I have found a wonderful website by Nancy Kirk at www.quiltcare.com or www.kirkcollection.com.  Nancy is very knowledgeable and provides you with a FREE 8 day email course on conserving and protecting our quilting heritage.  At the end of the course you will have the option to sign up for her Newsletter and learn more about Quilt Collecting, Quilt Restoration and much, much more.  Her Kirk Collection website also provides your with many valuable tools to help you keep your quilts healthy and preserved.  If you have questions, you can contact her at 800-398-2542.

Here are some other great tips to help keep your quilts beautiful and healthy:

Touching Your Quilt

Be sure to wash your hands before touching quilts, especially antique ones.  The oils from your hands can really do damage to them.  Do not smoke, eat or drink around textiles either.  Any of these odors and food stains can really damage your quilt.  If you have white gloves it is a good idea to wear these while touching your antique quilts.

Appraising Your Quilt

Be sure to have your quilts appraised, even it they are new.  Every few years have them done again.  I would suggest going to the American Quilter’s Society (www.americanquilter.com or 502-898-7903) for a list of certified quilt appraisers or for more information.

Insuring Your Quilt

Once your have your quilts appraised, be sure to add an addendum to your insurance policy to cover these antiques.  Some insurance companies do NOT automatically include quilts under their normal insurance coverage.  Often, a rider is needed.  Contact your individual insurance company for more information.

Labeling Your Quilt

I think it’s just a crime when quilt makers don’t label their quilts.  After all, the label is a living part of history.  Knowing who made a quilt, the date and where that quilt was made is an important piece of history.  It also adds value to your quilts.  Good information for your quilts is the maker's name, date, place of residence, pattern name, the story behind the quilt, etc.   I have even put photographs on my labels.  It’s a great idea to actually see who the recipient or quilt maker is.  When I made my parents 50^th Anniversary quilt, I put our genealogy, their marriage certificate, and 2 pockets for family photos on the quilt besides the label!  Now, how’s that for documentation? I also like to attach my label right into my binding and often I will quilt my label right into the quilt.  Why? Because believe it or not, people love to steal quilts or claim those quilts as their own work.  By having your label quilted into your quilt the likelihood of have a quilt label removed is lessened.  I have a quilt that I have embroidered important information right on the front of the quilt in tiny stitches.  No matter how you do it, please label your quilts in some form for posterity’s sake.  Also, it’s a great idea to photograph your quilt, front and back.  Keep these photos in a quilt journal or diary.  I also keep sample fabrics in my journal.  Sometimes, I also use the same fabrics from my quilt for my hanging sleeve so that if I need to make a small repair, the same fabric can be removed from the sleeve.  Also, if your quilt has won any awards, pin those awards to the pack of your quilt.

Displaying Your Quilt

Did you know that direct sunlight and artificial lights can cause fading and once your quilts fade, it’s permanent?  The ultraviolet rays from daylight and fluorescent indoor lights can break down fabric dyes and speed up the oxidation of fibers.  So, be sure to rotate your quilts often.  I like to do this seasonally.  I have quilts for spring, summer, fall and winter.  These seasonal quilts are only shown for a few months in a year and then stored away.  Quilts that are hung in the open should be periodically vacuumed to keep dust from damaging the fibers.

If you are hanging a quilt, be sure to put a sleeve on the back of the quilt for hanging so that the weight is distributed evenly.  Don’t ever pin or staple your quilt to the wall.  Ouch!  Also, if you are hanging your quilt from a wooden pole, be sure that the rod has had coats of polyurethane on it because wood contains oils that can damage your quilt.

For antique quilts, the most protective way is to mount the quilt on a fabric-covered wooden framework. First stretch a piece of washed cotton cloth to a sealed wooden framework. Both the cloth and the framework should be larger than the quilt itself. Secure the cotton cloth to the back of the frame with rust-free staples. Then you can attach the quilt to the cotton cloth by hand-sewing in zigzag patterns which run parallel to each other throughout the body of the quilt. A piece of Plexiglas can then be mounted to the wall over the quilts, but not touching the quilt itself because it needs proper ventilation to prevent mold and mildew.

Storing Your Quilt

The absolute best way is to store your quilts in individual acid-free boxes wrapped in acid-free tissue paper.  This especially applies to quilts that are heirloom quilts, antiques or museum quality quilts.  If you don’t have a box, use a clean white sheet and acid-free tissue.  Each year, be sure to re-fold your quilt on a different folding line and change the archival tissue papers.  I received an antique quilt from a women just before she died.  She gave me all the history of the quilt however, the quilt was never stored properly and the fabrics are worn on the creases and faded on the side that always faced up.  What a shame.  When you fold the quilt on different lines, it takes the stress off the fibers and gives the quilt a longer life.  However, this quilt is still valuable so continue to conserve the history of any damaged quilts as best you can.

