This news just in from Vermont:
Kit quilt quilted by Charlotte Croft
This quilt was cross stitched by Muriel “Ted” Wagner. She gave the blocks to Polly Leavitt to set together and tie. Then she asked that the quilt be given to the Broad Brook Volunteer Fire Dept. for a raffle. Because it was a kit, the little blue dots for quilting are still visible. When I bought my ticket from Rodney at the Oyster Stew supper he said people keep asking when it was going to be quilted, and wouldn’t the blue (lines) come out when it is washed. I think they will, but I volunteered to quilt it, after the holidays. I’m happy to say I finished the quilting last Monday night. I hope it raises a lot of money for the firemen. Charlotte
Dear Charlotte,
Some of the old quilt kits such soaking the project in kerosene to remove the blue lines, something that I would not personally recommend. To me, the blue lines simply represent another time and place, and a way of marking quilt lines then, commercially. It is doubtful that they can be removed, without doing severe damage to the surface of the quilt. If one just concentrates on the beauty of the design itself, it would be easy to overlook the lines. They are part of the history of the object, in my opinion.
My best,
Pat
P.S. After consulting with Rose Marie Werner, an expert on quilt kits, she tells me that this appears to be a contemporary design. The pattern is sold at: http://www.jdneedleart.com/cross-stitch-only-designs.html Rose is busy setting up a new website about kit quilts which will be ready later this month: www.quiltkitid.com
