Heirloom Quilts Reimagined: Vintage Treasures from Sugar Bags, Lone Stars & Irish Chains

The finished tops of these quilts contain pieces of fabric identified as being from the 1880’s through to the 1920’s. They were given to my grand-niece by a woman who had bought them either at a flea market or a garage/estate sale. 

Lone Star

My grand-niece and I completed the Lone Star top where it looked like the original piecer had run out of fabric and then I quilted it freehand with curves and feathers. 

T-Shirt or Kimono

The darker tones of the fabric seemed more suitable for a man. I quilted it with a Circle Lord template, a modern version of the traditional Baptist Fan.

I pieced the backings for both quilts from my stash of old sugarbags and feedbags and they went back to my grand-niece and her husband as their wedding gifts.

Irish Chain

This Irish Chain also had some sugar bags used in the central portions of the blocks, which showed off the Feather Meander quilting very well.  It is a scrap quilt in a Triple Irish Chain pattern.

I also made a backing for the quilt  from nearly the last of my stash of sugar bags.  It was given to my granddaughter who has been studying Irish Gaelic and is very interested in everything Celtic.  

Sugar bags