When I was making my first quilt about 35 years ago, my son who was two at the time, was watching me. One day I came in my room and he had my scissors and the quilt had been finished for maybe a week. He was cutting it like he had seen me cut it. There were about eight cuts in my quilt , my finished quilt. After I cried, I thought for a little bit. Since I had just finished that quilt I had lots of scraps left over and I decided I would appliqué a heart over each cut that he made. Some were 5 inch hearts, some 2 inches, and some one inch. To this day , every time I look at that quilt it makes me smile when I see all those hearts and know that my little two-year-old was trying to sew just like mommy! It is actually a good memory now.
No recipient of one of my quilts has ever pointed out a mistake I have made. It’s been my experience people are just honoured to receive a home made quilt. My very first appliqué quilts has been embarrassingly put on display. I inwardly cringe when I visit and see it hanging on their wall. Every time I visit and see the quilt I see how I now know how I should have done different things differently, stitched differently, where the corners don’t line up perfectly, etc. Ever time the recipients look at the quilt they feel loved. I’m trying to teach myself not to see mistakes but instead a process. The quilt is an extension of me, warts and all.
The panel quilt I made early on for my bathroom is a mess, but I’m the only one who looks at it that carefully. Children love the sea creatures and adults love the color palette.
I found a scissor nick in a block after the block was finished but before I made the quilt sandwich. A satin zigzag stitch fixed it. It’s visible if you have nothing better to do than search the quilt for mistakes.
I have a quilt I made for a grandchild that was chewed by their dog, it's on the outer edge (including the batting) and goes into the border about 3 inches and 4 inches wide. I'm thinking I should take the border off and put a new one on. I'm sure I can find a print that will look good.I don't have any more of the border fabric, either.
I repaired a quilt someone's mother made her, who put holes in by... smoking in bed. Fortunately Mom had put applique's an extra block on the back, from which I was able to rob the needed bits of fabric. This has given me the idea to, from now on insert a few pieces of the quilt fabric behind a decorative label on the back of quilts, just in case they're needed one day.
Dear Karen, I'm getting a quilt ready to take to a county fair. I made it last year. I use this lap quilt in the winter and cuddle a cat with it. I washed and dried it. Yesterday I was pressing it and noticed a tear in the sashing. Oh my gosh. Luckily I ran across your video about repairing holes, etc. in quilts. I watched it last year and now again twice. I'll probably just darn it a little and hope it works. If not, I'll make little cat appliques and stick a few on so that one's eye isn't drawn to just that one area. It's not a fancy quilt, but a "Scrappy Kitty" quilt. Thank you! Marion
Holes in finished quilts lend the perfect opportunity to practice our applique skills! Most people think that I'm just being clever when I add applique to a quilt. They never seem to ask what could be under the applique design. LOL!
It took me two years to repair an heirloom quilt for my mother. It was made with some poor quality fabric which pretty much tore as I looked at it. After reminding it, I finally gave up my plans to use invisible mending and used a combination of embroidery stitches which, yes, show on the back of the quilt. I decided I had to stitch myself into the story, or trash the object! I wish I’d had the benefit of this video, though. I finally gave it back to my mum last month. One UFO complete!
This popped up in my TH-cam feed as I was sitting and doing careful repairs to a vintage quilt found in a thrift shop. Right now I'm doing ladder stitch repairs to the edge of the quilt - it has no binding, but the border and the backing are the same and were simply sandwiched together and turned. There are lots of seams that need repair, unfortunately all pressed open , so more ladder stitch. Some of the triangles are worn (especially near the shorter edges of the quilt, where it would have been pulled up to keep someone warm when the quilt was in use). I pulled some scraps (washed) from my cabbage, made a template, and am hand appliqueing new triangles over the frayed ones. BTW, when I was inspecting the quilt to find any problems, I spread it out on a clean floor and went over it row by row, placing safety pins in areas that needed work, then folded over that row and moved on the the next. From the assorted fabrics in the quilt, I suspect it dates from about the early 1960's. It will eventually be used on a single guest day bed in my sewing studio, so it won't get heavy usage.
That's an amazing story. I was asked to baste and quilt a quilt top from the 1930s. Scared me to death! but I did it. And put a label on it. It came out great 💕 I think you are amazing to repurpose someone's endearing masterpiece.
I was told in an class that if you make a mistake and you use applique to repair that mistake what ever you use to fix the problem do more then one ... then it is not a mistake but a DESIGN DECISION. I was also told in an art class to use uneven / odd number elements .... that was some kind of design principle ... It is hard to remember the rationale behind some of the rules I follow in design as those classes were over 40 years ago... but they do work for me.
My grandmother made everyone in the family quilts, with personalized pattern for everyone (mine for example had foxes and umbrellas) and are a sentimental treasure after she passed away 4 years ago. This video is a life saver for my project on restoring the blankets my family have from here, thanks you so much for this video
Karen, I could hug you! Your honesty about holes in a finished quilt is so refreshing! And thank you, thank you for all the top tips for avoiding and fixing the problem. I love the idea of quilt kisses. In fact, I will plant a few on purpose on future quilts. ☺️
Thank you, thank you! We've probably all been there. I found a small place where I didn't catch both edges in a seam. Fortunately it was near the edge of the quilt, and found before sending it to quilter. Just a little unsewing and resewing was required, could have been worse. All the techniques you demonstrated are quite "doable " Karen, thanks so much. Now I'm off to refold my quilts wrong sides together .
You might find this story lovely - I found this video by following a rabbit trail that started on FB. You mention another video that has a solution for finding discontinued fabric. THE DAY BEFORE I discovered that a block of the month kit I bought 27 years ago was missing one of the background fabrics. I was so discouraged. And just like magic you offered up the solution (thank you Ellen). Sometimes the universe works in our favor.
How in the world did I miss this video? I was just repairing some spots in my quilt the other day. It's on my bed so of course the dogs are on it all the time. I'm always finding one of all the problems you just addressed. Now I know I"ve been doing some of it right and have a few new tricks to use. Thank you.
Very helpful! A friend asked me to repair a 15 year old quilt that was recently chewed through by their dog. I haven't even seen the quilt yet, but agreed to do it knowing your channel would have at least 1 video with repair techniques I could learn from.
