Quilt Care
Straight Talk About Quilt Care Book
Chapter 1C
Display (continued)
by Patricia Cummings
photos by James Cummings, et. al.
Wire
Hangers
Patti
Ives of Nevada has appliquéd a beautiful block design called,
“California
Poppy,” a design that appears in the book, Hearts
and Flowers – Hand Appliqué From Start to Finish by
Kathy Delaney (MO: Kansas City Star Books, 2002.) The quilt is shown
here hanging from a special hanger created by Mike Ives, Patti's
husband. Mike takes sixteenth inch mechanic's wire, which is composed
of soft steel, and uses an electric drill to twist two pieces of the
wire together. After that, he bends the hanger into the shape desired
and spray paints it black.
There are a number of ways to attach a little quilt to such a hanger, my favorite being to use small brass safety pins, which will not rust, to attach the middle of pieces of 8” lengths of ribbon to the back of the quilt on both sides. The ribbon can be used to tie the quilt onto the hanger. End by tying the ends of the ribbon into a decorative bow.
Hangers
with Rubber Inserts
A few years ago, we purchased a beautiful looking, wooden unit with which to hang a medium size wall hanging. The directions say to insert the top of the quilt into a length of rubber that is provided. This rubber piece is open at the bottom and requires that the edge be “hammered close” after the quilt is slipped into the rubber. After that is done, the quilt and the rubber unit are slid together into a groove at the bottom of the engraved decorative hanger. Hanger not shown here.
The Baltimore Album style wall quilt looked very nice hanging from this unit and it was left in place for more than a year. When we removed the quilt, we noticed a considerable discrepancy in color between the border fabric and the top edge of the quilt that had been exposed to the rubber in an anaerobic environment. At first, we assumed that the rubber had discolored the quilt's border.
However, in reassessing the situation, it is clear to see that the border fabric itself was not lightfast. The part of the border that had been exposed to light had faded from a violet hue to almost a dark pink, while the fabric shielded from light by the rubber insert, had retained its original color. Color changes in cloth are irreversible. Someday, perhaps, I will replace the borders of this quilt, and it can be displayed again.
Safe
Display: Avoid Sun Exposure from Windows
When hanging a quilt, consider how much light exposure it will receive daily. Remember to hand to to drape the quilt in an area that is away from windows and fluorescent lights. Ultraviolet rays will weaken fibers and cause fading in textiles. The amount of damage will be the result of the intensity of the light and the duration of exposure. Sometimes, irreversible fading happens so slowly, it is not immediately noticeable to the human eye.
"Mariner's Compass" quilt with wide, ruffled, gingham border. Exposure to light, from a window, has faded the left side of the quilt, bleaching out the color. Photo shown, courtesy of the Remick Country Doctor and Farm Museum, Tamworth, NH
In a small room in my home, where cotton fabrics are stored on wide metal shelves lined with acid-free paper, UV protective film has been installed on the only window in the room. The film is sold in sheets that can be cut to the size of window panes. These will adhere when they are manually pressed onto glass. For availability of the product, check any automotive store, or automotive section of any large department store.
If you
are replacing old windows or engaging in new construction to build a
quilting studio, be aware that it is possible to buy Plexiglas, or
regular glass that is engineered to filter ultraviolet rays. Check
with local businesses that sell products for solar homes. In
addition, Mylar window shades that are UV- treated are sold in such
places. Apparently, there are also anti-UV products that are liquid
and can be painted onto window surfaces, and there are others that
can be sprayed onto windows. One company that sells UV window
treatment solutions is Transparent Glass Coatings Co., Inc. (800)
431-2584, http://tinyurl.com/8kqnj
Industry Standards for Light Fading
In a newsletter generated by a special Keepsake Quilting mail order catalog in Spring 1998, Jinny Beyer, the famous quilt entrepreneur and designer of fabrics, reveals the following:
The industry standard for light fading of 100% cotton fabric is 20 hours! This means that an 'apparel fabric' (the industry category that 100% cotton falls into) must hold its color up to 20 hours in direct sunlight; after that time, if it fades, the industry is not held responsible.
With
this information as a guideline, it seems that the consumer needs to
be even more vigilant in establishing UV protection from natural
light sources. The accelerated rate at which cotton fabric fades
amounts to built-in obsolescence.
Light fading of quilts located in museums has been a terrible problem, especially for old quilts that are constantly on display or located in simulated “period” houses, on beds near windows that do not have so much as a curtain. In some cases, curators have discoveredirreparable damage only after the fact.
The border of one quilt thathad been close to a window was almost completely bleached out. The fibers of another, very early quilt, literally rotted while laying on the same bed for years. Only now, are we all becoming more aware of the need to conserve and to preserve antique quilts. We are also realizing how much more prone to fading some of the old dyes are.
