Ebony's Pearls

I've had this quilt since I was a baby. It's traveled the world with me,been my sleeping bag,my shelter, the one thing that I always took everywhere with me. It's a German quilt,machine-made in those large square blocks similar to modern duvets, encasing a full 2 inches of dense 100% cotton filling - not batting. This is a "loose" filling,clean raw cotton stitched between fabric. It is solid.

Well,except for the fabric, which was also cotton,but not nearly as sturdy a cotton as what fills the quilt.

I asked Beaners when he was stationed in Germany if he could find more quilts similar to it. I wanted to buy one for everyone in the family - and replace mine that was showing serious signs of wear.

Mother kept duvet covers on it when I was too young to care for the quilt myself,and I've always kept duvet covers on it to protect it since, but even they have lost their ability to keep the stuffing inside the original fabric. I've sewn patches on the worn spots for years, ever larger patches as the fabric gave way.

Now, though, the original fabric is threadbare, so worn that the patches are falling off where they've been sewn.

I was hoping it would last until cooler weather because it's a very warm quilt, but it won't.

I'm in the process of sewing a completely new top and bottom for it.

Since the stuffing is still very thick and solid, I have to hand-sew the new top and bottom on.

I so wish it was cooler - or that I had a commercial grade sewing machine.

At least I do enough embroidery and hand-sewing that I already have needle callouses.