Oh I needed this after I completed my first quilt! It was a throw-size quilt as you go strip quilt. It was a Xmas gift for my bf. I was up all night trying to finish it. My needle broke at around 3 am, couldn’t find another (I finally did) and it was a true effort of love. I always wash my quilts before I ise or gift them as fabric is dirty and can get dirty during making. So I washed it and almost an entire seam was open I just didn’t catch one piece of fabric. I was mortified. So off to the quilt shop I go to find out what I could do. They told me to zig zag stitch it. I did and it was an absolute horrific looking dumpster fire. I had to go over it for what seemed like 1000 times and I was so ashamed of it. But I gave it to him along with the story of how it came to be. He adored it. He passed a few years ago and I asked his daughter for the quilt as a memento. It was never found. She looked for it but someone else had swiped it. I suspect I know who did it and I’m sorry he did so but he’ll never take the memory I have of making it and my bf’s joy in using it. So you see, mistakes, and the horrible repairs we make, are perfectly okay. 😂😂😂
@@dragonfliesfordonna2112 Thank you so much. Yes that quilt definitely taught me a lot. I stressed over getting it done on time and wanting it to be “perfect”. It wasn’t. But my bf truly did love it. Funny thing is my son decided he wanted one just like it because my bf loved it so much. I told him I’d make him one like it but he got distracted by something else along the way. I did make him a quilt though, and I can’t find the top so I can finish it. I think my mother did something with it because it was “in her way”. One day I hope to find it. Truly every quilt has a story!
@@mary-annz.reynolds7778 it was truly fun. I was up all night making it and everything went wrong. The broken needle nearly broke ME! But I did find another. It was a good time and good memories. The person who took it will never have the memories. He got the quilt, but I have the joy. Funny how that works. 🤣🤣🤣
@@dragonfliesfordonna2112 you are 100% correct about the person I believe took the quilt. That person was jealous of me, for what reason I’ll never know, and he took the quilt because he knew my bf loved it. Childish games we silly humans play. But it had no effect on me or the love that went into it. Thank you for the kind words. They are quite comforting. And as for my mistakes…the story of the oatmeal raisin cookies I made for him is another epic failure story! That one may come out one day. Haha!
@@dragonfliesfordonna2112 true. I suppose it does give him good memories of my bf, but he didn’t earn those memories. Long story I won’t bore anyone with it pollute the comments with tales of drama and fair-weather friends, but because of all that I suppose he needs a good memory or two to ease his mind. I hope he enjoys it as I’m not bothered by it anymore. I just have the fun ones. I reminisce with his daughter still and we have a good laugh. Epic failures…oh yeah. I could write a book! We should all do that. Contribute to a book with our epic quilt failures. I’m laughing now just thinking of it! Thanks again for the very kind and sweet words very much appreciated. My bf’s birthday was yesterday so it’s been a rough few days. 💜💜💜
I am hand-quilting my first quilt, and realized as I was pinning the 3 layers together that there was a small tear in the fabric. I kept thinking about how to fix it as I mounted the quilt in my frame and started working. By the time I reached that point on the quilt I had decided; I embroidered a shape in satin stitch over it, reinforcing underneath with a bit of fabric to strengthen and stabilize, and the embroidery floss pretty much just blends in. Love the videos, thank you so much! I am learning so much for my next quilts while I slow-sew on this one.
You are a life saver. I had just finished long arming a quilt as a gift..washed and dried it...found 3 pieced seams had come undone. All 3 involved the same fabric. Either it shrank differently than the other cottons OR my seam was too scant. You gave great possibilities for fixing and I am much much calmer. You are my "go to" quilting expert blogger!!!!! Thanks
My grandmother made all of her grandchildren a "wedding" quilt. It was made from block scraps and hand tied. I was third from the youngest and us last three received our quilts when grandma passed away, we were just teens. I put mine away. Vowing never to use it until I married. Well, at age 39 I gave up and got it out. Sadly, the seams were to close to the edge of the fabric on many blocks, and they had come undone. So many comments here have inspired me on how to fix them❤️❤️❤️
I just love it when experienced quilters talk about all the things that can go wrong and how to fix them. I have just finished my third quilt and I think I've had to deal with ALL of these mishaps. I'm learning, but the process can be slow and painful. Thanks so much for sharing and making me feel better about all the ups and downs of quilting.
Two days ago i discovered a small tear on the back of a table topper.i was very distraught and put it away. Now i know how to fix it. Sew happy because it was for thanksgiving. Thank you!
This is very informational, My grandmother made me a quilt when i was born (33 yrs ago), and its showing its age, holes eon the bottom and parts of the top squares, i want to repair it since she's no longer with us, and i always felt secure and could feel her presence when i rested my head on it. God bless. (My Grandma was a devout catholic woman, and i heard her voice say that when i watched this video. May she rest in peace.)
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I have despaired several times and it prevented me from handing over a quilt because I found a spot or two where the seam became unraveled and I didn't realize it until it was too late. You are so awesome. 🤓
I’m currently repairing a well loved quilt for a friend that now has new puppy chew damage. Thank you! I have so much more to do,but these tips certainly will help.
And here I thought I was the only one to do stupid stuff like cutting holes in quilts, or not seeing a frayed seam until I had sewn my last stitch on seam binding. After 45 years of quilting mistakes still happen, and I've even sewn a block with wrong sides together and didn't realize it until row was complete. I left in in because it was too much work to UNsew all. But later when quilt was finished, I could hardly find the wrong side out block.
Lol. It happens to a all of us. If someone says they never made a mistake, don't believe him/her. Cherish the mistakes like Karen said. I love the idea of quilt kisses ❤️
Hey, you paid for both sides of that fabric, you get to decide which one shows! 😉. “Intentional Design Element” is what I like to call this sort of not-a-mistake! 😁
Great tips for repairing gaps and holes! And I like how you calm us less experienced quilters by assuring us these are not unknown mishaps! Whew! Thanks so much!
My first Crack at hand piecing I used a charm pack and I have never regretted anything more in my whole life... because it was a HST project on point that I just thought up in my head....
I love the appliqué idea and the quilt kisses! My quilts are never perfect. I learn something new with each one. I am a perfectionist so of course I notice every mistake. (No one else ever does.) The thought of adding quilt kisses would just make the quilt that much more "home made." This video is very helpful! Thank you!
