I thought it would be fun this summer to share some of what goes on while Clutch and I are at the cottage for the summer. We do our best to keep each other out of trouble but once in a while one of us slips up.
Cold, rainy days seem like the perfect time for a little ebay browsing and that's just what was doing a few days ago when I saw this -
Would you stop and click on that listing? I have to admit I probably wouldn't but for some unknown reason I did! This is the description that accompanied the auction -
THIS WAS MADE BY MY GRANDMOTHER AROUND 1920-30'S...REALLY CAN'T SAY FOR SURE THE EXACT DATE. THERE ARE NO TEARS BUT THERE ARE A FEW STAINS WHICH MAY COME OUT WITH CLEANING. STICHING IS FINE AND EDGES ARE FINE. HAS BEEN STORED SINCE 1960.
This is the only other picture included. Not much to go on huh? I should have hit the back button on the mouse and moved on but.......Clutch was taking a nap and before I knew it I had entered a bid of $9.99 on this auction for a quilt I could only see was an unknown shade of yellow with prairie points on some of the edges. What was I thinking? My family would tell you the last thing we need is another quilt in the house! The shipping charges were $12.00 which meant I most likely just flushed a $20.00 bill down the toilet. By this time Clutch sensed my anxiety and tried to reassure me that with a starting price of only $9.99 someone else would place a bid on this auction and I'd be able to retrieve my twenty from the toilet.
As you can see the days passed and no one else bid on that poor old quilt. Being a seasoned ebay buyer and seller I knew the rules and dutifully sent my payment when the auction ended. The seller stuffed the quilt in a box and it arrived on what would have been my Daddy's birthday.
That's never a particularily happy day for me and we were on our second straight day of non-stop rain so I was in a pretty crappy mood when I took that quilt out of the box. Trying to justify my purchase I grumbled to Clutch about what a terrible person the seller was for parting with their grandmother's quilt.
Clutch heard me gasp and came running. He thought it would be great fun to dance all over quilt doing his "tough guy" jig. I was just standing there in awe of what was spread out on the kitchen floor.
The first thing I decided to do was get out the vaccuum cleaner and get rid of all that dust packed in the folds.
That was a big help but not nearly enough. I'm not equipped with a washer and dryer here. A day long trip to the laundromat didn't sound like fun but I knew the quilt needed a good long soak.
We have one of those really old porcelain and metal sink units in the kitchen. I took what little Oxy-Clean I had on hand, filled the sink with water and eased the quilt in.
The quilt has been soaking for a couple of hours already with some gentle squishing from me every once in a while.
So...... would you have bought this quilt? Do you wonder why I did? I'm not going to get into a big discussion about life, death, superstitions and fate but I will say this. I believe it was divine intervention that brought this quilt to me and having it arrive on what would have been my Daddy's birthday was probably part of the plan. The fact that the quilt is yellow, from the 1930s and an applique quilt is not lost on me either. If you consider the fact that when I was little my favorite song was You Are My Sunshine and my Daddy used to sing it to me all the time it'll come as no surprise to you that I've decided this is The Sunshine Quilt.
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When the skies are grey
You'll never know dear
How much I love you
So please don't take
My sunshine away.
I think this is a sign that your Dad is watching over you and does not want you to be sad. 🙂
Enjoy that lovely quilt which tugged at your heart at a moment when you needed it to.
Gay, I would not have purchased that quilt. I’m positive you were meant to purchase it and it was supposed to arrive the day that it did. I completely believe in Divine Intervention and love when I see others experience it, too. Please do share the cleaned up Sunshine!
Laurie
I do believe!
what a beautiful surprise on the other side of the quilt 🙂
enjoy!
your little sunshine from Heaven
I’m thinkin’ your daddy wanted you to have it! Wrap up and feel the love!
Ohhhh I just KNOW that this story is going to have a happy ending!! LOVE the quilt…love the story! And I’m sure your dad had lots to do with it!! Keep us posted!
