I love vintage fabric, patchwork, and colors. So it stands to reason I love vintage quilts too.

 

I was lucky enough to pick up this one generously sized for a twin-size bed, for only $10.

 

The patchwork was beautiful and colorful. It was in good shape, too, with little wear to the patches and a few stains. It was soft and cuddly. It was backed with flannel, so it won't slide off a bed.

But it smelled like it had been in an old house for 50 years. Which it probably had.

 

 

Besides washing machines being hard on vintage fabric, a wet quilt is so heavy the stitches can tear right out of the fabric.  So I hung it dry out on the line for a day.

The sun and breeze are natural refreshers.

 

But I helped them along by using a spray bottle filled with water and about 12 drops of lavender oil.

That would dampen it and help it to smell better without the weight of submersing it in water.

 

It was fun to watch it blow.

 

I thought that the sun through the top looked like stained glass.

After about an hour I could already tell it was smelling better. I sprayed it two or three times throughout the morning, and let it hang until about 4:00.

 

Patchwork closeups:

 

So then I could spread it on my bed.

 

It matches my curtains! (Yes, my room is full of vintage hats, books, and pictures of Roy Rogers.)

 

It makes me smile and adds vintage charm to my room.

 

It looks like my room came from another era. Which I like.

And because I love it so much I had to share photos! Thanks for looking.

 

 

(Incidentally, it matches my wallpaper border too. 🙂