I’ve been watching quilt restoration videos, and yours is the first that came up. I was given a quilt by a quilting friend, it seems to be somewhat old, with polyester batting that’s incredibly thin, It is riddled with so many holes varying from large, like the bottom of a bowl large, to other smaller varying holes with fraying. The fabric is all worn, The binding is all wore down, it looks terrible. It looks like it was put through the washing machine on a normal cycle for 30 years. It is all hand stitched. I truly believe it is beyond repair. I can’t believe that this hand stitched quilt has been so abused, it’s stained and frayed beyond repair. I had it on our wood floor to analyze it, while in tears. It’s strange that I have a strong moral feeling regarding hand stitched or hand made items being abused.
I'm so glad I found this tutorial. My friend gifted me one of her first quilts as part of her "make everyone in the friend group a quilt" project. I was so honored but I went through a very stressful time where the OCD I had as a child came back with a vengeance, and much like I did to my childhood blankets, my constant, anxiety-induced rubbing wore away at the seams near the edges of my quilt. I want to fix it so badly now that my OCD is under control but I have no idea where to start. (my friend is totally fine with whatever I do with the quilt, but I feel bad for letting it get like this!!) I'm going to use a lot of your 4th solution, and maybe some of your 2nd for the smaller frayed seams. Thank you again for this advice!
Thanks for the great tips!! The second quilt that I ever made was a crazy quilt for my daughter when she was about six. It has been much loved, is practically threadbare but it is still in use. I offered(begged!) to fix it many times when she was a teenager. I finally snagged it from the laundry once and repaired some of the frayed, opened seams. She wasn't mad but made it clear that it was not to happen again. Even in that sorry state, it was precious to her. She's 25, has a baby that snuggles with her under it, and even though I have made her a replacement, I still see that old quilt in most of the pictures I get of the baby. On the replacement(a Harry Potter bookshelf quilt that she loves), I noticed the slice before I quilted, thankfully. I appliqued a Cornish pixie over it and it looks like it was always meant to be there.
@@mary-annz.reynolds7778 Exactly! I was embarrassed at my poor quality quilt-making skills while for her, it was all just precious memories of her childhood.
I'm very bad at throwing things out, and I have quite a few textile items (mostly clothing) that are too fragile for me to safely wear/use anymore. Maybe a compromise would be to make a cover to launder it in, because fabric is usually weaker when it's wet.
It was learning to quik-quilt at a favorite aunt's side that taught me good patching tips. Get this, her old quilt - had a substandard backing, ok. I had flannel to replace it. done, but patches were injured. I darned w/ yarns - of difficult patches. PRETTY solution. I loved it. still do it. joining my art w/ original owner's.
Great tips, just what I needed this morning! I never miss your videos, because I always find something useful, interesting, or inspirational - usually all three. Thank you, thank you!
Thank you, Karen!! I was burying threads and found an open seam where the lower placed fabric had frayed horribly. Quick TH-cam search revealed this video and I KNEW you would help me solve my problem as you have at other times and various troubles. I thought I had seen all your videos, but I must've missed this one; probably burned out from organizing my space *grin*
Thank you so much for this! I have a quilt top someone asked if I could repair and I wasn't sure I could do it without it looking worse. It's a quilt his grandma made, so I'm going to use heart patches ❤
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, skills, techniques, enthusiasm with fun side to seeing mishaps that can, through your "no-how" with your encouragement and making sewing seem less challenging. I am looking forward to adventures in the patch. Peace and kindness with prayers. 👌☕
Another great video, thank you! My open rotary cutter fell onto my finished 3rd quilt. I embroidered a bee over the hole and it looked OK, but if it had been a quilt for someone else I’d definitely use your techniques. You’re a lifesaver 🙌
I found an old quilt top in a trunk. Vintage colors. There were fabric frays with wonky squares which made a not quite square quilt top. Now I know how to fix and a not so traditional way finish it. Since I am just beginning to quilt, by watching this video I’ve gained a little more confidence to get it finished! Thank you.
Perfect timing. I picked up a pieced quilt top from Salvation Army yesterday. I just noticed it has a couple of frayed areas so I will use your tips to fix it before I turn it into a lap blanket for donation.
4:00 l agree. Trimming threads is better than pulling. But my advice is mark the spot with a safety pin and when you get a minute, bury the thread tails... Because if that thread tail popped, it's likely to pop out again. Burying the tail instead of clipping, will keep the stitches from continuing to come undone. If there's not enough thread to use a self-threading needle, use a fine crochet hook to bury the thread between the batting. 💖🌞🌵😷
Thank you for all your wonderful videos. I was making a quilt for my cousin’s daughters when I found four tiny holes in the blocks. They looked like tiny burns and I’m pretty sure they were already there when I bought the jelly roll. At first I was going to abandon the project but, inspiration struck! I covered the holes with some appliquéd letters of their initials in a contrasting fabric. In the end, it gave the quilt some personality and the four girls love it all the more.
I'm going to have to re-watch this. I was so distracted by that new quilt you have in the background I missed some of the tips! 😁Love that little quilt!
When you are repairing anything with hand sewing you do not need to knot your threads at the beginning and end! Two or three backstitches on top of each other, is all you need to secure a thread. Knots can cause problems in the long run, so it is often best to avoid them.
So I tried this on a quilt I was reparing, and it made that stitch look really thick compared to the other ones by it. Any help with that? Or do I just have to admit that no one else is going to notice! 😅
It was sort of decorative backstitching to reinforce some applique that was coming up, so the stitches were visible, if that helps explain what I mean!
I saw this right on time! I’m hand quilting a beautiful Tula Pink Fandango quilt and found a place where all those foundation paper pieces met together…almost. Too late to take it apart and stitch again, but I know I can use one of these methods to fix it after it is off the frame. You helped me solve a problem before it had time to make me sad! Thanks, Karen!
I too, being a 1 and a half year newbie quilter have made more mistakes starting out learning to quilt. I have bought a quilt magazine from a U-tuber who is somewhat popular on U-tube that made a comment in 1 of her articles that suggested you go back now and fix it, so..I did just that, but..on others hap-hazard mistakes I worked around the problem, it then looked like no mistakes at all. But..this also taught me a lesson, when in doubt go back and truly try to fix it. It’s all for the learning best.n
Yes. I was making a butterfly quilt and a butterfly got under my rotary cuter while cutting another strip. I added a little background piece and called it "the butterfly with the broken wing."🤣 In the end, it was really difficult to find the butterfly with the broken wing.
