During my recent treasure hunt in the basement -- I found the corduroy quilt my Grandma Dodds gave me in 1967 for my high school graduation. OH MY GOD.
I lifted it out of a wicker trunk...and held it to my face. I closed my eyes and the tears were instant. This quilt was an important part of my daily life for decades. It was on my bunk bed at Wartburg College, and it went with me on the plane to Washington, D.C. when I got a job with the CIA. (9/9/69)
The day they fired me, I went back to my apartment and covered up with this quilt. (2/4/70)
When John and I got married, this quilt lived at the end of our brand new beige sofa. Five years later, both the sofa and the quilt were in the living room of our first house in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania...
This quilt was that perfect hot/cold cover. In the summer, I'd take a nap with this quilt, and it would keep me cool. In the winter, it would keep me warm.
Years later, when Ross would fall asleep on the floor after a big day of riding his tricycle up and down the gravel lane, I'd cover him with this quilt.
I don't remember putting it away. I certainly didn't realize it would be 20 years before I'd see it again. But, at the time, it was so worn out and damaged...it couldn't take one more laundering...and I didn't have the skills to fix it...
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| When we were small, Grandma Dodds made leopard corduroy robes for all five of us girls... |
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| The quilt had so much damage...there were big holes... |
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| It didn't have batting. Just the pieced corduroy on the front, and a brown plaid barkcloth on the back... |
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| The last time I washed it, the machine ate a big chunk out of one side... |
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| The edges are shredded... |
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| My first repair was to cut off the tattered edge, and add a new t-shirt binding... |
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| I was afraid to cut the edges off all at once -- so I did 12 inches at a time... |
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| Rolled the t-shirt fabric over to the back, and stitch in the ditch... |
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| Trim away the excess (here you can see the back of the quilt -- pretty ugly, eh?) |
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| The new edge totally stabilized the quilt...so now I was ready to move on to the other repairs... |
Here's the best thing...somehow, since the last time I saw this quilt -- I've acquired the skills I need to fix it. I'VE GOT THIS...
So lucky you found it and are able to repair it. The pics show it has definitely been loved.
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