Phoenix Quilts

A few months back I came home to find 2 quilts hanging over a chair in my dining room.  Upon inquiring I discovered that my brother had dropped them off.  He had been using these "old rags" for years to cover up furniture out in the barn.  Having come across them again while cleaning out and getting rid of said furniture he wondered if maybe I would like them.  If I didn't want them he would find other uses for them.  I kept them. 

I would hate to think that for all my hard work (and I'm using a ruler, rotary cutter and a sewing machine) my quilts ended up being used as cushions for people to haul or store their belongings.  I would much rather they were used, loved, even dragged around the house as a favorite, treasured item. 

I think of the hand stitching that was done on these two quilts, the material possibly cut from articles of clothing when there was nothing else around.  Did some famous person sleep under this that we'll never know about?  Unfortunately there are no names on here.  But I gave them new life by washing them and although it doesn't look it I did manage to remove some stains.