I'm using a quilt made by my grandmother that's almost 50 years old now, and it's got a few holes where the quilt top fabric is wearing thin. The binding is heavily frayed as well. So it could really use some repair. I love it anyway, and it's comforting to sleep under something she made for my mom back in the 70s. It's all hand done, too. I can't imagine hand quilting the quilt top. I need to do some repair work on it over the winter. Thanks for so many helpful tips and tricks!
Thanks so much for these ideas! About 10 years ago I used several antique quilts as decorations for my youngest daughter's wedding reception. Thinking she was helping, my oldest daughter put them in the washing machine and started it! Luckily I found them before they hit the dryer, but there was still significant damage done. I believe I can use a multitude of these ideas to repair them instead of leaving them in the closet, never to be seen again! Thanks! You are the best!
I helped my daughter make a quilt with prairie points. She was raising a Guide Dog puppy and the puppy somehow pulled some of the quilt into her kennel and had a grand time chewing it up. Thankfully I had some of the fabric left and was able to make repairs and you can hardly tell where it was chewed up. I used a lot of turned applique to fix it. Great tips, Karen.
Oh... that so sad... and yet funny 💕 I wanted to make a quilt for my grandfurbaby, but she would probably tear it to shreds. I send stuffed animals and she loves tearing the stuffing out.
I love this video, so much good info! I’d also be very interested in your tips for fixing old, well loved quilts since I have a few in my home that would need some tlc to address the holes and frayed seams!
Thanks Karen. I’m using your techniques to repair a quilt I made my 13 year old great niece a couple years ago. Her dog scratched a hole in the top and damaged the batting. This video was very well timed for me. Maybe I should make Chunky a quilt of his own so it doesn’t happen again.
I am a self taught quilter and couldn't for the life of figure out why I had 'bust outs' in my seams on nearly every quilt I did. This video taught me so much. I can't wait to implement what I learned into my next quilt!
You've made me feel so much better about a quilt I gave a niece this summer, mistakes and all. I explained to her that I had tried to fix a fraying seam. It wasn't noticeable on the front, but my fix was obvious on the back. Thank you so much for all your tips and the video!
Got lucky and found the small rip while I was quilting the quilt. Used the turned edge appliqué with a left over scrap. Then quilted over it. It worked out great.
A quilt my sister made me in 1988 had places forming holes all over the double bed size quilt. We decided I would pick out all the machine quilting she had done if she would fix the bad fabric. It was only the same one fabric. She pieced in new fabric in a similar color. I supplied a new back and sent it to a long armer. It is surprisingly modern looking because it is Amish style in solid colors in strips. It was well worth the work in fixing it.
very inormative. It would have been useful to know that it was for new clothes and not old ones at the very beginning. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom! 🧵🧷
I’ve had a few of these come up. Shortening my stitch length has helped some. I had a slice in one of my blocks and I’m not sure how I accomplished it, but I am more careful with my rotary cutter. Thanks for all the ways to fix up our holes, goofs, etc.
Wow! Informative tutorials regarding the various seams and project finishes made and to overcome discoveries. I feel the choice of project quilt to engage is a simple bargello style for me. The 2.1/2" strips need 1/4" seams. Definitely will be able to become proficient in seams allowance. Glad I found your delightful tutorial on " 5 Repairs. As I had been unsure about a smaller stitch length, I believe I have won a prize.
When I was making my first quilt about 35 years ago, my son who was two at the time, was watching me. One day I came in my room and he had my scissors and the quilt had been finished for maybe a week. He was cutting it like he had seen me cut it. There were about eight cuts in my quilt , my finished quilt. After I cried, I thought for a little bit. Since I had just finished that quilt I had lots of scraps left over and I decided I would appliqué a heart over each cut that he made. Some were 5 inch hearts, some 2 inches, and some one inch. To this day , every time I look at that quilt it makes me smile when I see all those hearts and know that my little two-year-old was trying to sew just like mommy! It is actually a good memory now.
I have tears in my eyes. What a great quilt story 🤗
As a mom of young kids, I always hope I will be able to make lemonade from the lemons my little ones dish up for me. Thanks for the good example!
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Aww, thanks for sharing that story! How sweet 🥰
Love this story even as it brought tears to my eyes 😍
No recipient of one of my quilts has ever pointed out a mistake I have made. It’s been my experience people are just honoured to receive a home made quilt. My very first appliqué quilts has been embarrassingly put on display. I inwardly cringe when I visit and see it hanging on their wall. Every time I visit and see the quilt I see how I now know how I should have done different things differently, stitched differently, where the corners don’t line up perfectly, etc. Ever time the recipients look at the quilt they feel loved. I’m trying to teach myself not to see mistakes but instead a process. The quilt is an extension of me, warts and all.
The panel quilt I made early on for my bathroom is a mess, but I’m the only one who looks at it that carefully. Children love the sea creatures and adults love the color palette.
I found a scissor nick in a block after the block was finished but before I made the quilt sandwich. A satin zigzag stitch fixed it. It’s visible if you have nothing better to do than search the quilt for mistakes.
Happy Saturday everyone. I hope that next time you find a hole in your quilt you’ll see it as an opportunity and not a disaster. Enjoy
I have a quilt I made for a grandchild that was chewed by their dog, it's on the outer edge (including the batting) and goes into the border about 3 inches and 4 inches wide. I'm thinking I should take the border off and put a new one on. I'm sure I can find a print that will look good.I don't have any more of the border fabric, either.
A true labor of love!
Since this video is more appropriate for newly made quilts, would you consider making a video on fixing older quilts?
I’m
I repaired a quilt someone's mother made her, who put holes in by... smoking in bed. Fortunately Mom had put applique's an extra block on the back, from which I was able to rob the needed bits of fabric. This has given me the idea to, from now on insert a few pieces of the quilt fabric behind a decorative label on the back of quilts, just in case they're needed one day.
Fabulous idea and so simple.
I wish I would have done that. Very gd idea😍👍
That is genius!
Brilliant idea!!
Love this.
