Quilt Care
Straight Talk About Quilt Care Book
Chapter 6
Home Storage of Quilts
by Patricia Cummings
photos by James Cummings, et.al.
Storage
in Plastic Bags Equals Danger for Your Quilt
NEVER place a quilt in a plastic bag, except when shipping. Plastic bags are suggested for mailing (only) because they will serve to protect a quilt from exposure to liquids, should a nearby box leak during shipping.
Never, ever use a colored plastic trash bag to store a quilt.
Garbage Day – Oops!
A relative reports having worked on a making a Cathedral Window quilt over a span of many years. Since she always has to many different projects going one at one time, she had placed the quilt in a colored garbage bag and had set it aside in a little used room of the house. The room was located near an adjacent porch where trash bags full of refuse were kept on the day of trash pick-up by city workers.
Oddly enough, she had been thinking about working on the quilt again, just that morning. Not suspecting anything unusual that day, she went to the room where she had placed the quilt, but the bag containing it was nowhere in sight.
In questioning her husband, she found out that the bag with the quilt inside had been placed curbside, along with the rest of the household trash. After muttering a few words, she raced outside to retrieve it. She was too late. The bag was already on its way to the city dump. Sadly, her quilt was never retrieved. Her lesson, learned at great cost, is one for all of us to remember.
If you must mail a quilt, look for large, CLEAR plastic bags that are sold at beauty supply outlets or at Home Depot. This
recommendation if for temporary transport only. Place a small quilt
in a new, white, washed pillowcase, or wrap a larger quilt in
acid-free, tissue paper, or in “de-sized muslin,” before
inserting the quilt into a plastic bag. Using a cloth barrier will
cut down on the inevitable infiltration of fumes from the bag into
the quilt. The absorbent material will collect the moisture that
inevitably will build up on the interior of a closed plastic bag.
De-sized Muslin
De-sized muslin is an archival product used by museums
and private collectors alike. This unbleached muslin is often used
for making sleeves for quilts. To remove sizing from store-bought
muslin is next to impossible to do at home. Certain enzymes and
agitation are required for that purpose, according to Joan Kiplinger.
A company called Test fabrics of West Pittston, PA carries de-sized
muslin (product #3400U), which is sold by the meter, at a very
reasonable coast. For more information, contact them at:
testfabrics@aol.com or call
:
(570) 603-0432.
For storing smaller textiles, at any time, use resealable food storage bags that come in quart, gallon, or two gallon sizes at the grocery stores. Several resealable bag companies now makes approximately 20 gallon size bags that are large enough to enclose larger textiles. The bags are made of polyethylene plastic resin and are a completely safe product to use with fabrics. These bags are found in your local, grocery store aisle.
Keep
Temperatures Steady
Temperature is another factor to consider when storing or hanging quilts. Ideally, a quilt hung as wall décor should be placed on an interior wall that does not have variable temperatures due to fluctuations in outdoor temperatures. Quilts should never be stored in attics or basements. The area of your home where you spend most of your time is probably the best area to store quilts. If the quilt is hung on an outside wall, check often for any mold growth on the back of the quilt.
The International Quilt Study Center maintains a steady temperature of 63 degrees Fahrenheit, in their storage area. An ideal temperature at which to store quilts is between 55- 65 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Patsy Orlofsky, well-known quilt conservator, and author of “The Collector's Guide for the Care of Quilts in the Home,” an article that appeared in Quilt Digest 2 (San Francisco, CA: Kiracofe and Kile, 1984.) Orlofsky co-authored the book, Quilts in America (New York: Abbeville Press, 1974), with her late husband, Myron Orlofsky. The book has seen been reprinted by the American Quilters Society.