If you
have ever compared the top surface and the bottom surface of an
upholstered cushion that has been used for a wicker chair, on a
glass-enclosed summer porch, at the end of the season, you would see
that the top of the cushion is very faded, compared to the bottom of
the cushion that has received less direct sunlight.
Home decorator fabrics have twice as much light fastness as cotton used for clothing and quilting. If this higher standard of quality were present in quilter's cotton, Beyer estimated that the price of cotton would increase to between $20. and $40. per yard, at the time she wrote the article. One wonders what the project cost would be today.
In the
book, From Fiber to Fabric (C&T Publishing, 1997), Harriet
Hargrave states that fabrics geared for automotive manufacturing are
guaranteed to be light fast for 1,000 hours. This is probably the
highest standard of all, in the industry.
Hargrave's book covers how cotton is processed, and all of the steps it undergoes before it reaches the local quilt store. She also explains how to test fabrics for crocking (color rubbing off), and for qualities of lightfastness, and colorfastness. Before spending a great deal of time making a quilt, a wise quilter will test all the fabrics for these properties. That way, down the road, there will be no surprises.
UV
Protectant for Clothing
As an interesting aside, Rit, the maker of dyes for use in the home washing machine, sells a new laundry treatment? UV protectant called “Sun Guard.” The advertisement on the box says, “Helps Clothing Protect Skin from Harmful UV Rays” - The first sun protection for skin you wash into clothing; safe for you whole family.” Added to the wash cycle, the product increases a garment's UPF factor (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) from 5 to 30.
How About Enclosing Textiles within a Glass Frame?
Whether
large of small, quilts and other textiles can be framed by a good
framer. If glass over the object is desired, as a barrier to dust and
air pollutants, the main consideration is that there be adequate
spacing between the textile and the glass. Framers achieve this by
adding “spacers.”
Antique "Wagon Wheel" Quilt Block that is framed under glass without "spacers."
One danger in framing historic quilts for display in public places is that the textiles is usually never taken down to “rest.” Over the years, gravity can take its toll. A quilt or a piece of needlework framed in this manner should never be hung in an area that is exposed to sunlight for even part of the day. Sunlight affects the temperature of the glass, and fluctuations of temperature may cause moisture build-up on the interior surface of the glass pane.
Glass placed too close to linen fibers, such as those of old Samplers, makes them rot. This happened to a friend's eighteenth century Sampler from Canada that had been framed incorrectly. The glass was too close to the needlework and the moisture that built up caused disintegration, a situation that is not appealing to collectors. Now, one of the only options that remains is for some industrious person to chart the old embroidery designs, work them on another piece of linen, and frame that needlework in a correct manner to save it for posterity.
Framing
Individual Quilt Blocks
Within the last few years, the number of framed quilt blocks seen at antique stores has increased, as have the number of pieces of baby clothing, such as christening gowns. If framed properly, using materials that are safe for textiles, framing them could be a nice idea. Too often, though, framing is done in a haphazard manner, in a way that is deleterious to the textile.
Unfortunately, quilt blocks are sometimes stretched around regular cardboard, a very acidic product, instead of acid-free foam core board. In addition, they are taped or glued to secure the edges to the back of the framing material. As we have just mentioned, frames that are too small are used. An example of poor framing of an antique quilt block is “Wagon Wheel variation,” that was purchased, as is, at an antiques store. Obviously the block was cut down rom a larger quilt.
When framing a quilt block or a piece of embroidery, always add additional borders to the edges. These new borders should have sturdy outer edges. Serge them or turn under the edges twice and stitch them down by machine, if possible. A professional framer often will ask you to do this first step of framing, at home. He or she will add a thin piece of batting that will be placed on top of a foam core board over which the borders will be “laced” with a heavy cotton or fine linen thread. By having the extra borders in place, lacing them over the foam core board will be less stressful to the actual textile being framed.
Some quilters, particularly art quilters who make small to medium size quilts for gallery exhibit, like the idea of using shadow boxes to frame them. Small shadow boxes can be purchased at craft stores, but larger ones must be custom-made. Shadow boxes may have glass, or not, whichever is your preference.
There are various types of glass that are archival in quality. One is called Tru-Vu museum glass. This has a slightly bluish cast which will not be noticeable once it is placed over a framed item. The glass blocks ultraviolet rays by 97%. Another type of glass is called Denglas which is much more clear in color than Tru-Vu. It is more reflective, and it cuts damaging rays from sunlight by 91%. Both of these products are sold by National Glass Industries, Woodinville, WA.
