Moment In The Sun

According to wiktionary ~ "moment in the sun" (n) is an idiom: A brief instance in which an otherwise obscure, unremarkable, or humble person* draws attention. 

In this case replace "person" with "quilt" and you'll have a spot-on, accurate definition! This otherwise obscure and unremarkable quilt top was found by my mother years ago at a yard sale and rescued on the spot. She's done it before, remember this salvaged quilt from a few months ago?
She has a good eye; an expert quilt rescuer, she immediately recognized the value in this one. From that day, years ago, until this past winter when it was rediscovered in a storage box; it has lain, untouched and all but forgotten. Mom brought it out this past spring for a consultation: "what do you think?", she asked me, "can this quilt be saved?". The photos below tell the rest of the story. Finally, at long last, this yard sale star has become the quilt it was always meant to be. This one's earned its moment in the sun. 

The above two photos of the completed quilting are a little more "yellowed" than in reality.

 

The tones in the two outdoor shots are more representative of the actual colors, the background and backing are white-white.

There are some questions that can never be answered: who made this and what purpose was the quilt to serve? We'll never know, the only answer now is that it has been given a new lease on life and it will be loved and treasured from here on in; maybe that's all we need to know.

Life is Good!

Salvaged Stars and Stripes

This patriotic quilt belongs to my mother; she rescued these pieced blocks from a yard sale years ago; she paid $5 for the lot (12 blocks). Last year she decided to put them to better use, she removed them from a box and set them together with sashing and a wide outer border. I brought it home with me last fall to quilt it up for her. I wish I knew more about the original piecer; the blocks are machine pieced and very attractive, perhaps they are from my hometown of Boxford, MA (where they were purchased) and maybe this quilt was begun as a Bicentennial quilt in 1976, but that is purely speculation... there's no way of knowing, the mystery is part of the charm. Mom had a piece of yardage with the Pledge of Allegiance printed on it, perfect for the backing fabric on this one; it was a bit shy, size-wise. Not to worry, I bordered it up with some dark red fabric from my stash.  I believe it will provide an interesting, framed, reverse side.

Backing fabric, framed with red and ready to be loaded.

Layered in place and ready for thread... let the quilting begin!

 

Simple Stars and Loops: pantograph by Clothwerx.

I can't help but think that whoever made these blocks would be pleased with the end result; 

a bargain box of quilt blocks with a new lease on life, becoming the quilt they were meant to be!

Life is Good!