The
Need for a Good Hygrometer
Speaking of humidity, a household level of 50% relative
humidity is desirable for
quilts. Hygrometers can measure the level
of air moisture in your home. The first hygrometer was developed in
1783 by a Swiss scientist named Horace Bénédict de
Saussure. He used a human hair to determine the amount of moisture in
the air. Directions for making a simple hygrometer, based on
Saussure's idea, and one that could be a good school project for
children, are provided at: http://www.about.com
Over the years, scientists have created other devices to test humidity levels. On one particular day, I checked http://www.eBay.com and there were more than two hundred different hygrometers being offered, in a wide variety of styles. The instrument at the right is a German-made thermometer, barometer, and hygrometer, three tools in one!
If your home is too dry, the moisture content in the air can be increased by running a humidifier. These are very helpful for humans to use in hot, heated homes in the winter.
Be sure to follow manufacturer's directions for cleaning the humidifier (usually once per week.) Otherwise, an unhealthy environment can be created that actually places dangerous mold spores into the air. Legionnaire's disease is only one of the possible complication of inhaling air-borne mold.
When the air is too heavy with moisture, a dehumidifier can be run to dry the air. These are often set up in basements, but can be used anywhere in the home. Humidity levels should be monitored closely, particularly where quilts are stored. Damp conditions encourage mold growth.
Desiccant bags can help to keep quilts dry in storage, particularly if they are in an enclosed space. The role of a desiccant is to attract and absorb moisture and hold it to itself. Silica gel is commonly used for this purpose. This product is sold online.
Are Cedar Chests a Good Choice for Storage?
Traditionally, cedar wood, which is very aromatic, has
been used to line the interior of wooden chests used to store
textiles. Cedar, like any other wood, is acidic and should not be
allowed to come into direct contact with textiles, lest wood acids
leach into the items stored. The cedar wood is thought to repel moths
and chewing insects.
Cedar Chests have been advertised for years, touted as a superior place to store textiles. While cedar wood does repel insects, remember to line any chest of this type before using. Old advertisement above is from Home Needlework, September 1916.
If you are going to place any clothing or other textiles in a cedar chest, line the sides and bottom of the chest first. The Hollinger Corporation, manufacturers of archival supplies since 1945, recommends that Tyvek be purchased for that purpose. Alternative choices for lining the chest include layers of acid-free paper, mylar, or aluminum foil. Be aware that white-colored linens placed in a cedar chest may become yellowed due to acidic cedar fumes.
Let's
Discuss Mothballs
Ah, yes, I remember them well! The news that mothballs are toxic comes as no surprise! The main ingredient in mothballs is either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Both convert directly from a solid state to a gas. Within an enclosed space, this gas kills both moths and moth larvae.
When I was a child and my family attended Midnight Mass on Christmas eve, there was an overwhelming odor of mothballs, combined with perfume. The poignant aroma assaulted my olfactory senses, making me feel ill. The ladies of the parish would have just resurrected their winter coats, scarves, and hats for the special occasion, straight from storage. Please remember to air clothing outdoors for several days, if it has been stored in mothballs. In so doing, you will created a healthier environment for everyone whom you encounter.
If you use mothballs for any of your textile storage areas, do not let them come into direct contact with the surface of any cloth items. They can be wrapped in pieces of acid-free paper of muslin, if you have to use them at all. I recommend alternative control measures.
Some of the many potential side effects of breathing the gas emitted from mothballs are nausea, headache, renal failure, blood problems, dizziness, and poisoning through inhalation and skin absorption. The household danger to humans is intensified when concentrated gases emitted by mothballs are inhaled, particularly when opening an enclosed container.
The federal government's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issues guidelines which outline the “acceptable level” of the chemical compound paradichlorobenzene, in the workplace.
Artemisia:
A Natural Insect Repellent
Consider hanging branches of dried Wormwood, also called Artemisia Absinithium, in your closet as a non-chemical type of insect control. This foliage plant is an easily-grown, aromatic perennial known for its silvery gray leaves. The plant's long, woody stems grow to a height of 3'-5'. When you begin your search for Artemisia, you will find many varieties. Silver mound Artemisia is used for landscape purposes, but is not suitable for our use.
