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Caring for Quilts
By: Joyce Moseley Pierce
For many years my mother worked in sales and lived out
of a suitcase as she traveled the country, but that
didn't stop her from doing some of the most beautiful
needlepoint and cross-stitch work I've ever seen.
When she retired, she quickly filled up the walls of
her home and kept the local frame shop in business.
After she had given favorites to her children and
filled every white space in her home, she decided to
start making quilts, but instead of just sewing the
pieces of fabric together, she cross-stitched or
needlepointed squares that would be sewn together by
the town's quilting expert.
I was the recipient of one of these beautiful quilts
but because my children were small, I didn't want to
leave it out on a bed where it might get smeared with
peanut butter and jelly, or even worse, colored with
crayons or a permanent marker. Instead, I folded it
up and put it in my closet inside a plastic zippered
bag that my bedspread had come in.
Well, when Mom came to visit the next time, she went
looking for that quilt. I assured her that it was
packed away and that nothing could harm it. After all,
it was sealed in plastic. Nothing could get to it.
Boy, was I wrong!
I learned a lesson from Mom about how to store quilts:
1. Don't ever store them in plastic of any kind! It
doesn't matter that your bedspread came in it. It's
not the same.
2. Don't store them in humid or hot climates. If the
temperature feels good to you, then it's okay for your
quilt. If you live in Houston you shouldn't even own
a quilt!
3. Don't store quilts in attics or garages. It makes
a comfy bed for rodents and insects.
Instead, you should:
1. Store your quilt in a pillowcase or sheet, or
roll it onto a muslin-covered tube.
2. Place a piece of fabric between the pillowcase or
sheet and your quilt to protect it from the acids
in the wood.
3. Twice a year, when the humidity is low and the
air is blowing, air your quilt outside, out of direct
sunlight.
4. Mark your calendar to refold your quilt every 3-4
months so you won't make a permanent crease in
it. Crumple up some acid-free tissue paper to help
eliminate fold lines.
If you feel comfortable in displaying or actually
using your quilts (and isn't that why we make them?),
you'll want to follow these guidelines to make your
quilt last longer and help retain its beauty.
1. Keep your quilts away from direct light. The sun
will make them fade and will age the fabric.
2. If you notice any tears, repair them as soon as
possible. Remember that "a stitch in time saves nine,"
and will help lengthen the life of your quilt.
3. Clean up any accidents immediately. Washable quilts
can be cleaned with cold water. My quilt, with the
delicate cross-stitching fabric and thread, would need
to be dry cleaned by an expert.
4. Before you wash, test the fabric to see if the
colors are going to run. Use a white towel and cold
water to test each color.
5. Do not put quilts in the dryer or hang them over
a clothesline. They should lay flat between two sheets
placed on the grass in the shade.
When I was a young, married woman I discovered a box
of fabric in my grandmother's closet along with the
pattern for a quilt that had been published by the
Kansas City Star in the 1920s. Grandma told me she
had bought the fabric when my dad was born and had
just never made the quilt. She told me if I wanted
to make it, she would pay to have it quilted for me.
I accepted the challenge, and without knowing anything
about quilts (or anything else!), I cut and assembled
all of the pieces. It was beautiful, and I remember the
pride I felt in knowing that I had sewn every stitch,
but even as I laid it across my daughter's
twin-sized bed, I could see how thin and worn the
fabric had become. I wish now I would have used the
pattern and bought newer, more sturdy fabric, that
would have lengthened the life of the quilt, but that
was just one of life's lessons I had to learn.
Going through the process of piecing that quilt helped
me to have a deep appreciation for all of the time
and love that goes into each stitch. As I worked on
it, I tried to imagine my grandmother as a young mother
and wondered what life was like for her. Was motherhood
as challenging for her as it was for me? Did she ever
imagine that she would have a granddaughter who would
treasure this old fabric and the bond it gave to
both of them?
Buying a bedspread is fast and fairly inexpensive
because they are mass produced, but you can't expect
it to give you you the same warm feeling as when you
run your hands over the stitches of a quilt ...
