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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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Timely help for quilting needles
About Quilting You'll have fun with the wonky log cabin quilt block pattern. Make the blocks from structured fabrics if you like, or grab strings from your stash and go entirely scrappy. This quilt block is one of the easiest you'll ever make -- its patches do not have to be cut to exact sizes and its seams can vary -- angle the strips this way and that to increase the design's wonky appearance. Blocks in the photo were stitched to resemble a wonky version of one traditional log cabin layout -- the pattern includes tips to help you change the look. Follow About.com Quilting on Facebook Photo © Janet Wickell Wonky Log Cabin Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, February 6th, 2012 at 07:45:55. Permalink | Comment | Email this Oriental Attic Windows Quilt Block Pattern I really like Asian themed fabrics, but sometimes I have a hard time visualizing blocks that fit the look. But I love this Oriental Attic Windows design. Each quilt block is made from three pieces of fabric -- and sewn together with only two seams. Yes, the block has a mitered corner, but the easy sewing method will erase any fears beginners might have about tackling miters. I promise, it's simple, and a really important skill to learn. Give it a try! Oriental Attic Windows Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 06:00:47. 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 Domino blocks. 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, February 2nd, 2012 at 06:00:00. Permalink | Comment | Email this Lost Ship Quilt Block Pattern Lost Ship is the ninth quilt block pattern for the Scrap Happy Sampler Quilt, but you can use it for any project. Two versions of the block are shown, one more scrappy than the other, but each variation helps you practice making half-square triangle units -- a good thing since those units are probably the most commonly used patchwork configuration. You might notice that the design is similar to the Rocky Glen quilt block -- the overall layout is basically the same, but Rocky Glen contains more half-square triangle units. Like other blocks in the sampler series, the Lost Ship quilt block finishes at 12-inches square. Lost Ship Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 07:50:44. Permalink | Comment | Email this Pictures of 2012 New Year's Day Mystery Quilts The 2012 New Year's Day Mystery Quilt gallery is up and running now, and illustrates the wide variety of layouts that quilters developed when designing their projects. The quilts in the gallery are a wonderful representation of the work that went into these projects, but there are many, many more quilts and quilt tops out there, and I'd love to feature them all in the gallery. Please email your photos to me at quilting.guide@about.com. Quilt by Neralie Pictures of 2012 New Year's Day Mystery Quilts originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 06:00:59. Permalink | Comment | Email this Quilt Photo Gallery Updates I updated quite a few of our quilt galleries this weekend, and am now pretty much caught up (temporarily, as usual) with the photos you have submitted. Once again I do have forms without photos and photos without forms -- all of those go into a 'check these' folder until I can find time to write (mostly about missing photos). When you submit the form, please remember that it is a 2-step process -- photos must come to me by separate email. Galleries Updated Photo is Shattered, a quilt by Sewtherequilts in memory of her sister. Quilt Photo Gallery Updates originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Sunday, January 29th, 2012 at 18:01:08. Permalink | Comment | Email this Flock of Geese Quilt Block Pattern Flock of Geese is a traditional quilt block, but its name is a bit misleading. Take a look at the block and you'll see it does not include those popular flying geese units that we often use. Instead, the 'flocks' are made up of half-square triangle units, kind of like geese flying in formation. You can adjust the color value of your patches to make the block appear very different from mine, and you can choose a structured look or go very scrappy with the layout. The Flock of Geese block is fun to play with -- try varying the look from block-to-block in a larger quilt, because I think you'll like that, too. Flock of Geese Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Sunday, January 29th, 2012 at 12:16:15. Permalink | Comment | Email this Patchwork Hearts Quilt Block & Quilt Patterns Quilting Forum members designed this 6" patchwork heart quilt block for a 2008 swap, and are using it again this month. The design is a natural for a Valentine's Day wallhanging and makes a lovely baby quilt. The heart block is assembled with quick piecing techniques, so it's super easy to make. For the swap, a different focal fabric was used in each half of the block (two pinks or two reds), but choose another combination if you prefer. You'll find instructions and yardage for a small heart wallhanging on the last page of the pattern. Photo © Sophie Patchwork Hearts Quilt Block & Quilt Patterns originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, January 28th, 2012 at 06:00:22. Permalink | Comment | Email this Heart in a Snowball Quilt Block Pattern This vibrant Snowball quilt block is assembled with a white on white interior and purple tips. A red heart is appliqued to the center of the 6" (finished size) block. If you're already into applique, the gentle heart will be a breeze, and beginners will find that it's a perfect first applique project (read my Needleturn Applique Basics for technique how-tos). The block is from a 2009 Quilting Forum event, where it was sewn by numerous members. Heart Blocks by Sandy Heart in a Snowball Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, January 27th, 2012 at 06:00:45. Permalink | Comment | Email this Reverse Capital T Quilt Block Pattern The reverse version of the Capital T quilt block isn't seen as commonly as its counterpart -- where dark fabrics create the diagonal T-shape at each corner. Both blocks are assembled the same way, it's just the color values that are flip-flopped, but the two versions are unique enough that I felt a separate pattern would be a good option for the quilt block shown here. I've included instructions to make the block's flying geese units in a couple of ways -- both are quick-pieced but one technique results in no fabric waste. Choose the method that works best for the fabrics you have on hand. I saw some examples online recently of quilts made using this value layout, but can't locate them now -- the blocks looked wonderful placed on point. More T Blocks Reverse Capital T Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 19:22:19. 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