We had difficulty locating this plant until we went to
the Heritage Herb farm, owned by Peg Masterson, on the banks of the
Merrimack River in Canterbury, New Hampshire. Peg was kind enough to
allow us to photograph a growing plant, and also presented us with a
bundle of dried Artemisia branches. She said that she does not
grow many of these plants, as there has been a declining interest in
it during the last few years. Evidently people are unaware of the
plant's usefulness.
At the end of the growing season, harvest long branches. Join them together with elastics and hang them upside down for awhile. An old barn that is dry, or an unused room or enclosed porch of your home can be ideal places for drying Artemisia.
The plant should not be placed in direct contact with textiles. Instead, tie a pretty ribbon at the top of the foliage bundle and hang “bouquets” in places where you store quilts or clothes. The smell will cut down on insect traffic.
One company, that sells Artemisia online, offers an insect repellent recipe of natural herbs and garden plants that can be combined to ward off insects in drawers, cupboards, and the like. See: http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/herbs/mugwort.htm
The heavy odor from dried Artemisia sprigs will deter many natural enemies of your quilt, including, but not limited to, silverfish and their closely-related cousins, firebrats.
Silverfish and firebrats simply relish feasting on any starch that is left in clothing, or in cotton, linen, and rayone fabrics in your fabric storage area. These insects prefer to live in dark places that are damp and out of the way of mainstream traffic. They are nocturnal. If disturbed, you will see them skittering across the floor at high speed.
For those of you who like to starch linens, it is best to leave them not starched and not ironed while they are being stored. As for linen itself, ironing puts a strain on the fibers and so, it is best for the fibers to leave a linen item in a more relaxed state, when it is not being used.
Do not add extra starch when pressing cloth for quilting. Use de-sized muslin, which contains no starch, for wrapping quilts.
Moths and Other Insects
There are several types of moths in North American whose larvae feed on textiles: the case making moth and the common clothes moth. In addition, the larvae of four kinds of beetles, including two types of carpet beetles, will also dine on all sorts of animal fibers, even feathers, mounted butterflies, and animal head trophies.
A Pest Monitoring Kit sold by Gaylord includes lures for the Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci), Webbing Clothes Moth (Tineola Bisselliella), the Cigarette Beetle (Lasioderma serricorne), and the Warehouse Beetle (Trogoderma Variabile).
Crickets will chew on soiled clothing, especially that with food spills, and they like to munch on wool and silk. Cockroaches (Blatella spp.) are chewing insects that may inhabit, if not devour old quilts, given the chance. They will also infest the interior of old quilts, in great numbers. If you are considering buying a quilt that has breaks in its surface, “buyer beware!” Crickets and cockroaches belong to the same order of insects: Orthoptera.
Moth larvae have an affinity for wool but usually do not eat fabric fibers for their own sake. They will create holes in wool while feeding on protein elements from spilled food, etc. Be sure to clean garments well before they are placed in storage. Remember to have wool clothing dry-cleaned. As always, prevention is the best cure.
Silverfish (Lapisma saccharina) are also attracted to textiles. One will often see silverfish skittering around in uninhabited attics and less trafficked areas, a good reason to vacuum any closet, periodically, where textiles are stored in your home.
Spiders, which are actually Arachnids, not insects, may hang around quilts to feed on some of the other insects and larvae, or cellulose (such as paper left on the back of a quilt that has been paper-pieced by the old English method.) If the spiders on your quilt are live ones, and they have not been embroidered on there, by you, for a chance at Victorian-style good luck, then your quilt has a problem. The spiders are there because there is a source of food present.
Be very careful in removing old quilts from boxes in antique shops, and from closets. Both Black Widow spiders and Brown Recluse spiders enjoy “hanging out” in dark places (pardon the pun.) The bites of both creatures are painful and can be severe.