P
Would I buy this quilt? Absolutely! Do I believe in coincidences? Absolutely not! I believe that if we were only open to it we would receive messages from loved ones all the time. I believe that if there were only a phone line my Mama would call me. 🙂 But since there isn’t, she sends messages other ways that are special to her and to me and would mean nothing to anyone else. blessings, marlene
What a gem of a quilt and a bargain at $20! You’d pay more for a layer cake! When you think of it that way, perhaps it doesn’t seem so foolish to have bought this beauty and give it a loving home. I look forward to seeing it when it is washed and I know that you will use it and enjoy it just as the maker intended it to be.
I don’t think I would have bought this quilt either. But you were meant to have it. I hope to see more of this one, please?
You gave me “goosebumps” with you story, especially with your Dad singing to you. Sometimes you just have to have a little faith. Have a good break at the cottage, snuggling under your “new ” quilt
My dad sang that song to me, too; and I think you have probably made a really good decision on this quilt. It is gorgeous,….even through all the dirt. I hope you can get it clean because it will be a great addition to your collection. Can’t wait to see how it all turns out.
I would not have given it a second glance, but I am so glad you did! It was destined to belong to you!
Clearly that quilt is in a better home now. What do you think would have happened to it if no one bought the poor thing? They would most likely have given the quilt to good will or some other place. Or thrown it over something in the garage.
The current questions are..
Does the quilt have a label, did not see one in the photos.
Will the person provide the info so that you can construct a label. It deserves that at least. The lady that took the time to make the quilt, her name belongs on the quilt.
I am jealous like you can not even believe. You are so lucky and I think it was divine intervention. I can’t wait to see how it washes up.
Would I buy this quilt? Yes please! Can’t wait to see how it looks when you clean it.
Cheers
Linda
What a treasure! Good for you for going with your “gut” on this one, even if Clutch didn’t help you out. I’m sure your Sunshine quilt will brighten your life many times over.
What a great treasure! We all need a little sunshine in our life!
all I can say is … ‘oh wow’!!!
I hope it washed up well and brings you much sunshine!
I think your quilt is a great buy. Those sort of quilts never come on offer in Australia. ….. and fancy just showing the back!! Its in a good and caring home now.
It was fate. You were meant to have that quilt. Will be looking forward to the “after” pictures!! What an incredible find.
I seldom look at ebay. I am not an experienced buyer and figure anything I might bid on I would not get anyway.
Beautiful.
I cannot wait to see how this turns out once the cleaning is completed. What a beauty.
Maybe I would buy the quilt. Having read what the seller wrote about stains and that the quilt had been stored since 1960 (!!!!! eh…. more than 50 years!!!) I would NOT be surprised or even cross about the fact that the quilt was dirty. Well, why should it NOT be dirty? The seller did describe it that way. Hope the work you are now putting into it will be worth your while!
I never would have purchased that quilt based on the photo. What a fabulous find! Enjoy your sunny quilt.
I don’t see any big stains and the vacuum really cleaned up the yellow side. I can’t believe she parted with it and I can’t believe she sent it like that. She might have gotten more if she’d cleaned it up a little and shown the appliqued side….yes I’d have paid $20 for this quilt. I can’ wait to see what it looks like when it is finished with its bath.
I’ve recently come into two ‘old’ quilt tops. My husband’s grandparents had two daughters who never married and another who married at 40 and then came back home when her spouse died. Recently, the youngest one was put into a nursing home and the brother wanted to clean out the house so he could rent it. I came by a hand stitched Dutch Girl top that needs a border on two sides. I’ve matched it the best I can. Do you think I should do the other two borders or quilt it as is. I don’t know if his grandmother made it or his Aunts but since its all hand stitched, I’m thinking it was probably his grandmother and she died in 1975.
The other quilt was my Aunt’s and it was a similar situation of breaking up housekeeping. This one is machine pieced, mostly and is a 16 patch.
I’m proud to have both and intend to quilt them and label them.
Mama Bear
Yes I would personally buy that quilt as I think it’s beautiful but my brother seems to think otherwise.
I love this story. Cannot wait to see…I love antique quilts and I love the connection..I will stay tuned.
I have been waiting and wondering what ever happened to this lovely quilt. I think I would have been thrilled to have received it, once i got past the shock of all that dirt. I loved seeing all the quilting and the lovely cheerful yellow – reminds me of the kitchen on the farm I grew up on. Please share how it turned out. Thanks