I should be finishing up my doll quilt swap to get into the mail; but, a neighbor gave me a couple of really old, beat up cutter quilts and I was up 'til midnight and again early today cutting into one. It was a complete double side - one side with fairly yukky (but old) squares of anything and everything fabrics; the other side with triangles of more interesting fabrics. The two sides were sort of bound together and were tied. The surprise came when I found two old dresses used inside the two outsides. One was still hemmed. I guess they just puzzle-fit garment pieces in for use as batting. Very interesting. Looks like 30's or 40's dresses, mostly handsewn.

An interesting piece of history.

How exciting, if you only knew the history, whose dresses they were, etc. What are you going to do with the quilts.

I don't really have a plan for the two outer quilts; any ideas?
The one with big squares of fabric is not much; the other one with the triangles is better and, I suppose, could be made into a quilt. Yes, I wish the dresses could talk. Their parts are incomplete or could have been remade.

Just goes to show that quilters were very thrifty. I once knew a girl, originally from Minnesota, whoose mother actually cut up her own wedding dress to put it in a quilt.

I have found odd things inside old quilts, too. Old clothing pieces, plain old cotton stuffing like for a pillow, blankets with holes or tears or stains. Yes, our quilting sisters were very thrifty when they had to find a way to keep their family warm without central heat!! :-)

interesting piece of history

What an exciting find. I guess they used everything for batting back then.