Don't Let Bugs Bug You!
Insects are an Eternal reminder of how much a small creature can be such a nuisance! Recently, I received a Home Trends catalog in the mail and was fascinated to see all the new products that are available. Some of the devices repel insects by ultrasonic and electromagnetic technology or broadcast signals. Other gadgets lure and then entrap insects. Some are sprays or crystals that can be spread around the foundation of your home. One product uses a derivative of orange peels to repel insects. Some are wands with which to ensnare, “bugs.”
Most of the items work without poisons, and are safe to use around pets and children, always an important consideration. If you have led as sheltered a life as I have recently, to inform yourself of all of these methods of insect control, call for a print catalog: (800) 810-2340.
A new “Pest Monitoring Kit” that includes a poster with images of troublesome insects and instructions for dealing with them. The kit is now available from www.Gaylord.com For more information, or to order, call (800) 448-6160. The kit, which has no pesticides, includes traps, lures and food baits for commonly seen pest problems in museums (and home collections.) This company sells many valuable archival aids for any collection, be it photographs, postcards, hats, and more.
Help! My Quilt is Infested with Insects
Ladybugs are beneficial in the garden because they eat aphids. There is a beetle that is a "faux" ladybug. These can enter the home through very small cracks and around windows. They are a nuisance in sewing rooms inasmuch as they secrete bright orange fluid when touched or disturbed. This liquid will stain cloth and is very difficult to remove.
Vacuum up the " bugs."
On rare occasions, you may find yourself faced with anunpleasant situation that demands immediate attention: your quilt has been infested with insects. If this is the case, wrap the quilt in de-sized muslin and enclose it in a new, large, clear-colored bag. Place the bag in a chest freezer that drops to -20 Celsius, for at least 48 hours.
Freezing will kill the adult population of the infestation. However, some larvae, which are usually more hardy than the adults, will hatch out, once the quilt is brought to room temperature again. When the quilt is at room temperature again, remove it from the bag and completely vacuum both front and back. If there are signs of insect eggs, you may want to freeze the quilt a second time and repeat the procedure.
When the quilt is brought out again, make sure that it thoroughly dries, following the instructions for air drying, found elsewhere in this book. Then, use the museum methods described, and safely vacuum the quilt.
Use only Acid-Free Products when Storing Quilts
If you want to store antique quilts, archival quality boxes are available from various suppliers. These boxes are acid-free, have steel-reinforced corners, and full covers which help to keep out insects. Boxes are sold in different sizes and some can accommodate more than just one quilt.
The boxes are lignin-free. If you are wondering what “lignin” means, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, “lignin” is a botanical term that means a complex organic polymer that occurs within the cell walls of plants, making them rigid or woody. This is the part of a stem of branch that emits most of the acid found in wood products.
Commercial suppliers of archival storage materials include:
Gaylord: http://www.gaylord.com/
Light Impressions: www.LightImpressionsDirect.com (800) 828-6216
and University Products: http://tinyurl.com/b9cp7
The Hollinger Corporation sells rolls of acid-free paper that are 36” x 250' long, as well as two sizes of cut sheets of the paper. They also make storage boxes that are sulfur-free, acid-free, and lignin-free. In addition, they make safe rolling tubes that are composed of a chemically-inert polyethylene plastic. For a free catalog, call (800) 634-0491, http://www.hollingercorp.com
Buffered v. Non-Buffered acid-Free Paper
Two different kinds of acid-free tissue paper are sold for use in archival storage. These are called “buffered” and “unbuffered,” papers. Buffered paper is treated with either magnesium sulfate, or calcium carbonate, so that the natural acid in the paper, that emanates from wood pulp content, is neutralized to an alkaline pH.
Buffered tissue paper is best used with plant-based fibers such as cotton or linen textiles. On the other hand, use unbuffered tissue with animal or protein-based fibers such as silk, wool, or leather.
