| "Care and Feeding of Quilts - Antique, Vintage and Contemporary" by: Marilyn Maddalena Professional Quilt Appraiser, Quilt Judge, Fabric Historian and Speaker Website: www.marilynquilts.com (Copyright 1999) |
| Remember the adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Keep this in mind when considering how to care for your quilt. There are certain steps you can take to preserve your quilts, whether they are antique, vintage, or contemporary. Beware of the following hazards, which can damage your quilt: LIGHT: Light is more damaging to fabric than most people realize. A quilt's proper home is on a bed in a room with low light. Should you choose to hang your quilt, select a location without direct sunlight. (See also the "Display" section below.) Artificial light, incandescent or fluorescent, will also damage fabrics. Keep light away from your quilt as much as possible. PESTS/CHEMICALS: Although rodents don't actually eat fabrics, they can cause damage to quilts when they attempt to use the fabrics for their nests. Rodents and insects prefer dark, warm, quiet places; therefore, take your quilts out of storage and air them outside on a dry, clear day, or put them on a bed to air out. No quilt should be stored longer than six months without being aired and refolded. Never store fabric items in plastic! (The only time plastic should be used is when shipping quilts, to protect them from accidental spills from adjacent packages, or for a short period of time during a move. Be sure the quilt is wrapped in fabric first and then in plastic.) Chemicals such as perfume, oils, air pollutants, and room sprays can also damage fabrics. Keep them away from your quilts. PROPER STORAGE: The very best way to store your quilts is to use two sheets, or other white cotton material, and make a "quilt sandwich" with one sheet on the bottom, then the quilt, then the other sheet on top. Fold in thirds, roll gently and store. The quilt can also be folded in thirds and rolled around a cardboard tube. If you use a tube, the cardboard should be wrapped in another old sheet or muslin so the cardboard does not touch the quilt. Acid-free paper may also be used; however, keep in mind that even acid-free paper is still paper, wood-based, and deteriorates over time, much sooner than fabric. What makes a paper acid free is a coating, which is applied to the paper. Over time, that deteriorates. (The exception to this is 100% rag content acid-free paper as used by museums, which is more expensive.) The object is to keep all wood and/or wood products away from the quilt. Should you prefer to fold your quilts and store them flat, be certain that all folds are stuffed with white cotton cloth prior to folding. Then fold lengthwise into thirds, and then begin folding crosswise. Quilts should be unfolded and folded in a different manner every three to six months. (Damage is caused to fibers when left in a creased position for months or years. This opening and refolding will protect the quilt from damaging creases forming -- these creases are known as "quilter's cross.") DISPLAY: To display your quilt, sew a 4" cotton fabric sleeve on the upper back and thread a wooden dowel or length of PVC pipe through it. The sleeve should be an inch shorter than the quilt's width. Rest the dowel or pipe on hooks nailed to the wall. For a small quilt, a yardstick can be used, and this you can nail directly to the wall. Be certain that no part of the quilt itself touches the wood, however. |
