Quilt Care
Straight Talk About Quilt Care Book
Chapter 4A
Handling Quilts
Biohazards and Other Considerations
by Patricia Cummings
photos by James Cummings, et.al.
Handling
Antiques Quilts: White Gloves or Not?
There are varying opinions about whether gloves should always be used when handling quilts. Some people would wear gloves to “protect” the quilt, while others would wear gloves to protect themselves. The reasoning is sound on both counts.
One reason to wear gloves is that they provide a barrier to pathogenic (disease causing) agents that may be present on the surface of the old cloth of quilts. Needless to say, if you use cotton gloves, they should be washed frequently in very hot water. In an ideal world, a different pair of gloves should be used for each quilt handled, to prevent any cross-contamination between quilts.
A good source of quality white gloves, sold at a reasonable price, is the Vermont Country Store, http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/ In addition, some beauty supply stores stock pretty good quality white gloves that are intended for overnight use with hand creams. Some of these can be washed and re-used.
Gloves will prevent jewelry from catching embroidery threads and loose areas on the surface of a quilt. Years ago, I entered a Crazy Quilt vest into a quilt show. This was placed in a less trafficked room, draped across a piano. An unthinking woman came along and ran the back of her hand across the vest's surface, snagging some of the embroidery threads with her rings. The clueless public can cause damage just because of ignorance. The damage was repaired. However, any embroidery is always easiest to do, the first time, and repairs are annoying.
Critics of the practice of wearing white cotton gloves state that they are more abrasive than ungloved hands. One conservator alluded to a controversy about how best to clean and disinfect cotton gloves, but would go no further in discussing the matter. Certain museums still insist on the use of white gloves because no one has brought them up to date as to the other currently preferred alternative, which we will discuss next.
A
Better Choice: Nitrile Gloves
Disposable, medical quality, powder-less, nitrile gloves should be used when handling quilts, according to Margaret (Meg) Geiss-Mooney, a professional quilt conservator since 19979, who currently practices her profession in California. The powder-less gloves prevent the transfer of powder to the quilt's surface.
A different pair of nitrile gloves should be used for
each quilt examined, so that no chemicals (such as that of
moth crystals, and other contaminants) be passed from one quilt to
another. Mooney says, “As a precautionary measure, hands should be
washed before and after removing the gloves. The gloves are
inexpensive and vary in price. They are sold at auto supply stores,
chemical supply stores, and medical supply stores, as well as grocery
stores, eBay, and other online sources, such as amazon.com.
Warning: Exposure to Latex Products can cause Anaphylaxis
Latex gloves are not a good choice for use in handling
quilts. All latex products are manufactured from the milky sap of the
rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis. After initial exposure, people
who are allergic to Latex will develop antibodies called
“immunoglobulin E,” or “IgE,” for short. Usually, these same
individuals are allergic to nuts, bananas, kiwi fruit, potatoes, and
tomatoes.
Reactions to latex exposure can result in symptoms which
range from mild to life-threatening. Dermatitis, difficulty
breathing, dizziness, fainting, and anaphylactic shock are some of
the symptoms reported. A fatal reaction is characterized by dropping
blood pressure, swelling in the throat, and air constriction in the
lungs. The first known reaction happened in the UK in 1979. While
anaphylaxis is not a common result of exposure to latex, it is a real
and present danger to those who react to the product.
Those with a known latex allergy should wear a Med-Alert
bracelet and have an emergency ephedrine kit available at all times.
Antihistamines and steroids are other treatments. Deaths are
relatively rare but seem to be increasing with the number of latex
products available. For more information, see: http://www.fda.gov
or http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~aair/latex.htm#LATEX_DANGER
Mold is Problematic
About fifteen years or more ago, I was asked to look at some antique quilts that had belonged to a local woman who had just died. Curiously, in the several years that I had known the woman, preceding her death, the late octogenarian had never mentioned that her mother had made (tied) bed quilts during the 1930s, during the Great Depression.
The administrators of her estate found plastic garbage bags full of quilts when they went to her house. These were sitting on the damp, cold floor of an unheated garage and probably had been there for at least several years. The front of these quilts looked fine. The back of one of them, in particular, was laden with heavy black mold.
