Vital vintage quilt care tips
Quilts and other textiles made of silk and cotton should be blocked and mounted by a professional restorer for maximum protection; and damaged pieced should be professionally rewoven, according to a New York quilt expert.
If you must mount them yourself, never use masking tape, double-face tape, electric tape, scotch tape or any sticky tape of any kind to fix the quilt for display. Do not use glue of any kind.
When handling quilts always wash your hands before starting and do not wear rings, bracelets or any kind of jewelry that would possibly catch in the material or stitches, causing rips or snags.
In deciding on a material for wall hung mounting of a quilt you must consider, in the case of metal, if there are any sharp or rough edges. Another problem with metal is the danger of rust if chipped. The problem with wood, is the acid it contains which can be damaging to the fabrics. This can be solved by painting all wood with Formica paint.
If using a metal curtain rod or a wooden rod, you can hand sew a casing at the top of the quilt, remembering all the don’ts already mentioned.
Dust and lighting is another problem to consider. Anytime your quilt is exposed to light you are aging it a little bit. Never hang a quilt in the harmful rays of direct sunlight, a dark corner is preferable. If you intend to spotlight a particularly treasured quilt, the artful lighting should be a combination of incandescent and fluorescent, shielded against ultra-violet, to simulate daylight. Several months exposure to light and dust should be the maximum length of display. By rotating your display, you can give your quilts a resting period in the dark equal to the time in the light. Before storing quilts that have been on display, vacuum as you would any fine carpet or drape to remove the accumulation of dust.
If you plan to hang them on hangers in your closet, use heavy plastic. Never use wood or wire under any circumstances. But because plastic has a short life expectancy and degenerates relatively quickly, you constantly have to check it. This can be done when you periodically rehang the quilt to minimize stress.
Take out all stored quilts once a year and allow them to air out.
When using round wooden poles or heavy-duty cardboard tubes, cover the poles or tubes with paint or fabric and roll the quilts loosely.
You can also store quilts in boxes. Each quilt should be carefully wrapped in tissue paper, paying close attention to the folds to reduce creasing, and then placed in it’s own box to prevent extra weight on it. Pieces of charcoal wrapped in paper or cloth and placed inside the box, preventing contact with the fabric, will help reduce musty odors.