Lone Star Vintage Quilt

I did it!  I bought my first vintage quilt top the other day.  I got a random phone call from a totally random person I know (who I’ve probably never talked to on the phone) telling me about a garage sale in her area.  The woman running the garage sale was selling a bunch of fabric and this friend knew that I quilted so she thought to call me.

I’m not a garage sale person usually (mainly because it usually requires early morning hours) and I rarely answer my phone when I don’t have the number plugged in.  But I DID answer it and I DID go to the sale.  I thought the fabric might be a bust but at the $1 a yard price I figured it was worth looking.

Turns out the woman had a mother who quilted who had passed away and was selling off her fabric stash (which made me want to put into my will what my fabric should be sold for!).  For the most part the fabric wasn’t my style but it was all good quality fabric and I so wished I knew someone who would quilt with it bc that’s a BARGAIN price.  She also had a superb collection of vintage linens that she was slowly destashing and those were so beautiful.  I don’t collect them myself but I can appreciate their beauty and work.

What I did end up finding was a quilt top of a Lone Star done in gradating shades of yellow.  It is beautifully pieced and in near pristine condition.  The few little age stains on the white fabric just make me love it more actually.  I’ve been wanting to make a Lone Star quilt for ever.  Seriously.  I think since I started quilting, this pattern has grabbed my attention.  And the solids and yellows are just perfect for me.  It is truly timeless.  The woman had bought it as at an estate sale and planned to use it for a tablecloth. (!!!)

I feel like I’ve rescued it and it is in a home where it will be truly loved as the creator of it (whoever that is) meant it to be.  I paid $40 for the top and it’s about 80″ x 80″.  I did the garage sale barter thing and even had her throw in a few pieces of fabric and yards of eyelet lace.  I could tell she wasn’t emotionally attached to the quilt top since it was not her mom’s work so I didn’t feel too badly doing that.

Now I have to figure out how to quilt it and bind it etc.  I don’t know if I should add anything to it to make it larger and bed size or if I could keep it that size and hang it.  Hmm…80″ is probably too big to hang in my house.

Thoughts?