Dear Karen,
I'm getting a quilt ready to take to a county fair. I made it last year. I use this lap quilt in the winter and cuddle a cat with it. I washed and dried it. Yesterday I was pressing it and noticed a tear in the sashing. Oh my gosh. Luckily I ran across your video about repairing holes, etc. in quilts. I watched it last year and now again twice. I'll probably just darn it a little and hope it works. If not, I'll make little cat appliques and stick a few on so that one's eye isn't drawn to just that one area. It's not a fancy quilt, but a "Scrappy Kitty" quilt. Thank you!
Marion
Holes in finished quilts lend the perfect opportunity to practice our applique skills! Most people think that I'm just being clever when I add applique to a quilt. They never seem to ask what could be under the applique design. LOL!
It took me two years to repair an heirloom quilt for my mother. It was made with some poor quality fabric which pretty much tore as I looked at it. After reminding it, I finally gave up my plans to use invisible mending and used a combination of embroidery stitches which, yes, show on the back of the quilt. I decided I had to stitch myself into the story, or trash the object! I wish I’d had the benefit of this video, though. I finally gave it back to my mum last month. One UFO complete!
👏👏👏 well done you
This popped up in my TH-cam feed as I was sitting and doing careful repairs to a vintage quilt found in a thrift shop.
Right now I'm doing ladder stitch repairs to the edge of the quilt - it has no binding, but the border and the backing are the same and were simply sandwiched together and turned. There are lots of seams that need repair, unfortunately all pressed open , so more ladder stitch.
Some of the triangles are worn (especially near the shorter edges of the quilt, where it would have been pulled up to keep someone warm when the quilt was in use). I pulled some scraps (washed) from my cabbage, made a template, and am hand appliqueing new triangles over the frayed ones.
BTW, when I was inspecting the quilt to find any problems, I spread it out on a clean floor and went over it row by row, placing safety pins in areas that needed work, then folded over that row and moved on the the next.
From the assorted fabrics in the quilt, I suspect it dates from about the early 1960's. It will eventually be used on a single guest day bed in my sewing studio, so it won't get heavy usage.
That's an amazing story. I was asked to baste and quilt a quilt top from the 1930s. Scared me to death! but I did it. And put a label on it. It came out great 💕 I think you are amazing to repurpose someone's endearing masterpiece.
Thanks for sharing. I love hearing stories of old quilts
Thank you for posting on Saturdays. I love to sit down with hot tea and coffee cake and watch your enjoyable videos on Saturday.
I was told in an class that if you make a mistake and you use applique to repair that mistake what ever you use to fix the problem do more then one ... then it is not a mistake but a DESIGN DECISION. I was also told in an art class to use uneven / odd number elements .... that was some kind of design principle ... It is hard to remember the rationale behind some of the rules I follow in design as those classes were over 40 years ago... but they do work for me.
good idea!
That's what my dad says about his woodworking. It's not a mistake, just a change of plans.
I was just thinking the same thing about my repairs here… I’ll make several patches as an interest design. 🥰
My grandmother made everyone in the family quilts, with personalized pattern for everyone (mine for example had foxes and umbrellas) and are a sentimental treasure after she passed away 4 years ago. This video is a life saver for my project on restoring the blankets my family have from here, thanks you so much for this video
Karen, I could hug you! Your honesty about holes in a finished quilt is so refreshing! And thank you, thank you for all the top tips for avoiding and fixing the problem. I love the idea of quilt kisses. In fact, I will plant a few on purpose on future quilts. ☺️
Thank you, thank you! We've probably all been there. I found a small place where I didn't catch both edges in a seam. Fortunately it was near the edge of the quilt, and found before sending it to quilter. Just a little unsewing and resewing was required, could have been worse. All the techniques you demonstrated are quite "doable " Karen, thanks so much. Now I'm off to refold my quilts wrong sides together .
What are quilt kisses?
You might find this story lovely - I found this video by following a rabbit trail that started on FB. You mention another video that has a solution for finding discontinued fabric. THE DAY BEFORE I discovered that a block of the month kit I bought 27 years ago was missing one of the background fabrics. I was so discouraged. And just like magic you offered up the solution (thank you Ellen). Sometimes the universe works in our favor.
How in the world did I miss this video? I was just repairing some spots in my quilt the other day. It's on my bed so of course the dogs are on it all the time. I'm always finding one of all the problems you just addressed. Now I know I"ve been doing some of it right and have a few new tricks to use. Thank you.
Very helpful! A friend asked me to repair a 15 year old quilt that was recently chewed through by their dog. I haven't even seen the quilt yet, but agreed to do it knowing your channel would have at least 1 video with repair techniques I could learn from.
Oh I needed this after I completed my first quilt! It was a throw-size quilt as you go strip quilt. It was a Xmas gift for my bf. I was up all night trying to finish it. My needle broke at around 3 am, couldn’t find another (I finally did) and it was a true effort of love. I always wash my quilts before I ise or gift them as fabric is dirty and can get dirty during making. So I washed it and almost an entire seam was open I just didn’t catch one piece of fabric. I was mortified. So off to the quilt shop I go to find out what I could do. They told me to zig zag stitch it. I did and it was an absolute horrific looking dumpster fire. I had to go over it for what seemed like 1000 times and I was so ashamed of it. But I gave it to him along with the story of how it came to be. He adored it. He passed a few years ago and I asked his daughter for the quilt as a memento. It was never found. She looked for it but someone else had swiped it. I suspect I know who did it and I’m sorry he did so but he’ll never take the memory I have of making it and my bf’s joy in using it. So you see, mistakes, and the horrible repairs we make, are perfectly okay. 😂😂😂
So true! that definitely was a labor of love! Your did an amazing think for this person!
@@dragonfliesfordonna2112 Thank you so much. Yes that quilt definitely taught me a lot. I stressed over getting it done on time and wanting it to be “perfect”. It wasn’t. But my bf truly did love it. Funny thing is my son decided he wanted one just like it because my bf loved it so much. I told him I’d make him one like it but he got distracted by something else along the way. I did make him a quilt though, and I can’t find the top so I can finish it. I think my mother did something with it because it was “in her way”. One day I hope to find it. Truly every quilt has a story!