Author: Joyce Moseley Pierce
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About Quilting Make 15" square basket quilt blocks in traditional Amish style, or vary your fabrics for a slightly Amish look. The quilt block pattern includes instructions for single quilt blocks (perfect for scrap quilts), but on page 3 you'll find directions to help you make the 63" x 63" quilt illustrated here. Amish Style Miniature Quilt Pattern New: Slightly Amish Basket Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 at 12:21:57. Permalink | Comment | Email this New Gallery & Lots of Gallery Updates The Memory Quilts Gallery is brand new this weekend, and the first quilts displayed there represent a range of purposes and techniques. I've spent most of the past two days going through my backlog of photo submissions and I'm happy to say... whew! I'm nearly finished (only a few pics remain). You'll find new photos in every gallery linked below. Baby Quilts Regatta Quilt by Patti Dubreuil New Gallery & Lots of Gallery Updates originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Sunday, July 25th, 2010 at 20:57:23. Permalink | Comment | Email this Miniature Bear's Paw Quilt Pattern This little quilt measures about 19-inches square. It's made from four 3-1/2-inch Bear's Paw quilt blocks that are surrounded by cornerstones and pieced sashing. A dark inner border and a floral outer border complete the little quilt. Everything is quick and strip-pieced. Half square triangle units used in blocks finish at 1/2", but you can make them perfectly every time but assembling the units slightly larger than necessary and then cutting each one back to the exact size before sewing. Photo © Janet Wickell Miniature Bear's Paw Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 09:10:54. Permalink | Comment | Email this Summertime Baskets Block in Two Sizes: 20" and 10" I love it when the native plants are blooming like crazy and blossoms and fruit are in motion. And it's an incredible sight to gaze out across the Blue Ridge Mountains in the spring to watch the progression of green as it moves higher in elevation. I call that progress greening up the mountain, and have thought forever that the theme would make a good landscape quilt. I even started a miniature version years ago in a class with Jo Diggs, and rediscovered the project awhile back when we unpacked some boxes. Now I just have to find the time to work on it. Spring and summer always brings out the basket blocks, too. This version is in the deeper colors of summer, but would work well with any theme. I think it would be lovely sewn with solid fabrics in the Amish tradition, even if you decide to add some reds and other zesty colors we don't typically see in traditional Amish quilts. I've included instructions for two blocks sizes, a 20" and a 10". Choose whichever works for you. On the About.com Network Since we're talking about baskets and flowers, take a look at the decoupaged garden seed container on our Family Crafts site. Sherri's come up with a cute and useful project for your gardening friends. © Janet Wickell Summertime Baskets Block in Two Sizes: 20" and 10" originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 12:07:00. Permalink | Comment | Email this A Joyous Celebration Mini Quilt Pattern Speed piecing techniques make stitching this little quilt a breeze. The light fabric that surrounds the stars blends with the pictorial angel fabric used in the center of the snowball blocks, giving the snowballs an on-point appearance even though all blocks are sewn together side by side. The quilt measures 29-1/2" square. photo © Janet Wickell A Joyous Celebration Mini Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, July 16th, 2010 at 06:10:04. Permalink | Comment | Email this Catching the View Quilt Pattern The three kitty cats in this quilt are peering through windows at all the summer flowers outside, and you can bet they're keeping an eye on the butterflies flying around the garden. This has been a popular pattern with readers, and although it does have set-in seams at the mitered frames, it is not difficult to assemble. Photo © Janet Wickell Catching the View Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 at 16:35:04. Permalink | Comment | Email this Star Quilt Patterns Patchwork star quilt designs are an all-time favorite, so you'll find star patterns scattered throughout the About.com Quilting Web site. I've linked to several choices below, but there are more. The list includes blocks and quilts in a range of sizes, starting at 6" square (you'll find a few options for smaller blocks) and moving upwards. Star blocks are the perfect starting point for holiday quilts -- just change the fabrics to make any pattern to suit your needs. Star quilts are often made up of half square triangle units, a popular quilting component that you'll encounter often. Use my triangle squares tutorial to learn an easy (and accurate) construction method. Framed Friendship Stars Quilt Pattern Star Quilt Patterns originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, July 10th, 2010 at 15:09:05. Permalink | Comment | Email this Domino Quilt Block & Quilt Pattern The Domino quilt block finishes at 9" square, with small units that are a nice size for baby and toddler quilts, but perfectly fine for a bed-sized quilts, too. The Domino quilt block pattern includes instructions for making a single quilt block, for those of you who like to go scrappy, plus directions for 20-strip pieced Dominos. The 20 blocks can be used in the Domino baby quilt shown on page 4 of the pattern, or in another quilt of your own design. Before beginning, new quilters should make sure they're okay with sewing a quarter inch seam and with rotary cutting long strips of fabric. Domino Quilt Block & Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 09:44:00. Permalink | Comment | Email this Attic Ribbons Quilt Pattern Attic Ribbons is a 70" x 94" quilt made from 12" Attic Windows quilt blocks. Some of the blocks feature applique motifs, but you can eliminate the applique if you wish, or use one of my easy suggestions to simplify construction while still adding a bit of variety to the windows. Use different colors to create your own unique theme, and sew fewer or more blocks to alter its finished size. Setting-in is not a difficult method -- do give it a try. Attic Ribbons Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, July 5th, 2010 at 14:55:34. Permalink | Comment | Email this Greek Cross Quilt Block & Quilt Pattern Greek Cross quilt blocks are all about color value, and you can dramatically alter their appearance by shifting value positions within the block. I've included a quilt layout suggestion (along with yardages and extra instructions, of course) and drawings that illustrate value variations. Greek Cross is such a simple block, but it can be either traditional or dramatic, depending on your fabric choices. Janet Wickell Greek Cross Quilt Block & Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Sunday, July 4th, 2010 at 08:31:07. Permalink | Comment | Email this Newsfeed display by CaRP |
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