Avoid using non-glare glass in framing your needlework. This type of glass is prepared by etching it with acid. There is no proof to date that it is safe near textiles.
Framing Needlework: Use Archival Materials Only
If you have spent a lot of time working on a piece of needlework and want to preserve it well, you owe it to yourself to engage the services of a professional framer. Winton Frame & Gallery in Concord, New Hampshire does archival needlework framing, and uses only conservation-quality materials. Knowing that acid-free tissue and acid-free boxes should be replaced at close intervals because they regain their acidity, I spoke with Winton DeRosia, owner of the business, to ask him if acid-free mats, used in framing needlework, ever need to be replaced.
DeRosia told me that he has never suggested that mats be replaced, and has never been aware of any problem with the conservation-quality mats that he busy from Nielsen & Bainbridge (NB Framing.) Still wanting a more complete answer to the question, I contacted the supplier directly.
Luis Villegas, a corporate spokesperson, explains that some people get confused about “acid free” products. If a board has only been neutralized with a buffering agent or a high alkaline solution, then it will regain acidity. However, if the board (mat) is called “museum quality,” “archival quality,” or “conservation quality,” then the acids from the wood product will not build up again. He suggests that customers ask for 100% conservation quality boards, such as the company's Alphamat or Alpharag products.
Norman Boris, Quality Assurance and Development Manager, a twenty-three year veteran of Bainbridge, also responded to my query. Boris further describes why the Alphamat Artcare mat board is so special. He states that a patent technology called Microchamber is utilized by which special adsorbents called zeolites are added to the boards.
These zeolites absorb pollutants and by-products, and will take thousands of years to reach their capacity. For this reason, Alphamat boards never need to be replaced. In addition, the boards are manufactured with the highest quality lightfast pigments to ensure maximum fade resistance.
Boris
cautions consumers that the words “acid-free” do not necessarily
indicate
“archival quality.” He reiterates Villegas' idea that,
“One should look for mat boards that are identified as
“conservation, preservation, or museum” quality.
Winton DeRosia reports that often, clients bring him old pieces of needlework to be re-framed. He has seen all kinds of botched attempts at home framing. In one instance, all three of the worst, non-archival materials had been used to frame the item originally: staples, a sticky-board, and duct tape.
To that horror story, I would add one of my own. My mother spent quite a lot of time doing embroidery in her later years. She created three large, lovely pieces, from needlework cross-stitch kits. Upon completing them in the 1970s, she bought frames with glass, at her local department store. She glued the needlework to cardboard, and placed each of these pieces within the frames, with the surface of each touching the glass. Sadly, these pieces will not have longevity, and she created an irreversible situation, or at least one that would take countless hours and a lot of money for a professional conservator to attempt to undo.
Information on How to Frame
If you have ever taken a class on “How to Frame” from a professional framer, and you know how “to lace” needlework, and you happen to have a good reference book or two on framing, then, as long as you acquire your archival quality framing supplies, there is no reason why you cannot frame a piece of needlework at home.
A magazine article, “Conservation Framing at Home: Fit for Heirlooms,” explains lacing and has clear photos. Please see the “Reference” section of this book, for more information. A copy of the article can be requested through the Interlibrary Loan Service at you public library's reference desk.
Additional helpful resources that will help you to learn more about framing are: Do-It-Yourself Framed Quilts by Gai Perry (California, C&T Publishing, 2001), and The Library of Professional Picture Framing Needlework Framing, Volume 3, by Vivian C. Kistler, CPF (Akron, Ohio: Columbia Publishing Co., 1987).
Special Frame Custom Made by Hospital Employee
In
1999, a group of six friends decided to join our efforts to make a
miniature
quilt. This quilt was created to raise funds for cardiac
patients at a local hospital. First, we contacted Jenifer Buechel,
author of Miniature Baltimore Album Quilts (That Patchwork
Place, 1997), to ask her permission to use her book as the basis for
making an opportunity quilt. As is customary with designers, she
requested that every member of the group purchase her own copy of the
book, but otherwise happily agreed to the plan.
The
hospital's Volunteer Coordinator, Karla Roth, came up with the idea
of circulating the quilt among downtown businesses to maximize ticket
sales. However, she wondered how best to protect the 25 1/4”
square, silk ribbon quilt, from the wear and tear of public contact.
Pretty quilts invite touch, and the viewing public does not realize
the damage that can be inflicted on a quilt by handling it. Photo at right provided by
Duane Erickson.
Fred Hamel, a hospital employee (now retired) was told of my ideas and suggestions for a special frame that could be made. Wasting no time, Fred created a free-standing, Oak display case with Plexiglas inserts. At the top of the unit, the two pieces of Plexiglas are separated by a space in which the small-diameter wooden dowel, that holds the quilt, can be dropped into place. The frame is wonderful!
