FRANKENBLANKIE AND THE FIDO BED FILLER HORROR STORY – Around The Frame

In October Born Again Quilts not only celebrates Halloween we celebrate Adopt-a- Shelter Dog Month too. Once again the members of the Appleseed Quilter’s Guild repurposed discarded fabrics into dog beds. You can take a bed home by giving a free-will donation to the Allen County SPCA.

The ACSPA has really upped their game with their creative fundraising (Catwalk), partnerships (PetSmart) and innovative programs (Barn Cats). It is a pleasure to lend them support. This year “super-size” beds for larger dogs are available too.

When AQG member Marcia Neeley drops off the dog beds she tells me she’s been busy cutting up discarded batting, fabric and old clothes to fill them. One member gave Marcia a “damaged quilt” to cut up and use as well. Marsha shows me the quilt: an appliqué hand quilted poppy kit quilt circa the 1960s. THE HORROR: It has age–related brown spots all over it and GASP!: Some of the appliqué stitching around a few of the poppies has disappeared leaving GROAN the cotton batting exposed! Let’s throw up our hands in despair! This quilt is obviously ruined beyond hope. Give it to the dogs!

And that is exactly what’s going to happen, but not how the original owner planned. A week after placing the quilt into the care of Born Again Quilts, the stains are now negligible. Soon the exposed batting will be gently nudged into place and the appliqué stitching will be reworked. Once complete this vintage quilt will become an official “One Step Ahead of the Dog” project and sold with proceeds to the ACSPCA.

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Marcia who also takes discarded quilts and repurposes them can’t wait for the restoration work to be completed. She wants to take the quilt to a guild meeting so she can “show and tell” fellow guild members how lifeless FrankenBlankies can be brought back to a new life to be enjoyed once again.

All are invited to stop by Born Again Quilts (4005 South Wayne) on Saturday, October 31st from 9-2 p.m. to view the poppy FrankenBlankie quilt and its restoration progress.

Halloween Haunt: One of my favorite church rummage sale stops Emmanuel Lutheran, 917 W. Jefferson Street, Fort Wayne is having a traditional Oktoberfest lunch, bazaar and goodies for sale on 10/31 from 9am-2pm with lunch served from 11am-1pm. Who knows? You may run into members of the church quilt group including Hilda Bennett owner of the hankie butterfly quilt featured in the September 25, 2015 issue of The Waynedale News.

Ms. Victoria von Frankenstein a.k.a. Lois Levihn is the proud owner of Born Again Quilts. Follow BAQ on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bornagainquilts.