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By Mary Beth Krapil
Recycled Hexies is a special collection curated by Mary Kerr that was on display at the Original Sewing and Quilting Expo in Raleigh, NC in July. Re-purposing, reusing or recycling vintage textiles is quite in vogue these days. It’s a wonderful way to honor those stitchers who came before us, and to save those pieces of textile history for generations to come.
The quilters who contributed to this exhibit took unfinished quilt tops, blocks and fragments, as well as salvaged pieces of quilts that were damaged or neglected or well used, that were made with the popular hexagon pattern, and transformed them into contemporary quilts to be treasured and enjoyed.
I would like to share a small sampling of the exhibit with you.
vintage fragments c.1940
created by Mary Kerr
quilted by Vicki Maloney
vintage fragments c. 1900
created by Mary Kerr
quilted by Doris Bloomer
vintage fragments c 1920-1940
created by Mary Kerr
quilted by Marty Vint
vintage fragments c. 1940
created by Mary Kerr
quilted by Ginny Rippe
vintage fragments c. 1890 & 1940
created by Mary Kerr
quilted by Debbie Kauffman
vintage fragments c. 1870
created by Mary Kerr
quilted by Shannon Shirley
vintage fragments c. 1900-1930
created by Mary Kerr
quilted by Jane Hamilton
Are you inspired to search the closets, attic, Grandma’s sewing room to bring those old neglected pieces back to life?
I made the mistake of going on eBay to find some fabric pieces to fill in on my grandmother’s tops I inherited (she used EVERYTHING and the rayon is shredding! 50’s mostly flour sacks and done in Oklahoma) and now I have so many vintage blocks. Especially hand embroidery I’m going to make runners out of, top of the piano, top of the buffet, end of my bed! I have plans, now for the time!
Over the past couple of years I have restored 3 Hexagon quilts which the family dated as made by their great grandmother in early 1900’s. stunning work, with detailed placement pattern, and a lot of fussy cutting had gone on! Managed to save 2 of the quilts successfully…….the third looked like it had been used as a dog blanket, so sad! As these things do, it lead to another similar job with a more modern hexi quilt (probs 1940’s) made out of silks! Luckily, the derioration was all on a cream coloured plain silk, so easy to match and replace! Depending on the density of the original stitching, I either unpick and replace, or needleturn appliqué the new hexagon.
I also rescued a single bed sized hexagon quilt top from a junk shop. It was being used to cover an old box. I’m guessing most of the fabrics are from 50’s and 60’s. a few early rayons that had deteriorated badly. I matched those as best I could with scraps from my stash and appliqués new cotton hexagons on top. I have made the quilt bigger by adding borders, and am looking forward to quilting it soon!