# What to do with old, old quilts??



## Billie in MO

My dad's girlfriend called me this morning and asked me this question. She has some really old quilts that came from her deceased husband's side of the family. She said they were made from feed sacks and are faded and torn. One of her daughters has about 7-8 of them, she said, that are in much better condition. Her daughter doesn't know what to with them (and may not want them or the ones she has already) and I got from the conversation that she may not want them and doubt that her other 2 kids do either, nor the grandkids.

I am headed over there next week to look at them for her. She doesn't know if they are worth having an appraiser look at them or not (they do charge a fee). She doesn't sew anymore and said she had some material I could have if I wanted, also.

I know in the past I have seen old quilts taken apart and the usable areas turned into bears, pillows, even just a block put in a picture frame (all of which I told her about). I'd love to have one just for sentimental reasons. (her mother-in-law was my second grade teacher..........and my dad owns her deceased hubby's 1956 Ford that he had bought new and sold when he became ill. She wondered what happened to it and they tracked the guy down who bought it and said if you ever want to sell it give us a call). Sorry, just had to tell that little tale!!

So any advice on what to do or what to look for in old quilts?? Guess maybe I need to look up some info on antique quilts but thought I would ask here, first, to see if anyone had any personal experience.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl

Not an expert, but "cultural artifact" seems to be the key in value for old quilts, wear and tear might be secondary to rare textiles. I think there's a crafting demand for material that is quickly destroying antique and vintage textiles of all kinds in order to turn them into junk articles. :soap: What's common as dirt now may quickly be gone completely.

Even a raggedy quilt can still do service folded at the end of a bed, thrown over the back of a sofa or chair, or doing duty as a Christmas tree skirt (one of my favorites!), before it needs to be cut up. Art Deco fabrics will always hold value for collectors, regardless of the condition of the quilt itself.


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## dlskidmore

If it looks decent enough, hang it on the wall as is, maybe baste it to something more structural behind if it needs a little help. You can ruin the antique value by repairing it, although the antique market is fickle and sometimes wants stuff repaired and usable, and sometimes wants it original.

If you don't care about the antique value, and it's sentimental enough to be worth trouble, and you want to patch it up enough to use, do so... A patch/darn here and there won't look too bad if it only has minor defects. If it's thin all through, I wouldn't use it for a pillow or anything else that will get handled, but rather something on the wall. I've seen arrangements with new squares, one square per frame up on a wall in an arrangement like a quilt.


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## DW

I got the idea f/someone on here...I made xmas ornaments that look like angels. They really turned out cute. What was left over I made some some cloth gift bags. I used the quilt part as the center, put a border on it & lined them.


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## GrannyG

Cherished Treasures: What I Did With My Shabby Quilt

36 Blank Walls Solutions for Your Home

6 PILLOWS MADE FROM OLD QUILTS : Lot 497


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## Ceilismom

My sister once made a quilt specifically to be a shower curtain (with a plastic liner, of course). Curtains in a bedroom, or in place of a closet door.


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## Ann-NWIowa

I saw on a quilting show that you can use tulle hand sewn over the quilt to stablize it so it can be displayed.


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## Molly Mckee

I saw an idea for fixing holes in an old quilt that I never thought of--use the fabric you can print with your printer. Scan the holey fabric, use the printed fabric for patches. It should even be "faded" to match.


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## Billie in MO

Thanks for all the different suggestions. Some I would have never even thought of. I will write them all down so I have them with me when I see her next week. Guess I will know more when I see the quilts and we can talk better in person. Did a little research yesterday but not finding exactly what I was looking but thanks for the links, too. I will check them out.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl

Just another rag from my experience of old quilts cut up for pillows - the pillows wear out and shred up in a hot minute. I've seen the same thing for embroidered linens. Even Teddy bears will have to be cleaned at some point, and that's tough to do. Once the fabric is weakened, you really can't "remake" it, you can only conserve it. They can disintegrate in cleaning in their original state unless it's done with proper care that's beyond most home facilities. One of the worst stories I've heard is someone "storing" them flat under a mattress, when they went to get them out they were completely destroyed.

A wall hanging can be great if you can distribute the weight of the quilt on a strong backing and use the backing itself to hang the quilt. Then comes the cleaning dilemma... it's tough to know what to do, but of course anything is better than throwing them away.


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## Maura

If the fabric is from feed sacks it is more valuable than if it was made from regular fabric, other things being equal. Before doing anything, I would have someone look at them. They may be very valuable if left intact. Otherwise, they can have the work pieces cut out and the good parts cut and bound for smaller quilts, or clothing or stuffed animals. Even Christmas stockings would be nice.

I'd rather see them sold to someone who appreciates them and can take care of them than see them tossed.


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## haunted

Since the topic is old quilts, I'd like to ask how do you clean them? I know it's risky business to wash it, but I have a small scrap of a quilt made by my great grandmother's grandmother. It has browned with age. I don't think it was supposed to be brown to begin with. I'd thought about carefully soaking it in lukewarm water with Ivory soap in it, then carefully squishing it around, letting it drain naturally with no squeezing, and rinsing it the same way. It's only about one foot square. What do ya'll think? Do you think it would survive?


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## MDKatie

Oh my, I would love to have those old quilts, even if they can't be used for much other than looking at. Please post pictures if/when you can, I'd love to see them!


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## RedDirt Cowgirl

haunted said:


> Since the topic is old quilts, I'd like to ask how do you clean them? I know it's risky business to wash it, but I have a small scrap of a quilt made by my great grandmother's grandmother. It has browned with age. I don't think it was supposed to be brown to begin with. I'd thought about carefully soaking it in lukewarm water with Ivory soap in it, then carefully squishing it around, letting it drain naturally with no squeezing, and rinsing it the same way. It's only about one foot square. What do ya'll think? Do you think it would survive?


You have the right idea - a flat bottomed container that will let the fabric lie flat is best, and you'll be amazed at how much yellow staining comes out just letting it soak in plain water. (Don't use any soapy solution before it's wet.) 
Find a piece of plain cotton large enough to support the piece and let that take the weight. Keep it flat, and dyes won't transfer either.
Pour the water off and resoak until it runs clear - if the piece has surface dirt you'll be able to see it then. Avoid rubbing, daub it with cotton balls to pick up any dirt. Don't even swish it around, just press it up and down with your hands. 
20 minutes seems to be the lengh of time for action to complete for each step. Don't leave it too long, and be aware that cotton is weaker when wet.
I like to use unscented baby shampoo because it's easier to rinse out and won't leave residue, and it's made to remove body oils - use a very dilute solution & rinse several more times. You can also get special cleaners, but the shampoo works fine if you keep it diluted. Don't expect to remove at once what took years to occur. Our modern "white" isn't the goal, ever. 
You can wear disposable gloves to keep it from snagging and picking up oils from your hands. Don't use dishwashing gloves, they can leave residue behind.
You don't need to wring or even press the water out when you're done, just lift it from the final rinse by the support fabric and lay it flat over thick layers of towels to dry. That way the puffiness is kept and it shouldn't wrinkle.

Since your piece is such an ancient heirloom, it deserves a final rinse in distilled water. You'll probably be lengthing its life by removing the acids that have made it darken. Then you can find acid-free things to keep it in, out of the light.


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## Maura

I agree with washing it the way Cowgirl wrote. Leaving the dirt on will only make it deteriorate faster. Then, put it in a shadow box and hang it in a dimly lit area at Christmas time.


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