onaemtnest

I'm needing suggestions ~ a tranquilizer ~ I don't drink, but I'm willing to start after seeing the quilt. Please be gentle with me, I'm pretty fragile over this, right now :0) Hugs and kisses will be welcomed....

I made a long overdue quilt for my brother honoring his service during the Vietnam era. Given to him last summer. He called and said that the quilt was starting to tear....it had never been washed.... I rec'd the quilt yesterday in the mail.

The backing is all the same fabric, the front has none of this fabric.... and as you can see by the picture it's rotten fabric.

The fabric was from an exchange/swap (Not Quilting Board) of patriotic fabrics last Spring for quilts of valor, one of the rules it had to have a name on the selvage and something to effect it needed to be a 'known' fabric yada, yada, yada....

It had a nice 'hand', it wasn't thin or loosely woven to my eye, you couldn't read a newspaper through it... but obviously was old or whatever....It is a well known fabric name (which I don't want to slam on a public arena) I think it's matter of the age of the fabric, or how it was stored before I rec'd it. If I had for one minute thought it to be not 'good' fabric I would have never used it.

Enough background...It's a lap size (Although it's extra long as he's 6'8") with an easier pattern on the front (French Braid). It was sent out to be LA quilted, I don't DM quilt.

What to do? The mental gymnastics I've gone through at this point....I'm thinking the best thing to do is call it a lesson and start with a replacement quilt.

Please also understand, I'm not saying that fabric swaps are bad, I've participated in many but this one has bit me in the patootie. [ATTACH=CONFIG]467285[/ATTACH]

Jim's Gem

Is this fabric only in the backing?? Is the front of the quilt in good shape? If so you can put a second back on it, quilt it very lightly just to hold it together and rebind. Leave the "bad" on, don't un-sew it, just add the new back.

Barb in Louisiana

I agree with Jim's Gem. I would put a new back on it and do a simple, maybe STD just to hold it together. I probably would cut off the old binding so that the edges don't get too bulky. Sorry this happened to you. It could happen to any of us. It just takes some creative thinking to come up with a solution.

Lori S

I have had issues with black fabrics ( especially older black fabric) and what seems to be a fast disinigration of the cotton fibers. A manufacture told me once they use dyes that are have some acidic content to get really dark colors to saturate, particularly black and some navy. Almost without exception cottons today are not dyed with acid dyes, which is why vinegar does not work to stop bleeding on cottons.
Most likely this was a chemical used in the dye process that was not fully removed. Based on that ...the rest of the backing is at risk... so removing it is the best choice for a long lasting solution.
If this was a quilt that had been washed.. I might be inclined to believe the quilt got bound up in the agitator and caused the tearing. Since it appears the tearing is confined to a specific area ... I would not rule this out , if the quilt had been washed.
You certainly do have hugs coming your way!

onaemtnest

Thank-you for your reply Gayle ~ The fabric is only on the back thank-goodness. I thought about adding a new backing, actually. I wondered though about the black fabric continuing to shred but I guess it wouldn't matter it would in essence be just more batting material at that point?

Would you suggest I remove the binding that is on the quilt now...that will be a picking nightmare but definitely doable. It is sewn to the front and hand sewn on the back?

I do believe that all the front fabric is good. I did wash it myself and all the fabric on the front came through a gentle wash fine.

I guess too, that just a simple "S" curve stitch that is on my machine with the quilting foot attachment is something I could manage. As I've never attempted quilting anything larger than a wall quilt, which I stitched in the ditch.

onaemtnest

Thanks for the encouragement Barb....Also about cutting off existing binding...Actually being the kind of guy he is, I don't think he notices the quilting at all that much so adding some off-to-the-original quilting won't catch his eye.

ragquilter

Instead of taking off the binding, I wonder if you could turn under the new backing fabric and butt it up against the binding and sew it down with a decorative stitch. I don't know if you would like the look of it, maybe place the new backing fabric against the binding and see if it would be noticeable. Sorry that happened you but I think you can fix it since you didn't use any of the fabric in the front or binding.

onaemtnest

Hi Lori ~ Wow I didn't know this about black and sometimes blue fabric. The shredding was happening before I washed it this morning. So it was pre-wash shredding...just shredded from him using it as a throw. He is a smoker so I HAD to wash before I could even begin to think about using it.

So I agree it will continue to shred as I see minute pieces throughout the backing.

Thanks sweet lady for the hugs... :0)

Jim's Gem

Cutting off the binding would be an easier solution than un doing it. It would only affect the dimension of the quilt slightly. If your outside border is just a fabric one not and pieced, it would not mess up any design. Just cut off the binding and resew a new one on after adding the new backing.

onaemtnest

Hi ragquilter.... Nope none of this fabric is on the front, thank-goodness. I definitely wouldn't look forward to taking the existing binding off...these old eyes and picking out stitching would take some time since the front is machine sewn and back hand stitched...Thank-you for time in reply to this as I would like to think I can save the front of the quilt. I'm so encouraged with the input.