Well I had such a quilt. I was a relatively new quilter and I led a group to make a strip quilt. I did not really like the particular strips but it was all that was available at the time. But I loved the back fabric; an expensive batik. At that time it was over $15.00 a meter which was expensive then but not now. And I was new at long arm, actually a mid arm at that time, and the design was not good especially by my current standards. It left too many sections without some quilting. I subscribe to Angela Walters philosophy of quilting it to death, at least on my own quilts.
The quilt has been used to make cats happy and is in a post ' Dull and grey but' on this blog from a while ago. It nagged at me to do something to rescue the batik in particular. And I LOVE red. Well rescue came in the form of a show on The Quilt Show with Katie Fowler a couple of years ago when an existing quilt was cut up on the show. Finally, and I am sure the quilt is grateful, it got its rescue a week ago.
I cut the quilt into 3" squares and put them back together by butting them up against each other and stitching with invisible thread. I learned a lot as I went but it was in the end pretty simple. And I think it turned out well. Even the ugly strips which form the back look better. The back is really crazy as the original quilt front was 4 patches using the strips. And as a bonus I found a roll of binding, cut pressed and not used that just went right.
Pictures tell the story better so here is the front and now the crazy back.
I can say I now really like the quilt. I learned a lot putting it together about butting up quilted vs. non quilted sections. But a project is best when there is learning. It took only a relatively short time to make the change in the quilt. Would I do it again? Yes if I disliked the quilt enough. Katie Fowler believes in 'What if?' and it is fun to say that and then try it. Nothing to lose.
The quilt is bright; I get my lovely red and it is not in the landfill.
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