Oh no....you got me on the energy/green soapbox now too:) You will never recoup the "energy savings" equal to the extra money these new appliances cost...have friends that buy new energy star front loaders every 5 years...I still have my old trusty Maytags, changed a water hose once...by myself!

My GE top loader washer and regular dryer are 18 years old and have not needed a single repair.

Most fabric is pre washed before quilting so you should be safe washing them ,soak them in cold water and mild detergent first and change the water several times before washing them on a gentle cycle in cold water ,if you toss them in the dryer do so at low heat or if weather permits hand them outdoor to dry.

Thanks Genevieve, but read I DID IT above. Just above the photos a bit. Explains how I did it and why I did it like I did it.

I have been receiving and buying tattered old "loved" quilts for about 25 years. Love them! DH said he knew I must have 25 quilts... I went and counted...23 yup! X 3! I have washed them all in our top loader on delicate and dried in dryer. Turn out fine.

Ooooohhhh! Sunnie2day! You are so right! Those machines run FOREVER. I can sort wash dry fold hang and put away all my laundry in the time it takes for one load to go through those front loaders. How efficient is THAT! So all of you who take my advice to heart better buy an older style model while you still can get one, or soon enough you won't be able to buy an American made top loading TRULY efficient USA-made washer and dryer in the US either! Fashion-smashion! FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION! Every design student knows that from day one of school! If it looks good but works poorly, fagettaboudit! Go for the function, not the fad.

Candicorne, glad to hear it! I just did that too! Love my results!

The ones my grandmother made are so tattered around the edges that I'm afraid the batting will come out and clog the drains! She made some with feed sack backings and they are falling apart. If I had the patience I'd try to take the top off and salvage it for pillow cases, curtains or something smaller, but that's a lot of stitches to rip out! lol

Good to hear that you got them cleaned and wonderful to see them ,they are beautiful and those colours are sure spectacular , a lot work and love went into making these , thank you for sharing them with us.

Wonderful quilts!

Decoenthusiaste, if the quilt is truly beyond saving as a quilt, I have seen some beautiful pillow shams or throw pillow covers made from the good parts of a quilt. You don't remove the stitches at all, you just cut out a pillow front, make a zippered or tied back for it, sew it, (use a serger/overedger on the fabric/quilt edges if the quilt isnt too thick, or use stop-fray if it is) use cording if you like, turn it right side out, and you have salvaged a bit of that special quilt. Once you have saved your "strong pieces" of the quilt by making them into pillow covers, you can wash them. (I know that now!)
Also, place mats and other decorative items can be made from salvaged quilt pieces. Haven't done it, but I have seen some done. One lady made a table topper from the good center of a quilt too frayed on the ends and edges to salvage. It was lovely. That way you still have that bit of grandmas handiwork.

Thanks, karennana! May try that for a winter project, but I don't have a sewing machine. I could get the pieces sorted out though.

Make a laptop computer case or a guitar case. Glasses case and cellphone case from the scraps. Anything that needs padding .

I made a Christmas tree topper (star) and skirt from the better bits of the one and only quilt my new husband had from his gran (made in the early 30s). Typical guy, he'd used it to cover some fishing gear in the loft and it was in terrible shape! After the salvage, the star and tree skirt are lovely - and machine washable:)

Even if a little bit of a quilt can be saved and reused its still a keepsakes , we just wish that who ever gets them can appreciate the work that it took to make them. This is my latest creation .

Very pretty Genevieve! You have a huge talent there!

@karennana, I too had a similar situation with old linens from my maternal grandmother. She was French-Canadian born in Saskatchewan. Her items, lovely hand crocheted tablecloth, white napkins with hand embroidered edges and corners, and the cutest baby pillow cases with hand embroidering along the open end. Also some small table cloths with the embroidered detailing.

After my mother passed, I finally decided to try and clean these items and preserve them somehow. Read up on topic on internet and read how to wash with specific cleaners,etc. and in bathtub. Two arthritic thumbs and wringing or even squeezing water out was a no-no for me. I decided same as you, put in washer and hope for the best. Thank goodness everything came out in one piece and I placed them in multiple cotton pillow protectors to hopefully preserve them longer.

One thing I neglected to do was label the items in each bag so when I pass, at least my children will know where they came from, who made them and about what time period. I figure 20s or 30s for vast majority. Then it will be up to them to decide what to do with them. I hope they keep them but again, I will be gone so technically won't care!

I'm another old-school gal! I didn't even want a "new" house. Mine is 3 years away from her Century Birthday!

I love old things. They're all made to last...before the "throw away" age we seem to live in now. I have an antique toaster, several old fans that weigh a ton & make you feel like you're in a wind tunnel when ya turn them on!

I have truly come to fully understand the saying "They just don't make em like they used to"! And I couldn't agree more. I love my old stuff!

When I wash delicate things like old linens or tablecloths & such...I have some large bags (like lingerie bags but bigger) that I can fold the linens up & put them in those & let them all soak a while. Wash on delicate (top loader hehe) & spin...then hang dry. Seems to work pretty well

The stove that came with my place in 07 is falling apart so I found a 1947 Nash/Kelvinator that a retired Marine owns. He rewired the entire thing & found another just like it with a bad "shell", so he stripped all the knobs, handles & burners, oven grated & anything salvageable off it. All the spares are in a tub! Getting it for $250 & I'm SO excited!

Here she is! She's 11 years older than me! :0)

The best energy conservation is using what is already here. Tried & true for decades.

Hey....Hows the new house?? I saw that you were closing over the weekend!! :0)

Hey! Went to close, spent the weekend there sleeping on a blowUp mattress. Took a fresh clean quilt too! Grandsons camped out on the floor of the other bedroom. We loved it! Now packing as a full time job, lol. Didn't know I had so much stuff til I started packing it. I think it will be a relief to let most of it GO!