If you don’t have boxes, you could also store your quilt by rolling it on a long, sturdy tube.  Be sure the tube and the outside of the quilt is covered also with clean white sheet.  Remember to store textiles in a dark, dry place. Attics and basements should be avoided because they have poor ventilation. The ideal temperature is 65-75°F and ideal relative humidity is 45-55%.

Never store quilts in a plastic bag!!!  Ask me how I know this!  I hand sewed a double wedding ring quilt and it was nearly quilted and finished when my children were little.  I folded it up in a plastic bag and 20 years later remembered that I need to get it finished.  Needless to say, there were holes all over.  The quilt was ruined, faded and needs to be seriously repaired.  So, please do yourself a favor and just avoid this.  Now, to ship your quilt to someone for a few days, it’s perfectly right to store the quilt in a plastic bag so no moisture destroys the quilt in the shipment.  Just don’t store your quilt in a plastic bag.

Also, if you put your quilts in a wooden or metal chest or trunk, be sure it’s been sealed with a protective coating of polyurethane varnish then lined with unbleached, washed muslin or acid-free paper.  If your chest has not been sealed, store the quilt in a clean cotton bag that doesn’t touch the wood in any way.  Don’t use mothballs in your chest because they can interact with some of the fabric dyes and cause damage.  Buy an herb called Artemisia to protect your quilt from bugs.  Just place the herb in a small cloth bag and hand it but don’t let the herb come in contact with the quilt.

Be sure to ask your local quilt shop or museum for any help you might need to locate archival products.

Repairing Your Quilt

Please do not try to repair antique quilts on your own without help from a professional.  However, if you do have an antique quilt that needs small repairs, an easy way that you can help preserve the quilt without removing any pieces is to take some toile from your local sewing shop and cut small pieces that you can lay over a small section of your antique quilt where the fabric is starting to disintegrate. Be sure to choose a color that is similar in color to the piece being patched. Gently sew around the section of the quilt with matching colorfast thread.  This will help to keep the quilt from fall apart and will continue to give it a little more stability.

Restoration of Your Quilt

If you have an antique quilt, it might need some form of restoration.  Please don’t try to attempt to do this on your own.  Take it to a professional quilt conservator.  The American Institute for Conservation can help you find a professional conservator near you.  Their address is: 1717 K St. NW, Suite 200 , Washington DC 20006 .

Cleaning Your Quilt

Washing a quilt can be done but only with great care. It is not recommended unless done by a qualified textile conservator. DO NOT WASH YOUR QUILT if it has inked signatures or the fabric is deteriorated.  Never wash wool or silk quilts.

There are two main methods of properly cleaning a quilt:  vacuuming and washing.  Dry clean ONLY if it is done by a professional who specializes in quilt cleaning AND is recommended by your local museum.

Antique quilts that have never been washed have an increased value of the item.  This is called mint or pristine condition. Once a quilt has been washed, the value can start to decrease.  First you need to determine what type of quilt you have and then how to treat it.  I would stress the importance of having your quilt appraised by a professional before any cleaning done to any type of antique quilt.  Your appraiser can offer you sound advice on the cleaning of any antique quilt as well.  I would also STRONGLY suggest that you NEVER, EVER wash an antique, heirloom or museum quality quilt!

Many quilts that you think are dirty really just dusty.  Cleaning a quilt with dust can be accomplished by placing a piece of panty hose over your vacuum tub and gently vacuum the quilt on low setting in two different directions.

If you quilts are a little stale, another great idea is to put them outside on an overcast day to air dry.  After a few hours outside, you quilt will smell fresh and revived.

If you have a utilitarian quilt that will be for sleeping, picnicking, football games, etc. you can wash these quilts in a mild detergent.  I prefer the Orvus brand.  The reason why Orvus is so great is because of the pH balance.  You need a word of caution here.  Many fabrics are not color fast and can easily bleed when washed.  A good way to check for colorfastness is to wet a cotton swab with warm water and very gently rub on darker color such as red, blue, black and dark green.  If the cotton swab comes out clean then the color is set.  However, I would suggest your try again with a little bit of the soap on another cotton swap and test this just once more to be sure.

If you are determined to wash your quilts and you have checked for colorfastness and strong fabrics, I’d suggest washing them in a bathtub. Just fill your tub with lukewarm water and add your soap.  Lay the quilt to soak for a few hours.  Drain the soapy water by moving the quilt to the side of the tub.  Fill your tub to rinse a few times to be sure you have all the soap out of the quilt.  After it is rinsed, squeeze the excess water out gently and laying the more dried portion to the side of the tub.  Just remember that when a quilt is wet, the fibers are pliable and you don’t want to distort you quilt in any way.  Once you have the quilt rinsed, you can take it outside to dry.  Place a white sheet on a clean, flat surface.  Lay your quilt on top and another white sheet on top of that.  I would not recommend putting a wet quilt on the line as it can pull the quilt out of proportion.  This method is very tedious, but it can produce a nice result.

I hope these ideas are helpful in the preservation of your beloved quilts.

Sue