Following the only advice that was available to me at the time, I used a hair dryer, set on low, and held it about 12” from the surface of the mold colony, in an attempt to dry out the active mold. Then the quilt was laid outdoors in the bright sun with the soiled portions exposed.
At that point in time, ultraviolet rays were of no concern. Removing the stain was the only goal. Little did I know that I was putting my health at risk by blowing these spores around. Even a normally healthy individual can become ill from inhaling mold spores.
In any event, the “treatment” was not successful. Not surprisingly, the black stain remained in the cloth. This quilt had no re-sale value as it had been so badly damaged by the digestive stomach acids produced by the mold. Ultimately, not knowing what to do with the quilt, the estate administrators mailed it to distant relatives of the deceased.
In the meantime, I had asked if it was okay to trace the appliqué designs. The block, rendered in orange on the original quilt, is almost identical to “Tiger Lily” published by Nancy Cabot in the “Chicago Tribune,” 1933. The same block is designated as #29.87 in the Encyclopedia of Appliqué by Barbara Brackman, (McLean, VA: EPM, 1993.)
Since that time, I have incorporated a (full-size) block of that kind into a twin-size quilt that I am presently making. The quilt has blocks that are reproductions of antique blocks given to me by friends, and patterns “lifted” from the surface of other old quilts or tops in personal collection.
This reproduction quilt block features flowers composed of feedsack and Nile green stems and leaves, in keeping with the early 1930s years in quiltmaking.
Mildew and Mold
"Mildew” are microorganisms that will grow into “mold” when conditions are right. (Both are fungal hyphae.) Mildew damage on textiles can never be completed reversed. Microscopic mildew spores that are omnipresent in the air will attach themselves to moist surfaces. On cloth, these biological wonders will bloom into white, black, or colored circular patches of mold, depending on the type of mold organism. The organic juices that are expelled from the mold while it is growing will stain the fabric. Mold can become fully integrated into the surface of a damp cotton quilt and that stain cannot be totally eradicated. An overwhelming musty odor is a characteristic by-product of both mold and bacteria.
Photo of moldy WWII pillow top. This item is made of rayon and has flocking, both of which have been infiltrated by mildew, after being subjected to damp conditions. photo by James Cummings
Beware of Harsh Chemical Cleaners
A friend acquired a pile of old quilt blocks and wished to remove mold from them. She tried several products and she reports that Biz laundry detergent that contains sodium perborate seems to have been most successful in lessening the visibility of the mold stains. While oxidated cleaners may appear to surface-clean mold stains, they also weaken fibers that have already been compromised structurally by the acidic action associated with mold growth on the cloth.
One recommendation calls for laying the mildewed object flat and turning on fans in the room to circulate the air. This will promote drying of the surface of the quilt. Do not blow air directly on the weakened fibers. Vacuum the quilt when it is completely dry, following the museum methods provided elsewhere in this document. My preference is to avoid buying moldy objects and to get rid of any textiles with a mold problem.
Think twice about purchasing any old quilt or textiles that has a visible mold issue. For children and for the elderly, and also for those whose immune system is already compromised due to an illness or because the person is undergoing chemotherapy, mold can cause serious health complications. Contact with mold can lead to asthma, hay fever, and lung complications. Why risk endangering your well-being by bringing a contaminated item into your home?
Bluework Quilt Had Unknown Contaminants
One never knows what a textile actually looks like when ordering it in an online auction. Sometimes, the buyer is pleasantly surprised and the quality may even exceed expectations. At other times, the item may look and smell very bad, upon its receipt in the mail. That was the case of a Bluework Quilt that was covered with yellow...something, something unknown, that is. My husband took one whiff and stated that the discoloration and bad odor were from tobacco smoke. Drastic problems call for drastic measures. After testing the threads and blue cotton fabric for colorfastness, I decided to wash the baby quilt that had been heavily machine quilted and had a thin batting (which was great because it meant fast drying time.)
I knew that I was taking a chance in washing it in the washing machine, something I normally would not do. However, I set the machine on the gentle/hand wash cycle, and soaked the quilt in “Restoration,” a commercially-sold chemical combination of sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate. If you use this product, pay close attention to the warnings on the bottle, as with any chemicals.
