Antique Quilt Care

Baskets and Vines Quilt AppraiseYourQuilt.com

Antique Quilt Care

Proper care of your antique quilt will result in long-lasting enjoyment! Following are some helpful tips:

Direct sunlight is very damaging. It not only fades colors in as little as a few days, it deteriorates the fabric. In selecting a display location in your home, check the sunlight "path" several times a day in all seasons to make sure the quilt never receives direct sunlight.

To hang a quilt, sew (baste) a 4" double sleeve of muslin to the top back of the quilt and insert a dowel rod. A hanging quilt can be hung 6 months, taken down and rested 2 months, then can be re-hung for 6 months to avoid excessive strain on the stitches and fabric.

Quilts that are stored or displayed folded should be refolded every 2 or 3 months to prevent permanent fold lines. Use strips of quilt batting or acid-free tissue paper to pad the folds. Batting is acid free and is generally of the desired thickness. Quilts should be stored or displayed in a dry, dust-free environment, and it is important not to let them come in contact with wood (e.g. wooden shelf or trunk) because the natural acid in wood will stain the quilt. Plastic boxes and bags also contain harmful acid and prevent the quilt from "breathing." A cotton pillowcase is an acceptable means of storage, or acid-free boxes can be purchased.

Do not stack too many quilts; the weight may be damaging to the quilts on the bottom and "set" the fold lines. An average quilt weighs 3-4 pounds, so a stack of 4 or 5 quilts exerts about 15 pounds of pressure on the fabric, stitches, and folds of the bottom quilt

An old quilt is fragile and should be treated with care. Dust on a quilt can be removed by placing it in a dryer for a few minutes on the air cycle (NO heat). You can also gently vacuum a quilt by placing two nylon panty hose over the end of a hand vacuum, keeping the vacuum from touching the quilt.

Never dry clean a quilt. The chemicals could do irreparable damage. I do not recommend wet cleaning (washing) an old quilt. Many of the old dyes are unstable and the fabric itself may not stand up to the rigors of washing. If you feel your cotton quilt must be wet cleaned, proceed with caution. This is the method I use when I must wash a quilt.

	First, use a wet Q-tip and check each fabric separately to see if any of the colors bleed. If they do, STOP.
	If they do not, fill the bathtub with cool water and a SMALL amount of mild soap I use clear Ivory Ultra dishwashing liquid or Orvus paste.
	Gently press the quilt; never wring, twist, or rub. Let it soak 15 minutes.
	Rinse the quilt several times, again pressing gently. I sometimes rinse as many as 7 times.
	Place a white sheet under the quilt, and lift the sheet out, minimizing the strain on the stitches and fabric of the quilt. Roll the quilt up in a few towels to absorb the excess moisture, pressing gently.
	The quilt must dry flat (NEVER in the dryer). Spread the quilt on 2 or 3 white sheets and let it air dry. In the summer, I spread the sheets on the grass in a shady area, spread the quilt over the sheets UPSIDE DOWN, cover it with another sheet, and weight the edges so the wind doesn't blow the top sheet off.

A quilt can usually be preserved in its present state, although there are varying opinions on this subject. Damaged areas can be covered with tulle (bridal illusion netting) and loosely tacked. This retards further deterioration. If you decide to repair a quilt, do so only after consulting a professional quilt restorer.

Your quilt can give generations of enjoyment with proper care!

Send mail to quiltappraiser at comcast.net with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2006 AppraiseYourQuilt.com Last modified: July 19, 2006

Send mail to quiltappraiser at comcast.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2006 AppraiseYourQuilt.com
Last modified: July 19, 2006