Acid-free paper can be crumpled, or pleated like an accordion, to place within the folds of quilts to prevent permanent creasing. The paper can be used to line an acid-free box, as an extra level of protection for the quilt. Sheets of the paper also should be draped over the top of the quilt before the box top is set in place.
Acid-free tissue paper will eventually regain former acidic levels as its chemical treatment breaks down. Therefore, plan on changing the paper every two years, at a minimum. Environmental factors will cause the paper to regain acidity over time.
The tissue paper can be tested with a pH pen in order to ascertain whether or not it has regained acidity. Light Impressions is one company that supplies pH pens. Their toll-free number is (800) 828-6216. The pen will test mat boards, envelopes, and other items made of paper. The pen contains Bromcresol Green, a chemical ink that changes in color when applied to paper. If the dot of ink turns yellow, then the paper is highly acidic; if it turns green, then some acid is present; and if a blue dot appears, the paper is still acid-free.
Another way to tell if it is time to replace the acid-free paper is when if it has yellowed or appears to be brittle. Acid-free boxes will also need to be replaced every ten to fifteen years. Check with the manufacturer for recommendations for the specific acid-free box that you own, or test them with a pH pen. The pens are very inexpensive and are handy to have on hand.
A less expensive alternative to acid-free tissue is to place thick strips of fluffy polyester batting in the folds of a quilt. Polyester is a fiber that contains no acid content. Therefore, it does not have to be constantly replaced. Some curators like to enclose polyester fleece or batting within surgical stockings. One disadvantage to polyester, as a batting, or as a storage material, is that it will melt when exposed to high heat. In the case of a quilt, this would cause an awful mess that probably could not be remedied.
Ideally, any stored quilts should be aired and re-folded every three or four months, although this is not practical in museum settings.
To store a quilt in a box, fold it loosely in thirds, widthwise and then again, lengthwise. Permanent creases can become “set in” very quickly. Avoid folding a quilt in exactly the same way each time. Those creases will spoil the looks of the quilt should you want to hang it in your home or in a quilt show, and may actually damage the quilt's fibers, over time.
Whenever possible, store quilts flat. A bed in a spare bedroom is often used to layer a few antique quilts, with a sheet of acid-free tissue paper between each of them. Just remember to keep the room off-limits to children and animals, especially if you own cats.
Fold Quilt on the Bias?
Lately, there has been an ongoing discussion on some of the online message boards about whether it is a better idea to fold quilts on the bias. One home sewer pointed out that when she has stored fabrics this way, in the past, they have stretched, because that is what bias cuts do best! The verdict is not in yet, but it appears that the creases are just located in different areas, by using this method.
Should One Recycle Air Bags Used for Shipping?
Someone was given many sausage-shaped, air-filled tubes that had been used within a package for cushioning while shipping. The suggestion was made by associates that these might be placed within the folds of quilts, in lieu of unbuffered, acid-free paper. The 4 1/2” x 8” pillows are made of polyethylene film that carry the trademark AIRplus™ and are produced by a company called Storopack. East Coast: (800) 827-7225; West Coast: (800) 829-1491. The air bags would not “gas off” or affect a quilt in a deleterious manner. Other companies produce similar products.
Although the bags tend to hold the factory-inserted air for a long time, their surface is permeable and the rate of decompression is variable. Neither the company nor textile conservators recommend use of these bags as a storage material. A warning on each air cushion includes the following words: “This product intended as a packaging product only,” and the company further indicates that the product could pose a danger of suffocation for children and warns not to use it in cribs, beds, carriages, or playpens. As always, rely on your common sense when using any product and always check Material Data Safety Sheets that provide detailed information about products and are required to be filed for any manufactured item.
Should Quilts be Rolled to Store Them?
That question could form the basis for a debate. Some cases are more clear cut than others. If you have an antique silk quilt, do not attempt to roll it, as rolling will cause further shattering of the silk fabrics and any painted areas. Also, do not ever store a quilt “inside” a tube, as one gentleman suggested to me.