I followed up by using a ten minute (gentle) wash cycle to which Cheer, Free and Gentle laundry detergent had been added. This product is free of dyes and perfumes. Between the two products, the results were very pleasing. After airing the quilt outside, draped over a heavy duty, white, terry towel on a clothesline, on a sunny, windy day, the quilt smells wonderful and the yellow stains are gone. The batting was very thin and was not distorted or affected poorly by drying the quilt in the manner described.
Contact info:
"Restoration”
Engleside Products, Inc.
355 East Liberty Street
Lancaster, PA 17602
1-717-397-9497
Hawaiian Display Method Caused Mildew and Staining
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, (now the Westin Mauna Kea) which is located on the Kohala Coast, in Kamuela, Hawaii, was built by the late Laurance S. Rockefeller in 1965. A book, The Art Tour Guide, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, (no publication date listed), purchased by Sandra Munsey, on one of her trips to the islands, states that Rockefeller commissioned expert quilters to make twenty-nine quilts to hang at the new hotel that displays hundreds of other art treasures. At the time, the (late) Mealii Kalama, led the ladies of the Kawaiahao Church in making these quilts. During her lifetime, she was bestowed the tittle of “Hawaiian Living Treasure.”
The completed, 8' square quilts were hung on exterior walls of the hotel building between the doorways of units. Initially, the quilts were exposed to salt air, but later, they were placed in frames and enclosed under Plexiglas, a situation that apparently contributed to a mildew problem on some of the quilts. This was not a surprising turn of events. The constant high humidity and fluctuating sea level temperatures on the Hawaiian coast would place any textile, exposed to the elements, in the path of danger.
The "Naupaka" quilt appears to have mold/mildew damage, visible on the left side of the photo. photo courtesy of Sandra Munsey
The lines of quilting stitches are numerous in Hawaiian quilts, due to the practice of “echo quilting.” According to Munsey, some of the quilts began to show mildew growth along the lines of the quilting threads. The mold “shadowed” the quilting lines, she said. Mold staining is visible as grey areas in the yellow and white quilt, called “Naupaka,” a word that means, “Legend of Love.”
Staining from Wood Acid
Among the quilts that sustained wood-acid damage were the turquoise and white “Makalapua”- Queen Liliuokalani's Flower Garden; the purple and white quilt called, “Kukui O Lono,” - Lamps of Lono; and the green and white quilt, “Ulu Hua I Ka Hapapa,” - Breadfruit Growing in Sand Dunes.
Sandra Munsey has shared some of the photos that she took of these quilts in 1989. Direct sunlight can be seen streaming onto the surface of the Plexiglas. Ultraviolet rays from the sun will not only fade a quilt, but will increase the dampness on its surface, setting up ideal conditions of warmth and moisture necessary for mildew/mold growth.
The “Makalapua” quilt, appears to have suffered some ascetic acid stains as a result of contact with untreated wood, and damp conditions near Hawaii's shore. Photo courtesy of Sandra Munsey.
When damage to the quilts was discovered, they were removed from that outdoor setting. Five were sent to the Pacific Regional Conservation Center at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu in 1996 for conservation work. According to notes made by a conservator there, at the time, four of the quilts were “acidic” when they arrived. Those were “wet cleaned.” A fifth quilt was vacuumed, and they were all returned to the hotel.
Loretta (Laurie) Woodard) of Kailua, HI, Project Director of the Hawaiian Quilt Research Project, reports having seen five of the damaged hotel quilts in the conservation lab of the museum in 1995, before they were conserved. One of those quilts was the “Makalapua” quilt. The others are not pictured here. She was granted permission to register all five quilts for the state documentation project. The quilts that Woddard examined had acquired acidic stains due to “prolonged direct contact with wood exhibit frames.”
Today some of the original twenty-nine commissioned quilts can be seen (indoors) on the top floor of the Mauna Kea hotel. Apparently, the fate of some of the original set of quilts is unknown. Speculation has it that some may have been burned, if they could no longer be displayed due to the damage they sustained. The tale may or may not be true but seems to be in keeping with traditional Hawaiian beliefs about quilts and their makers.
Reports have appeared in print about the intention of Mealii Kalama and here sister, Irene, to replicate the damaged quilts. The number varies from five to six to eight quilts that the two ladies finished, depending on which news article one reads, from the early 1980s. At this moment we do not know the fate of all of the original quilts that were made for the hotel, nor do we have a count of how many are presently on display there. Every Hawaiian quilt (kapa) is a masterpiece and a true labor of love. It is nothing short of a tragedy that any of the lovely quilts were harmed.
