Handmade bedspread with flowers

I got this today guess where ? Yup, at my local thrift store for $1. It looks to be hand made, was wondering if anybody knew the popularity of these in what era, or when this one might have been made, has that musty vintage smell.
Oh and is it a bedspread or table cloth ? It's not thick at all..

Thank You

Billy D.

 

I think you have a "quilt topper". If so it is an unfinished quilt(bedspread). Someone has done the pretty decorative front part but never attached it to a heavier backing to finish it. I am not handy with sewing stuff but I have observed these being sold before.

Hopefully someone will be along soon to confirm or correct me, one of the two!

 

It may help the musty smell if you bagged it up tight with a bunch of dryer sheets for a while...

 

buyingtime777, good idea. I never thought of bagging things up that smell with dryer sheets. Thanks so much for that info, I have older clothing that smells, going to put in bag with dryer sheets, awesome reply..

 

Glad I could help!

 

Not dryer sheets if you're going to sell it, some people hate the scent. Hang it outside on the line for a while and if that doesn't work, cat litter.

 

I believe this is a finished applique & embroidered quilt. The flowers are what's called applique, meaning applied, and the edges of the appliques are machine stitched with what looks like chain stitches. I can't see the quilt stitches well enough to tell if hand or machine. The bound edges of the quilt are hand stitched. Can you tell if there is a center thin layer of batting between the 2 layers? It could have been made to hang on a wall or maybe just a springtime lightweight quilt if it has no batting. Not too old, my guess would be 80's or 90's.

 

Looks 1950s-ish to my eye.

Debora

 

It's all hand-stitched, the quilting, the blanket-stitches on the applique, and the additional stem-stitch embroidery. The work doesn't show any great skill, perhaps a young or novice quilter. Hard to date the solid fabrics, but would guess the quilt to maybe mid 20th century or later (I was doing similar patterns in the '70s-'80s, though their origins were earlier)...

~Cheryl

 

That musty smell can be really hard to get rid. Not even sure if you could wash something like this due to shrinkage, colors bleeding, etc. Perhaps why it smells so musty--it can't be washed. And even if you could, chance that the smell would not wash out. As mentioned, many people (myself included) cannot tolerate the smell of scented dryer sheets, so covering the smell is not going to work for everyone. As a rule I avoid purchasing anything with a musty smell as I typically wind up either re-donating or throwing it out.

 

Oops, just when I thought I knew something sorry if I misled.

 

Weird - I can see the quilting on the back, but not on the front...

~Cheryl

 

Tyeldom - I don't think you misled in any way, the dating could well be when you suggested, or earlier as Debora thinks, the colors look pretty bright, but it could have been unwashed and/or in storage for years. On the stitching, I was fairly skilled seamstress in my younger days, so I certainly recognize the work, even though the quality makes me cringe a bit - looks like a double strand of embroidery floss on the blanket-stitching and pearl cotton on the green stem-stitching, both were readily available then and now...

-Cheryl

 

Hi Lucille,
May I suggest you buy a 50 to 70 dollar ozone machine. Within 24 hours your purchases will be odor free, no remaining smells to irratate.
greg

 

No batting..

 

Ozone machine, okay I'll try and buy one..Thanks Greg