The Plexiglas allows viewers to see the quilt clearly, without touching it. Also visible, on the back side of the quilt, are the documentation labels that indicate the maker of each block, and a dedication message to our deceased friend, Alice Jesse. The lucky winner of the quilt, Shirley Erickson, was also given the quilt frame to take home.
What about a Wooden Box with a Glass Top to Display an Old Quilt?
A wooden box with a glass top is not an ideal way to display a quilt. With a glass enclosure of this sort, there is not adequate air circulation. The interior of a wooden box can cause permanent brown stains on quilts when the natural acid, that is present in all wood products leaks out, as previously stated. Another danger is mildew which will grow in damp, warm, places.
Knowing the risks, if you still decide to display your quilt in this manner, please take precautions. Coat the inside of the box with three layers of polyacrylic finish. Line the bottom of the box with Tyvek, a thin, white, inert, water-resistant sheet that will resist mold and mildew. As always, pad the folds of the quilt with crumpled acid-free paper.
For quilts, never use regular tissue paper that is sold in stationery stores and is not specifically called “acid-free.” The Hollinger Corporation sells both Tyvek and acid-free paper. Visit http://www.hollingercorp.com or call (800) 634-0491. Many businesses sell acid-free products, some of which are listed elsewhere in this document.
Remember to remove the quilt from the display box frequently. While it is “resting,” place it in a horizontal position, in a spare bedroom, if you have one. Place a box fan blowing on either side of the quilt to circulate the air in the room. This will help to dry any surface moisture on the quilt. Refold the quilt in a different manner, each time, and either return it to the display box, or store the quilt safely tucked away in an acid-free storage box or on a lined shelf, preferably on the first floor of your home where temperatures are more moderate.
The antique quilts referred to in this book are made of natural fibers: linen, cotton, silk, and wool. Cotton is particularly hygroscopic. Translated, that means that a cotton quilt will attract and hold moisture on its surface and will release dampness slowly. To keep the surface of a quilt dry in humid conditions is always a challenge. This makes a good case for having air conditioners within your home, wherever quilts are displayed or stored.
Perfection is Not Needed in Quilts (or People)
Love your quilts, both old and new. Display them with pride, and do not worry about them if they are not “perfect.” Make some utilitarian quilts for your family to use, and even perhaps “to use up.” Included in this category will be well-worn, drag-around quilts for toddlers, their “blankies,” and maybe even some quilts made for doted-upon pets. If you are like me, you have lived long enough to have seen some of your quilts discarded, inadvertently damaged, or even “loved to death.” Remember that not everyone appreciates textiles in the same way a quilter would! Take heart! Make another quilt!
As Camille Cognac points out in her book, Quilt Restoration: A Practical Guide, (McLean, VA: EPM, 1994), there is a long history of recycling quilts by salvaging the good parts and recombining them to fashion into smaller quilts.
"Cutter quilt” is a term that circulates in the antiques market and on eBay. The concept makes me a little bit nervous. The main problem, in this instance, is that the general public, even antique store dealers and eBay dealers, may not recognize a real “treasure” when they see it. Quilts of historic importance, and textiles such as Indian palampores, can be of extreme value, but may be “missed” by an untrained eye.
To learn more about your antique quilt, please seek more than one opinion before you begin to chop up the quilt or quilt top to make stuffed animals. Not all quilt professionals are created equal in terms of knowledge and experience, and so, you will be able to gain a better understanding of your material object, if more than one type of professional is consulted.
If you are a quilter, I hope that sometime in your life you will create a from-the-heart quilt that has special meaning to you, and is your own design. At least once, try to create a “masterpiece” which exists solely to be admired. This is the kind of quilt that will deserve your every effort at conservation and preservation. If it is hung as a wall quilt, keep it free from dust by frequent vacuuming, on low power and using proper precautions, as will be explained later. Stagger the quilt's display schedule, and when it is not hanging, store it safely, as advised.
If you have spent a great deal of time making the quilt, keep good records, including photos of the work in progress, and a record of the number of hours spent working on it, from first design to the last stitch on the binding. In a diary, write down news events or family happenings that were occurring while you quilted. At least some of your quilts deserve to be handed down to future generations in grand style and a written record will be very meaningful to you or to your descendants or quilt recipient, in the future.
Go to Chapter 2A: Cleaning Quilts
This book was originally published in 2005. This e-book is offered to you in 2007 for your education and enlightenment. Please do not copy any photos or text for your own commercial gain. These are all under copyright law protection.
Copyright 2005, 2007. Patricia and James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. Questions? Comments? pat@quiltersmuse.com