The Antique Quilt

I've banished myself to one room in the house.  I've caught a new cold -- this one a head and chest cold -- and I'm thankful for an obligation-free Saturday to try to get it under control.  Instead of resting in bed I'm in my living room, snuggled up under a quilt I bought at a tag sale many years ago.

Now I'm sitting here, really looking at it for the first time in many years.  Hand-quilted wreaths and vines and crosshatching cover the surface.  I'm ashamed I haven't admired the craftsmanship more.

(I upped the contrast here so you could see the stitching)

Like the Velveteen Rabbit, this quilt was loved.  Sections of the fabric are disintegrating

and the binding is worn.

But this quilt is lovely in its age and I'm going to use it.  I'm going to cherish it while I have it.  Some of you might thing this is wrong.  Yes, some of the materials have decayed beyond repair and this is a delicate item.  But I don't want this quilt to sit, waiting for the fibers to turn to dust.  I think it was meant to be used, not displayed.  So I'm going to honor the intent of the maker. I'm going to wrap myself in this quilt, thanking its unknown maker for creating a thing of beauty that can still, decades later, bring comfort.  I'm going to share this thing of beauty.

Here it is, for you all to admire.