Pink, White and Blue
Repairing commemorative quilts is a bit of an anxiety producing experience. Two women in my local quilt guild made quilts with a Veterans group in Lake County’s 19th Judicial Circuit. These quilts were composed of quilt squares signed by vets from many services, some of whom have since passed away. The quilts hung in the county office building for years, but about a year ago, there was a leak in the building, allowing water to saturate one of the quilts. As you can see from the “before” photo, the red fabric bled all over the top, making quite a mess. My friends asked if it was possible to restore it.
The story of the quilts’ creation is a powerful example of people coming together to assist those in need, especially our veterans. The women I know worked for the probation department of the Lake County courts. Under the direction of the late Judge Phillips, a veteran himself, the department created a special Veterans Court to assist veterans struggling through entanglements with the courts. The department offered the vets a process to clear their records, as well as “graduate” from the legal system. The court was considered a “problem solving” court, specifically aimed at aiding these vets as they struggled to right their paths. The process was so successful, many other counties began a similar program.
In addition, a Veterans History project was started in Lake County, to take down these individuals’ personal stories, and share them with the National Veterans History Project in D.C. (https://www.loc.gov/programs/veterans-history-project/about-this-program/). If the individual participated in the Veterans Court Special Process, upon graduation they would sign a quilt square and record their personal stories. My friends made 3 quilts in total through this work, with this being one of the three.
The women also connected with the Quilts of Valor project providing the graduates with a quilt of their own in thanks for their military service (https://www.qovf.org/). If you have an opportunity to participate in a QOV ceremony, I would highly recommend doing so. Honoring the vets with a quilt is a tangible example of the good of our society, the desire to show respect for those that fight for our country, and to acknowledge those vets’ sacrifices.
Back in 2019 I was able to honor a friend of my daughter’s with a quilt for Quilts of Valor. I had made the complicated quilt top as a gift for my mother years before when she moved into a care facility with a twin bed. Mom suffered a long bout of dementia, and apparently that affected her sense of color as she said she didn’t like the quilt since it was “brown”. I put the top away, not sure what to do with it, and only slightly verklempt that my mother rejected it. When my quilt guild sponsored a Quilt of Valor ceremony in 2019, I completed the top to gift to a deserving young woman. These quilts, as well as the 3 made for the Lake County vets, are important examples of the value of quilts, and the power that creating such a simple thing can have on the recipients.
So understand my trepidation at taking on the “fixing” of the Lake County Vet quilt! I discussed options with other quilters, many of whom have dealt with bleeding fabrics on finished quilts. While most dark colors can bleed, red is notorious for doing so, though I have dealt with purples and browns also bleeding. Any fabric used for constructing a quilt needs to be pre-washed using “color catchers” in the laundry. Some fabrics need to be washed multiple times, until the “catcher” no longer comes out full of color. But even that is not a guarantee the fabric wont bleed on the quilt, as this sad Veterans quilt proves.
After a bit of research, crossing of fingers for good luck, and the hope all would work out, I plunged right in. The quilt was washed in a machine, and, after the first wash, the darn thing turned an alarming shade of pink. Back in for a few more washes, though the pink remained and I became somewhat concerned it would forever be a Pink,White and Blue quilt. While I am a fan of pink, it did not strike me as the look the veterans would appreciate.
Realizing the machine was not helping my cause, I turned to chemicals and handwashing. I discovered a product, Restoration by Kofot, well loved by costume designers for removing stains from theater production costumes. Figured it was worth a shot, and ordered the product. After an overnight soak in the bath, the quilt was miraculously back to Red, White and Blue! Not a clue how it worked but I was not one to question success. After an ironing to spruce it up, the quilt was returned to my friends to be re-hung in the county building. Thankfully chemistry, and friendships restored the heartfelt work to be inspiration to other veterans as they work through the courts of Lake County.