Sweet Country Cottage Style Cathedral Quilt Pillow from Vintage Linens & Lace

This is my sweet cathedral quilt cottage style pillow with Laura Ashley 'Rosemoor' print.  I used the roses & buds for the 'windows' and trimmed it with a wonderful vintage lace I found on a trip through Amish country.

I actually started working on the pillow while on a road trip up the east coast with my hubby and thrifting/salvage partner in crime.

That in part is why of all my shabby cottage pillows; this one took me the lo-o-ongest time to complete.  Once I start working on a project I tend to lose myself in the design, but it was a great way to pass time on the road and it beats counting blue cars!

The central part was a cathedral quilt square I started and I didn't know where in the world I was going with this pillow.  Most projects I just sit down and start stitching and playing with fabric until it talks to me.  Just setting the central section in a standard square didn't feel quite right, so I placed in on the diagonal. 
I selected Laura Ashley fabric 'Rosemoor' to use as the 'windows'.  I cut out individual squares of the roses and rosebuds as focal points and I'm pretty pleased with the results.

The beautiful vintage ivory lace is from a bulk lot I found at Barnesville Antique Mall in Barnesville OH which is a wonderful two-story old brick building and a wonderful place to browse.  The upstairs had several dealers who specialized in vintage textiles and this is an excellent area to find vintage handmade items from the nearby Amish communities.  The batch I found had all sorts of neat items that were saved from old clothing such as lace trimmed jabots, cuffs and bodice neckline inserts as well as crocheted trim.  When it comes to recycling-the Amish can really show us how!

 

 

 

                                         

Blessings...

              Pamela

Removing Stubborn Black Mildew Stains From Fabric

My friend just bought a quilt from a thrift shop. It's not a vintage quilt, but it had those dreaded black mildew spots that can be very hard to remove. She's laundered it but the spots are still there. So I did some digging around for more info on spot removal and came across this advice from 'How To Clean Stuff'.
Now I've written previously about using Oxyclean, Clorox II or the cheaper alternatives you can buy at the dollar stores.  I've used them with great success for most stains.
The Dollar General brand is:
DG home
All Fabric Powder Bleach
-Phosphate free/Non-chlorine
-Color safe
-Safe for septic systems

 If that doesn't work; the article suggests:
Test a small area first to ensure that the color is not affected, as lemon juice can have a bleaching effect on some fabrics.
    Spread the paste over the stained areas.
    Allow it to set for 15 to 30 minutes.
    After the paste has set on the stain, scrape it away and flush the area with water.
    Launder again as usual.
    For cotton and linen fabrics, oxygen bleach can be used (oxygen bleach is different from chlorine bleach, which is not recommended).
    Mix powdered oxygen bleach (do NOT use chlorine bleach), water and a few drops of ammonia.
    Test a small area first.
    If the test area goes well, and there are no adverse effects, spread the paste over the entire stained area.
    Allow it to set for 15 to 30 minutes.
    Remove the paste and flush the area with clean water.
    Launder the piece as usual.
    Check the fabric thoroughly before drying to ensure the stain is completely removed. It works well to allow the piece to air dry the first time to check

Do not soak darker color fabrics such as red, black or navy with pastels or whites!  Even today's modern fabrics dyes can be unstable and bleed.  We all learn from trial and error, but that should be at the top of the list of  'thou shalt nots'.  Hubbys usually commit this crime early in the marriage.  Sorry, fellas....we love you to pieces, but the next time you throw that red football jersey in the washer with my white chiffon blouse;  you will suffer unspeakable pain.
Men, just write this caveat down when you take up residence with your other half:
Don't pi$$ off the cook!