@@mary-annz.reynolds7778 it was truly fun. I was up all night making it and everything went wrong. The broken needle nearly broke ME! But I did find another. It was a good time and good memories. The person who took it will never have the memories. He got the quilt, but I have the joy. Funny how that works. 🤣🤣🤣
@@dragonfliesfordonna2112 you are 100% correct about the person I believe took the quilt. That person was jealous of me, for what reason I’ll never know, and he took the quilt because he knew my bf loved it. Childish games we silly humans play. But it had no effect on me or the love that went into it. Thank you for the kind words. They are quite comforting.
And as for my mistakes…the story of the oatmeal raisin cookies I made for him is another epic failure story! That one may come out one day. Haha!
@@dragonfliesfordonna2112 true. I suppose it does give him good memories of my bf, but he didn’t earn those memories. Long story I won’t bore anyone with it pollute the comments with tales of drama and fair-weather friends, but because of all that I suppose he needs a good memory or two to ease his mind. I hope he enjoys it as I’m not bothered by it anymore. I just have the fun ones. I reminisce with his daughter still and we have a good laugh. Epic failures…oh yeah. I could write a book! We should all do that. Contribute to a book with our epic quilt failures. I’m laughing now just thinking of it!
Thanks again for the very kind and sweet words very much appreciated. My bf’s birthday was yesterday so it’s been a rough few days. 💜💜💜
I am hand-quilting my first quilt, and realized as I was pinning the 3 layers together that there was a small tear in the fabric. I kept thinking about how to fix it as I mounted the quilt in my frame and started working.
By the time I reached that point on the quilt I had decided; I embroidered a shape in satin stitch over it, reinforcing underneath with a bit of fabric to strengthen and stabilize, and the embroidery floss pretty much just blends in.
Love the videos, thank you so much! I am learning so much for my next quilts while I slow-sew on this one.
You are a life saver. I had just finished long arming a quilt as a gift..washed and dried it...found 3 pieced seams had come undone. All 3 involved the same fabric. Either it shrank differently than the other cottons OR my seam was too scant. You gave great possibilities for fixing and I am much much calmer. You are my "go to" quilting expert blogger!!!!! Thanks
Glad I could help!
Do you have a video on repairs for “well loved” quilts?
Karen, you are a gem, a generous, kind spirited and creative gift and I enjoy watching your videos soooo much! Thanks for sharing you with us.
I doubt I was the only one watching this video and knew we needed to know these fixes. Thank you so much for posting, perfect timing! 👍❤️
😎👍 so glad
My grandmother made all of her grandchildren a "wedding" quilt. It was made from block scraps and hand tied. I was third from the youngest and us last three received our quilts when grandma passed away, we were just teens. I put mine away. Vowing never to use it until I married. Well, at age 39 I gave up and got it out. Sadly, the seams were to close to the edge of the fabric on many blocks, and they had come undone. So many comments here have inspired me on how to fix them❤️❤️❤️
I just love it when experienced quilters talk about all the things that can go wrong and how to fix them. I have just finished my third quilt and I think I've had to deal with ALL of these mishaps. I'm learning, but the process can be slow and painful. Thanks so much for sharing and making me feel better about all the ups and downs of quilting.
So glad I found this. Your instructions saved 2 Christmas presents ❤
Two days ago i discovered a small tear on the back of a table topper.i was very distraught and put it away. Now i know how to fix it. Sew happy because it was for thanksgiving. Thank you!
Great catch! I probably would have put it on my table and turned red when someone else found the hole.
This is very informational, My grandmother made me a quilt when i was born (33 yrs ago), and its showing its age, holes eon the bottom and parts of the top squares, i want to repair it since she's no longer with us, and i always felt secure and could feel her presence when i rested my head on it. God bless. (My Grandma was a devout catholic woman, and i heard her voice say that when i watched this video. May she rest in peace.)
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I have despaired several times and it prevented me from handing over a quilt because I found a spot or two where the seam became unraveled and I didn't realize it until it was too late. You are so awesome. 🤓
Karen is awesome. I think this video just gives me permission to add embellishments like quilt kisses ❤️
Is a relief to see this video. I found two mistakes two days a go. I fixed them. You are right, we just have to calm down and make it work.
Ma’am, you truly saved my project with this advice! Being a new quilter is rough. ❤ Thank you!
I’m currently repairing a well loved quilt for a friend that now has new puppy chew damage. Thank you! I have so much more to do,but these tips certainly will help.
And here I thought I was the only one to do stupid stuff like cutting holes in quilts, or not seeing a frayed seam until I had sewn my last stitch on seam binding. After 45 years of quilting mistakes still happen, and I've even sewn a block with wrong sides together and didn't realize it until row was complete. I left in in because it was too much work to UNsew all. But later when quilt was finished, I could hardly find the wrong side out block.
Funny how it's all forgiven once you get the binding on
Lol. It happens to a all of us. If someone says they never made a mistake, don't believe him/her. Cherish the mistakes like Karen said. I love the idea of quilt kisses ❤️
Hey, you paid for both sides of that fabric, you get to decide which one shows! 😉. “Intentional Design Element” is what I like to call this sort of not-a-mistake! 😁
Great tips for repairing gaps and holes! And I like how you calm us less experienced quilters by assuring us these are not unknown mishaps! Whew! Thanks so much!
My first Crack at hand piecing I used a charm pack and I have never regretted anything more in my whole life... because it was a HST project on point that I just thought up in my head....
I love the appliqué idea and the quilt kisses! My quilts are never perfect. I learn something new with each one. I am a perfectionist so of course I notice every mistake. (No one else ever does.) The thought of adding quilt kisses would just make the quilt that much more "home made." This video is very helpful! Thank you!
I’ve been watching quilt restoration videos, and yours is the first that came up. I was given a quilt by a quilting friend, it seems to be somewhat old, with polyester batting that’s incredibly thin, It is riddled with so many holes varying from large, like the bottom of a bowl large, to other smaller varying holes with fraying. The fabric is all worn, The binding is all wore down, it looks terrible. It looks like it was put through the washing machine on a normal cycle for 30 years. It is all hand stitched. I truly believe it is beyond repair. I can’t believe that this hand stitched quilt has been so abused, it’s stained and frayed beyond repair.
I had it on our wood floor to analyze it, while in tears. It’s strange that I have a strong moral feeling regarding hand stitched or hand made items being abused.