If one does not own a store-bought roll, a cardboard tube that is broad in diameter will do, but only if the tube is wrapped in aluminum foil or has other added barriers to prevent acid migration from the cardboard to the textile. Ends of the tube can be covered with polyethylene bags that are tied shut. This will prevent dust and insects from entering the rolled quilt from either end.
Types of storage for quilts should be decided on a case by case basis. This is not a situation of “one size fits all.” An ideal method of storage is to keep the quilt “flat.” This becomes problematic both homes and museums. Most people do not have an extra guest bedroom where quilts could be stored in this manner. Institutions, like museums, also may lack the space to store textiles flat, unless the objects are very small and could be stored in an old map desk, properly wrapped, of course.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has taken on the task of being a repository for some major collections of donated quilts. At last published count, they held 2,300 quilts, including early American, Contemporary, and International quilts, from a total of seventeen countries, and dating from the early 1700s to the present.
According to Patricia Cox Crews, Director of the International Quilt Study Center, most of the quilts there are folded and stored in boxes. Refolding happens on a regular schedule, about once every two years. She finds that handling the quilts is a much simpler procedure with box storage rather than rolled storage. She reports that “if there is a slight crease/distortion when a quilt comes out of the box, it disappears within a short time after being opened out and hung or placed on a slant board.”
At one point in time, rolling quilts to store them was thought to be superior to folding them. Some museums purchased commercial roller units that hold each rolled quilt in suspension. Special tubes for rolling are available in lengths up to 120”. Museums are certainly better equipped than homes to utilize a system of this type. Since the onset of this storage method's popularity, rolling quilts has fallen out of favor. Sources state that multi-layered textiles suffer from compression and distortion from being stored in this manner.
Rolling is not suggested for storing large quilts in home situations. However, if you want to try this methods for a smaller quilt, you should buy an archival, acid-free tube that measures at least 3”-4 1/2” in circumference, and is longer than the quilt being stored. Wrap the tube with aluminum foil, and thenadd acid-free paper or de-sized muslin.
Rolling a quilt is bestattempted with two people to help in the process. Begin rolling the quilt with it face down. The roll can be wrapped Tyvek or pre-washed muslin and kept rolled by placing 2”-3” wide white ribbons around the circumference of the rolled quilts, tying the ribbons loosely. Suspend the rolled quilt unit between two bricks placed on a shelf in a closet. Store a quilt in this manner for only a short interval.
Gaylord Brothers sells Cotton Tying Tape, that is soft and unbleached. This product can be used for tying the rolled quilt, once it has been safely wrapped. This is a nice alternative to the ragged-edge strips of unbleached muslin that sometimes are torn from fabric to use for the same purpose. The advantage is that this tape is ready to use. Various widths and lengths are available. One hundred yards of 5/16” tape costs about ten dollars. See: http://www.Gaylord.com
A new product offered by Gaylord in 2007 is a VELCRO® Brand One-Wrap Straps. These can be used to wrap around rolled textiles, and the product adheres to itself. 1-800- 448-6160.
Some museums keep their quilts in deep drawers, making sure that they are heavily wrapped and padded with acid-free paper. The main consideration is that textiles never come in direct contact with any untreated wood surface. Many institutions and individuals prefer archival, acid-free boxes for storage.
Some quilters have reported storing their quilts in Sterilite plastic tubs that are often available at such places in the United States as K-Mart and Bed Bath and Beyond. If using this method, be sure to air the quilts frequently, as the last thing anyone should do is to keep a textile in an anaerobic environment that can quickly and easily breed mold. Sterilite containers have the advantage over other rubber or plastic type storage units, in that they do not cause harmful “off-gassing,” as conservators say.