Bungalowmo, I envy you your new old range/oven! What a charmer! I agree 100 percent, oldies are the goodies! Our lil farmhouse has stainless which I don't like. Sorta looks put of place, ya know?

I love that stove and all the stories that I'm reading about quilts and homes . A while back I suggested to quilters to make a fabric bag by using the same fabric used for their quilts to store their quilts in ,if you like this idea you could make one and label it writing on the year and by whom it was made . Thank you very much for the compliment Karemore55 I'm making one for Christmas at the moment I will post a picture of it when done.

This is the perfect time of year for the thread of all these comments.

Now this is what I need :) they sure don;t make them like these anymore

Foodarama! How cool was that. I wonder how many of those sold?!

I prefer top loading machine. That said, ended up with a front loader a few years ago. Then we moved - left the machine. Hubby insisted on another front loader - couldn't convince him of top loader - he helps with laundry -- must choose battles (!). If he "goes" before me, I'm getting a top loader. Now, about the Kelvinator stove - wish I had Grandma's - very similar to photo - loved that drop down burner in the back for deep frying and the extra "counter" space next to burners. And the drawers for the pans. Oh, well...

Have told young people on dilemmas not to buy a front loader because mine so slow but argued back, so I give up.

Taking a break from, well, packing, refinishing furniture, and washing chickens and a duck! Thought I'd check in here. This is fun to talk about old quilts, old appliances, old houses, and more!

OH! Forgot to explain the chickens and duck...I once had a "Country French" kitchen with chicken decor. (Didn't we all, lol?) But I tired of it, and remodeled, changing to black and creamy-white with black and white granite countertops. Now, packing up, I am washing chickens I brought down from the overstuffed attic. I opened one box and there was something furry in there. I yelped "WHAT is THAT!" before I recognized a little feathered duckling I had once put in a basket at Easter time. I don't want to take along
anything that hasn't been cleaned before packing, so...(You shoulda seen me styling the wet duck, hair dryer and all...)

Guess what valances are in the ol' 1939 (new to me) farmhouse? Checks with roosters! And I like 'em! So maybe the old chickens will go back in the kitchen, but this time more toward "primitive-farmhouse" than "country-French." It seems so right for a farmhouse! now if I can just be patient those "newish" stainless appliances will die, and I can shop for some oldies but goodies!

I used to have an old Wedgewood gas stove, had a griddle in the middle between the burners and a shelf on top, the broiler was separate to the side of the oven. Loved that old stove.

karennana, I sort of freaked when you said you were cleaning chickens and a duck. I thought they were real ones! And the story of "styling the furry duckling", how funny! It is fun to talk about old quilts and linens and how about that commercial on YouTube? :)

Yes the chickens and duck are cleaned and packed, then I find a little rabbit whose paw was chewed by Wally, soo...mended the paw washed the rabbit. I know, time to let stuff go, but...it's just a LITTLE rabbit...

Gypsyrose, what happened to your old Wedgewood gas stove? Did you move and leave it?

OK, so the painters finished the interior, I chose a cream color to lighten up the little rooms. All the same throughout, because the color will go with everything, and because it looks a bit more spacious with continuity. Cozy still, but brighter. Got the scraped hickory hardwoods in the living room to match those already in the adjoining dining room and on into the kitchen. BUT when the flooring guys were gluing down the hickory planks, guess what was there and had been under carpet? Hardwood floors! I can't believe we just installed new hardwood over old! Ah well, it does look good being continuous through those rooms that open one to another...

karennana....yes, we were living in an old 1933 Doelger flat in San Francisco...belonged to the landlord.

BUT we checked under the bedroom carpet, and voila! Old hardwood! It's yellowish but in great shape: had the workmen go ahead and rip out that carpet! So we are gonna have those refinished. But we move Friday! So that refinishing will have to be done AFTER we move in. Blah, fumes! Hope we have nice winter weather here in the south else we will live with the "ol' yaller" til spring. LOL

Gypsy Rose, wonder if its still there and still working? Maybe he'd sell it to you?

Wait a minute, Unwanted advice, what commercial on you tube?

kerennana....wouldn't fit in my galley kitchen even if he would unfortunately.

Tonight I washed three turtles, three frogs and a big fat toad. So there! LOL

(Have/soon had a big sunroom/playroom and decorated it with the grandsons in mind: Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails, you know?) there was a tree frog on the wall...

karennana you are wonderful...love your visions and vibe.

We talked about old quilts? Well I just cleaned some old carpets that had been stowed in the attic for seven years... Lovely traditional-style 8x8, one round one square, they just didn't work in this house: BUT They are PERFECT in the little living and dining rooms in the little old farmhouse! I will post (or have DH post) some pics after the move.

Gypsyrose, what a nice thing to say! Thank you! If you are ever in NC let me know: I will treat you to some hospitality country-style and southern-style too.

ok gotta go pack some frogs turtles and toads

Tomorrow THE BIRDS

karennana, Genevieve posted a YouTube video on Nov. 14. So funny to see those old commercials and this appliance is quite innovative to say the least. Make sure you watch.

Glad the redo is going well and yes, post pics! Love to see them. All of the cutesy animals will be fun for the grand kids. I have two grandsons aged four and nine. Live super close so that is a good thing as Martha Stewart would say. I see she tweeted a pic of some small plate of food and there was lettuce with Thousand Island dressing on it and people freaked out about how it looked. I saw the pic and thought it was fine looking. :))

Sunnie2Day, if you're still reading here, I would love to see your quilt star and tree skirt when you put your tree up...

The tree goes up Thanksgiving night and I 'tweak' over the weekend, so I'll post a pic the following Monday:) Thank-you for asking!