Using Vintage Quilts

 Hello Readers. I wanted to do 2 things. I wanted to make something to cushion and cover this gold chair. It isn't very comfortable and needed something to make it nicer to sit on. I also wanted to find a way to use these 2 pillow covers. They are very old. (They were made by my great-grandmother and my great-great-grandmother.) So, I made a simple chair cover.

Before and after.

This chair came from my mother-in-law when she was cleaning out and downsizing her house. It is nice and small and fits in tight spaces easily but it is hard and uncomfortable. It needs something to soften it.

I had a mixed collection of cushions and stuffing. The blue padding is actually cotton shipping material from Thrive Market deliveries. (Not an ad, they just have a lot of foods for people with food allergies/sensitivities. I love them.) I always save the 100% cotton padding for projects like this.

The cushioning is not always blue but it is always squishy and worth saving. I put several layers together at the back of the chair and a little under that boring seat cushion.

I pinned the 2 pillow shams together to see where I would need to sew them together. I want the cover to fit snug enough to hold onto all the stuffing but loose enough to fit on gently. I wanted to be gentle with the fabric. I wanted to use it but not damage it. I do not like putting things away and never using them. Why keep things if we are never going to use them? But I DO NOT want to rip my great-great-grandmother's quilt. I remember seeing it at my grandmother's house. I was not allowed to touch it, but I really wanted to.

I didn't want to hide those yellow borders, they are so pretty. I wanted them to stand out. I sewed the 2 pillow shams together with the wrong sides in so that the right sides would be on the outside. That way I could see the look I was going to get.

I stitched the sides together and it made the cover fit well over the stuffing. I used the longest stitch I could so I can take this apart pretty easily if I ever need to. These are only one layer so this was an easy project.

I use this chair in my sewing room. so it is not getting any rough wear and tear from my family. It is gently used and very loved. 

 

These pillow shams also had matching quilts. I hung the a quilt above the bed behind the headboard. It is visible so I can enjoy it. It is shady in this room so the quilts are protected from the sun and rough handling. 

 

I used the largest stitch my machine could do and I sewed the quilts together. I hung the 2 quilts over a wooden rod. The weight is evenly distributed along the 2 quilts. I am not a vintage textile expert but I think they are safe up there. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

*Year End Note From Chickie- I think these 2 are still great and they look just like they did because I love them and haven't changed them at all.