Rainy Day Sew

Really blurry shot!  Sorry!  I must've sneezed or something.  LOL

So it's the day after Kissmess and it's Sabryin's birthday!  Unfortunately, it is raining and it is expected to rain until Monday at which time it might snow or perform what is known as a "wintery mix" (which is atmospherical for "we're not sure but it's gonna be bad").  Great time for working on a quilt repair chore.  This is David's quilt which I made for him when he was a teenager and he just turned 27 Kissmess Eve.  So, he's had it for a while; long enough for it to be the victim of some serious wear.  He claims it was the dog, but there is light damage so it must have been near or in a window for some time.  It has probably been laundered and put in a drier many times, as well.  A definite recipe for disaster when it comes to a quilt.   I think he was ready to throw it away, but I told him I could fix it and that's what's happening in the photo. 

When I think of all the hours I put into this, not to mention the cost of the fabric, batting, and quilting it adds up to $550 (using minimum wage, no benefits) and I'm probably underestimating.  So it is worth trying to salvage.  Most of the quilt is in good shape; most of the damage is in the middle.  For reference, it is a queen size quilt. 

So far I have replaced eight or nine of the 3-1/2" background squares and I have removed four entire blocks.  To do this, I have had to pick out all the quilting stitches one at a time, then pull out the seam stitching to remove the patches or blocks.  I was SO lucky to find a yard and a half of the background fabric in my stash (LESSON:  always buy more than you need, because you will never find it again); I could not find anything remotely similar in the fabric stores.  I had to make four new blocks and they are fitting in just right.  As you can see, the stars are made with navy/dark blue fabrics and I still had some of these left in my stash.

It's likely I will complete the job before the snow flies.