An Afterlife for Vintage Embroidery Mysteries

If you're a quilter, I bet we have a happy problem in common: People bring us fabric. On the one hand, I love it. On the other, I already have too much - if I stuff their offering into my stash, it may never come out!

This problem gets even better when people bring me interesting vintage textiles. So here's one solution: Enjoy processing it immediately, then give it right back, in a form they can use.

That's what a happened a couple of months ago when my friend Marian went to a store closing sale, where she bought some fascinating embroidery fragments, each $5 or less, a price that reflected their not-great condition.

First, there were these three log cabin foundation pieced-blocks. They're silk and so frail  - some of the silk was already shattered. I think they're from the US, but let me know if you know better!

Then there were two thick, sturdy panels with vivid flowers, one of which is below. They look handstitched (from the back), and were marked "Guatamala." I wonder what their original destination was - bags? Shirts? (If you know, please tell me in the comments!)

Next was the following mola-esque strip, which I'm guessing could be Asian, or could be South American?

And this worn, beautifully embroidered strip, with tiny stitches, which I think is Thai. 

What to do? I decided to skip the storage phase, and immediately make something Marian could use. I added two pieces from my own collection. In the photo below, the blue-and-white strip is kantha from India, gifted to me by friends who bought it at a quilt show (thanks, Saraj and Miriam!). On bottom, the pink-and-orange is an elaborately embroidered strip from Thailand, gifted long ago from another friend, Steve, a Buddha dealer. (The resemblance to the strip above is why I think it's Thai.)

I sewed them all together. Then I added strips of embossed gold velvet ribbon to the short ends. I added a hanging sleeve to the back of one short end. Here's the result (lying on my brick patio). It's about three feet long.

I told Marian that if she used it as a table runner, the black silk would probably rip sooner, whereas if she hung it, it might last a bit longer. If I thought any of the pieces were valuable, I would have suggested she frame it. But now she can just enjoy it for as long as it lasts. And after the log cabin blocks fall apart, the sturdier pieces may survive - and hopefully turned into something else!

Thank you, Marian, Saraj, Miriam, and Steve, for your contributions to this international mashup!