I'm so glad I found this tutorial. My friend gifted me one of her first quilts as part of her "make everyone in the friend group a quilt" project. I was so honored but I went through a very stressful time where the OCD I had as a child came back with a vengeance, and much like I did to my childhood blankets, my constant, anxiety-induced rubbing wore away at the seams near the edges of my quilt. I want to fix it so badly now that my OCD is under control but I have no idea where to start. (my friend is totally fine with whatever I do with the quilt, but I feel bad for letting it get like this!!) I'm going to use a lot of your 4th solution, and maybe some of your 2nd for the smaller frayed seams. Thank you again for this advice!
I hope that worked for you, and that you’re doing better :)
@@VultureSkins it did! My blanket is fixed and my ocd is well under control. Thank you so much!💖
Thanks for the great tips!! The second quilt that I ever made was a crazy quilt for my daughter when she was about six. It has been much loved, is practically threadbare but it is still in use. I offered(begged!) to fix it many times when she was a teenager. I finally snagged it from the laundry once and repaired some of the frayed, opened seams. She wasn't mad but made it clear that it was not to happen again. Even in that sorry state, it was precious to her. She's 25, has a baby that snuggles with her under it, and even though I have made her a replacement, I still see that old quilt in most of the pictures I get of the baby. On the replacement(a Harry Potter bookshelf quilt that she loves), I noticed the slice before I quilted, thankfully. I appliqued a Cornish pixie over it and it looks like it was always meant to be there.
My kids were the same way. It's like they want to remember the years of love they put into their blankets/quilts.
@@mary-annz.reynolds7778 Exactly! I was embarrassed at my poor quality quilt-making skills while for her, it was all just precious memories of her childhood.
I'm very bad at throwing things out, and I have quite a few textile items (mostly clothing) that are too fragile for me to safely wear/use anymore. Maybe a compromise would be to make a cover to launder it in, because fabric is usually weaker when it's wet.
@@alexismontez4230 It's worth trying! Good luck!
One day when she's ready she's gonna fix it herself in her own way and give it a second life
It was learning to quik-quilt at a favorite aunt's side that taught me good patching tips. Get this, her old quilt - had a substandard backing, ok. I had flannel to replace it. done, but patches were injured. I darned w/ yarns - of difficult patches. PRETTY solution. I loved it. still do it. joining my art w/ original owner's.
Great tips, just what I needed this morning! I never miss your videos, because I always find something useful, interesting, or inspirational - usually all three. Thank you, thank you!
Thank you, Karen!! I was burying threads and found an open seam where the lower placed fabric had frayed horribly. Quick TH-cam search revealed this video and I KNEW you would help me solve my problem as you have at other times and various troubles. I thought I had seen all your videos, but I must've missed this one; probably burned out from organizing my space *grin*
Great tips on mending quilts.Thanks for sharing.
You are golden!
Thank you so much! (not admitting why I am so grateful!!!!)
You're welcome!
Incredibly helpful video, thank you so much for sharing!!
Thank you so much for this! I have a quilt top someone asked if I could repair and I wasn't sure I could do it without it looking worse. It's a quilt his grandma made, so I'm going to use heart patches ❤
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, skills, techniques, enthusiasm with fun side to seeing mishaps that can, through your "no-how" with your encouragement and making sewing seem less challenging. I am looking forward to adventures in the patch. Peace and kindness with prayers. 👌☕
There is a warrant out for my arrest by the Quilt police.
@@lynnmorice-sams3304 😂
Another great video, thank you! My open rotary cutter fell onto my finished 3rd quilt. I embroidered a bee over the hole and it looked OK, but if it had been a quilt for someone else I’d definitely use your techniques. You’re a lifesaver 🙌
Thanks for this video Karen! As always, great info.
This is one of the best videos i have ever seen. Great ideas! I will remember these repairs.
Wow, thanks!
I found an old quilt top in a trunk. Vintage colors. There were fabric frays with wonky squares which made a not quite square quilt top. Now I know how to fix and a not so traditional way finish it. Since I am just beginning to quilt, by watching this video I’ve gained a little more confidence to get it finished! Thank you.
Perfect timing. I picked up a pieced quilt top from Salvation Army yesterday. I just noticed it has a couple of frayed areas so I will use your tips to fix it before I turn it into a lap blanket for donation.
4:00 l agree. Trimming threads is better than pulling. But my advice is mark the spot with a safety pin and when you get a minute, bury the thread tails... Because if that thread tail popped, it's likely to pop out again. Burying the tail instead of clipping, will keep the stitches from continuing to come undone. If there's not enough thread to use a self-threading needle, use a fine crochet hook to bury the thread between the batting. 💖🌞🌵😷
Thank you for all your wonderful videos. I was making a quilt for my cousin’s daughters when I found four tiny holes in the blocks. They looked like tiny burns and I’m pretty sure they were already there when I bought the jelly roll. At first I was going to abandon the project but, inspiration struck! I covered the holes with some appliquéd letters of their initials in a contrasting fabric. In the end, it gave the quilt some personality and the four girls love it all the more.
Nice idea
Nice idea! I always find a way to put my grandkids names on quilts. Sometimes with just a label or appliqué.
Thank you!!! This was a HUGE help today.
Thank you for the tips 😘 I just found a cut in my finished quilt... Will repair it with interface and 3 quiltkisses, love that. Thank you.
This is such a clear and concise video and I have so many new project ideas now, thank you!
Thank you so much!! I accidentally cut a 1.5 piece towards the edge. It is nice to know I'm not the only one who has done this!@
I'm going to have to re-watch this. I was so distracted by that new quilt you have in the background I missed some of the tips! 😁Love that little quilt!
Eyes always go toward yellows. I was the same way. It is a beautiful wall quilt.
I always have to watch videos again. This one had good info.
Thank Karen. I had that problem.. Wish I knew.
Fantastic information,thank you Karen .
When you are repairing anything with hand sewing you do not need to knot your threads at the beginning and end! Two or three backstitches on top of each other, is all you need to secure a thread. Knots can cause problems in the long run, so it is often best to avoid them.
So I tried this on a quilt I was reparing, and it made that stitch look really thick compared to the other ones by it. Any help with that? Or do I just have to admit that no one else is going to notice! 😅
It was sort of decorative backstitching to reinforce some applique that was coming up, so the stitches were visible, if that helps explain what I mean!
