a fix but an outcrop of love. It is also a small milestone on my learning journey. In fixing this quilt hole I came to understand what really matters.
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September 21st, 2007 at 9:59 am
Hi Julia
Congratulations on the new site!
This is a fabulous journey you have just started and I look forward to following you through (or even walking by your side).
Natasha
September 24th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Hi Julia,
It’s wonderful the way you are paralleling the art of quilting with the tapestry of life. It makes us stop and think about how we view things every day, and what’s important.
Well done on a great thought-provoking site.
Janet
September 24th, 2007 at 9:35 am
As I am relatively new to quilting my quilts have not required any mending yet, but reading your story makes me start to realise that my lovely heirlooms are just starting their lives. I keep sending them out into the world to be what ever they will be: cherished baby rugs, used every day rugs, stored in a cupboard rugs. I hope one day to see them again, as family members send them home for repair and to get a sense of the life they have lived and to give them the chance to continue their useful lives by giving them the loving care they require. Thankyou for your insightful and reflective stories.