Historic Quilt in Iowa Damaged by Mildew
Extensive mold/mildew damage is present on the surface of all-linen historic Redwork quilt made in Keota, Iowa in 1890. The 60” x 70” tied quilt is the product of a fund raising effort by the Ladies Social Circle of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Not only did the ladies collect $3.00 for every “business ad” within a Redwork block, they also charged ten cents for each signature.
Close-up of quilt block from Keota, Iowa antique signature quilt.
One block is signed, “A.H. Richardson, artist, Harper, Iowa.” The added word, “artist,” describes exactly how women who did Redwork in the late nineteenth century felt about themselves. They were “etching with a needle,” as part of the “Decorative Arts movement.” The quilt hung in the church in Keota until the church closed. Then a former church member stored it at her home. Recently, the quilt was given to the Wilson Memorial Library in Keota. Ever since the, librarian Rachel Klein, and Keota resident, Andi Reynolds, have been collaborating on how best to care for the quilt.
The Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education says this about mold treatment:
"Washing or dry cleaning is not recommended.”
When a quilt is as heavily damaged as this one, first take some photos of it. With historic textiles, always consult a quilt conservator. Take extra precautions when handling the moldy quilt. Wear a mask device and nitrile gloves. When displaying the quilt, avoid subjecting it to more high humidity. That only would encourage additional mold growth.
If at all possible, have a knowledgeable embroiderer reproduce the quilt in its entirety. The reproduction quilt can be exhibited along with a photo of the original quilt. In the meantime, tuck the old quilt sway, properly wrapped and stored according to accepted museum guidelines, shared here.
Reynolds confirms that the 1890 quilts had been kept in very humid conditions. As suspected from viewing photos of the quilt's blocks, the visible discolorations are a full-fledged case of mold, not “age stains,” or “foxing.”
Foxing consists of tiny, rust-colored spots that are not “rust” at all. They are the result of exudation (the release of exudates) by Zerophilic fungi. This fungi exudes small dotes of slime that infiltrate the porous surfaces of old linens and books, and looks like little freckles.
Mold growth will be the most prolific in moist air that is between 77-86 degrees Fahrenheit. Mold will grow best on cotton and linen at 80% relative humidity, and on wool and silk at 92% relative humidity, according to the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education. Cooled air is not always the key to control of mold, if that air is not de-humidified. Air conditioners are a must for environmental control, especially in hot, humid weather.
Mold and mildew are the nemesis of those of use who love old quilts. The complicating factor is that mold spores are ubiquitous in our environment. Indeed, mold spores just seem to be waiting around to cause a problem for those quilt owners who do not vigilantly guard their collection from their insidious destruction.
Wanting to double-check my research, I asked the opinions of two textile experts. They both responded via personal e-mail. First, Patricia Cox Crews, Ph.D., Willa Cather Professor of Textiles, who works in the Department of Textiles, Clothing & Design at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and who is the Director of the International Quilt Study Center, exclaims that mold and mildew are “intractable” problems. As far as she knows, even chlorine, which is not recommended, will not totally remove them. To see some lovely quilts, visit the International Quilt Study Center's website, see: http://www.quiltstudy.org/
For an additional opinion, I asked professional textile conservator, Margaret Geiss-Mooney of California, if there are any known treatments for the removal of mold from quilts, and if the presence of mold is always a death sentence for a quilt.
She had this to say, “The short and not-so-sweet answer is that there is no magical chemical or treatment to remove the effects of mold/mildew activity.” She further states that in treating mold, three components need to be in place: proper health protection, proper removal procedures, and proper subsequent, careful storage. If all three parts of this plan are implemented, a quilt may not have to be discarded. However, if all three actions are not followed, she stresses that “there could be a risk to HUMAN safety.”
As always, if you think that a problem is beyond your capabilities, please ask advice from someone who is trained for the task. After all, you would not try to remove your own appendix!
Copyright 2005/2007. Patricia and James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. This book is shared online for your educational enrichment. The text and the photos are copyrighted. Comments? Questions? Please write to: pat@quiltersmuse.com