I saw this right on time! I’m hand quilting a beautiful Tula Pink Fandango quilt and found a place where all those foundation paper pieces met together…almost. Too late to take it apart and stitch again, but I know I can use one of these methods to fix it after it is off the frame. You helped me solve a problem before it had time to make me sad! Thanks, Karen!
Wonderful!
Thank you Karen 🧵
This was super helpful! I'm going to peruse your videos and see what you recommend for well-loved quilts in need of repair. Thank you!
I too, being a 1 and a half year newbie quilter have made more mistakes starting out learning to quilt. I have bought a quilt magazine from a U-tuber who is somewhat popular on U-tube that made a comment in 1 of her articles that suggested you go back now and fix it, so..I did just that, but..on others hap-hazard mistakes I worked around the problem, it then looked like no mistakes at all. But..this also taught me a lesson, when in doubt go back and truly try to fix it. It’s all for the learning best.n
Yes. I was making a butterfly quilt and a butterfly got under my rotary cuter while cutting another strip. I added a little background piece and called it "the butterfly with the broken wing."🤣 In the end, it was really difficult to find the butterfly with the broken wing.
Karen, thank you 👍...these are invaluable methods for repairing mistakes! I so enjoy your videos!
Great tips! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for this video! I need this one right now for sure!
I'm using a quilt made by my grandmother that's almost 50 years old now, and it's got a few holes where the quilt top fabric is wearing thin. The binding is heavily frayed as well. So it could really use some repair. I love it anyway, and it's comforting to sleep under something she made for my mom back in the 70s. It's all hand done, too. I can't imagine hand quilting the quilt top. I need to do some repair work on it over the winter. Thanks for so many helpful tips and tricks!
Thanks for sharing all the tips.
This was so helpful, thank you 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Really enjoyed this video!! ❤️
Thanks so much for these ideas! About 10 years ago I used several antique quilts as decorations for my youngest daughter's wedding reception. Thinking she was helping, my oldest daughter put them in the washing machine and started it! Luckily I found them before they hit the dryer, but there was still significant damage done. I believe I can use a multitude of these ideas to repair them instead of leaving them in the closet, never to be seen again! Thanks! You are the best!
You are so welcome!
I helped my daughter make a quilt with prairie points. She was raising a Guide Dog puppy and the puppy somehow pulled some of the quilt into her kennel and had a grand time chewing it up. Thankfully I had some of the fabric left and was able to make repairs and you can hardly tell where it was chewed up. I used a lot of turned applique to fix it. Great tips, Karen.
Oh... that so sad... and yet funny 💕 I wanted to make a quilt for my grandfurbaby, but she would probably tear it to shreds. I send stuffed animals and she loves tearing the stuffing out.
I love this video, so much good info! I’d also be very interested in your tips for fixing old, well loved quilts since I have a few in my home that would need some tlc to address the holes and frayed seams!
Excellent, thorough video covering a multitude of misfortunes with quilts. Thanks Karen! ~Diana K.
Thanks Karen. I’m using your techniques to repair a quilt I made my 13 year old great niece a couple years ago. Her dog scratched a hole in the top and damaged the batting. This video was very well timed for me. Maybe I should make Chunky a quilt of his own so it doesn’t happen again.
I use all my practice pieces on pet quilts
Karen, you are brilliant! I love you! :)
Excellent video!!!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you
I am a self taught quilter and couldn't for the life of figure out why I had 'bust outs' in my seams on nearly every quilt I did. This video taught me so much. I can't wait to implement what I learned into my next quilt!
👍
You've made me feel so much better about a quilt I gave a niece this summer, mistakes and all. I explained to her that I had tried to fix a fraying seam. It wasn't noticeable on the front, but my fix was obvious on the back. Thank you so much for all your tips and the video!
I have a quilt that has a hole that goes all the way through. This video is very important and useful. Thank you!
I love the term, "quilt kisses"!
This was very helpful. I have an old family quilt that needs several repairs and this has given me the confidence to get started. Thank you 🙏🏼
Glad it was helpful!
This is extremely helpful to me as I am a relatively new quilter
Got lucky and found the small rip while I was quilting the quilt. Used the turned edge appliqué with a left over scrap. Then quilted over it. It worked out great.
Bon samedi Karen, thank you so much for your types! Have a wonderful weekend! Christine 🇨🇦
Great tutorial, Karen! Thank you.
This is definitely one to which I will refer back. 👏🏼💋
A quilt my sister made me in 1988 had places forming holes all over the double bed size quilt. We decided I would pick out all the machine quilting she had done if she would fix the bad fabric. It was only the same one fabric. She pieced in new fabric in a similar color. I supplied a new back and sent it to a long armer. It is surprisingly modern looking because it is Amish style in solid colors in strips. It was well worth the work in fixing it.
Excellent n clear directions with video
I’m a beginner quilter but I know at some point I will need to repair a mistake or damage. This tutorial is gold and I thank you 🤩💕
agreed!
Hi Karen, thanks for these tips. Mistakes create opportunities!
Great advice, good encouragement, thanks!
very inormative. It would have been useful to know that it was for new clothes and not old ones at the very beginning. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom! 🧵🧷
This was very helpful for me. My mom gave me a quilt that my grandmother had made and it is quite tattered and in desperate need of love.
I’ve had a few of these come up. Shortening my stitch length has helped some. I had a slice in one of my blocks and I’m not sure how I accomplished it, but I am more careful with my rotary cutter. Thanks for all the ways to fix up our holes, goofs, etc.
Great ideas. I’m sorry for your mistakes but glad that even you have them! LOL
Good morning from Texas. Thank you for this information.
Wow! Informative tutorials regarding the various seams and project finishes made and to overcome discoveries. I feel the choice of project quilt to engage is a simple bargello style for me. The 2.1/2" strips need 1/4" seams. Definitely will be able to become proficient in seams allowance. Glad I found your delightful tutorial on " 5 Repairs. As I had been unsure about a smaller stitch length, I believe I have won a prize.
Great info especially about a smaller stitch I tend to get the loose stitches
on the seams.
Great information and yes I personally have witness this within my quilt. Thanks for sharing . 👍❤️😊
So helpful, thank you!