Another way to store quilts is to place them on wide metal shelving units. If you do this, be sure to place a barrier of some kind between the quilt and the shelf. This could be layers of acid-free paper, heavy duty aluminum foil, Mylar, or Tyvek. Any of the above options will help to prevent possible rust transference, should the surface of the shelf unit degrade.
Control Environmental Factors in your Home
If you have fluorescent lights in your home, sleeves can be purchased that slide over the tube to block destructive ultraviolet light. The heat of incandescent light can also adversely affect quilts, so do not place quilts in close proximity to lamps.
Try to keep quilts out of your kitchen. Inevitably, they will develop a layer of grease. Also, if you cook with natural gas, the by-products of the burners are not good for your quilt. Running your gas stove burners on as low a flame as possible will help to minimize the noxious fumes that will escape into your home. Wood smoke is equally unhealthy for quilts, and cigarette smoke clings tenaciously to any textile.
Relatives
Our sons, our daughters, our nieces and nephews, our parents, our cousins, our friends...what would we do without them? Yes, we love our relatives, and therefore, we want to bestow on them our quilts, anticipating that these people will cherish our work because they love us.
Oops! What do I hear? You went to visit your son and daughter-in-law, and the baby quilt you gave them fourteen years ago is now used as a cover to “Tweetie Bird's” cage, so that the bird “can sleep better?”
Oh! There is another quilt...on the porch. The dog is
sleeping on it and he looks
“oh, so comfortable!”
Please...don't look in the closet! Residing among the dust bunnies on the floor is your Baltimore Album Quilt that was once featured on the cover of a leading quilt magazine. Your daughter-in-law prefers a store-bought bed covering for the bed - (This paragraph is not about my daughter-in-law, by the way.)
Does any of this sound familiar? Or, does it sound far-fetched? Believe it or not, the above statements are based on the testimony of real quilters! As columnist and humorist Dave Barry would say, “...and, I am NOT making this up!”
If you give a quilt away, consider it gone forever. You have lost control of the item. To “say anything to your loved ones about their misuse of it, is to pick a fight. We can only take care of our quilts, (labors of love), while they are still in our possession. The incidents that happen after we give away our work will just have to be chocked up to experience. With any luck, we will never know of the abuse these items sustain.
Your Bed as Relegated to a Baby Changing Area
Oh, Happy Day! A dear relative has traveled many miles to see you...with her new baby. Suddenly, the baby needs changing. With nary a word, she heads for your bedroom. As she is about to lay the innocent child on top of your handmade quilt, you stifle a scream and hold your breath.
Rule #1: Always have an extra blanket available and ready to throw onto your bed the next time a baby changing area is needed. Buy a plastic, flannel-lined tablecloth to place under a blanket on such an occasion. Better yet, purchase a dedicated changing table, if this mother will visit often. Think ahead. You will be a happier camper.
Temperance Quilt
The Temperance Quilt, pictured above, was created to celebrate quilt history and its association with societal causes. This traditional T block configuration is connected to the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) fund raising activities.
While visiting an outdoor antiques show, in 1998, my heart started beating a little faster when I discovered what to anyone else would have been a “rag.” The conjoined cotton patchwork has been severed from a larger quilt, that had been tied.
The textiles was faded beyond belief, yet possessed a wonderful arrayof colors. Madder brown, Indigo, orange, red, double pinks, chrome yellow (cheddar), poison green, and black were juxtaposed against a myriad of small shirting prints.
The two borders that have been added to my reproduction quilt are fabric print repros from the Shelburne Museum collection.
Purchasing the original late nineteenth century quilt top, I felt very lucky indeed. I collected appropriate reproduction fabrics for several months, drafted the pattern, and made the quilt.
On a whim, I submitted a story to Traditional Quilter magazine that was published in September 1999. As I retype these words for the revised version of this book, in 2007, I am still writing for the magazine, now known as The Quilter, published by All-American Crafts Publishing, Inc.
Copyright 2005/2007. Patricia and James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications. Comments? Questions? Please write to: pat@quiltersmuse.com