A quilt is precious but it was made to warm you, so put it on your bed and snuggle under it, says quilt-maker and researcher Eileen G. Fitzsimons of Southeast Portland.
She has seen thousands of quilts in all sizes, colors and conditions. For seven years, she served as a team member of the Oregon Quilt Project, which collected information on about 1,800 quilts and quilt-makers and is now part of the national Quilt Index database.
For her research, she has held with gloved hands quilts that have been carefully passed down through generations. She has also seen quilts that need repair and cleaning.
One quilt, created around 1840-1860 when pioneers were arriving on the Oregon Trail, was found in a cardboard box in the dump near Yachats. Thanks to efforts by quilt appreciators, the handmade, historic piece was restored and is now at the Lincoln County Historical Society.
Fitzsimons theorizes that someone clearing out a house opened the box and saw only “browned fabric and a little tear here and there,” and tossed it.
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“We don’t know who made it, but each block is an applique pattern original to the maker,” she says. “The workmanship is phenomenal.”
Fitzsimons offers these tips for displaying and cleaning a quilt:
- To lessen fading, don’t expose a quilt to direct sunlight or bright light, and wash it only when it needs it.
- If you’d like to display a quilt on a wall, and it has a definite top, baste a four-inch muslin sleeve on the back of the top end and slide a drapery rod through. Make sure you don’t machine stitch through the quilt; just baste it.
- If the quilt has an overall pattern, without a discernible top, put a sleeve at both ends and rehang it on a regular basis so the “drag” is re-distributed.
- If the quilt is fragile, like old crazy quilts, it can be folded lengthwise and draped over the back of a sofa. This doesn’t cause gravitational pull on the quilt, says Fitzsimons.
- If the quilt is on a bed that a dog or cat sleeps on, throw a sheet on top of the quilt or turn it over to expose the unadorned back side, so claws don’t snag the fabric or stitching.
- The best way to store a quilt is on a bed in a spare bedroom. Stack quilts on top of each other like in the fairytale of the princess on the pea, says Fitzsimons.
- Do not store a quilt in a cedar chest; the oil in the wood can leave brown stains on the fabric.
- When storing the quilt, fold it differently every time or roll it up. Place acid-free tissue at the folds to prevent sharp creases.
- When folded, wrap the quilt in an old sheet.
- Never store a quilt in a plastic bag since humidity can cause mildew and rotting.
This quilt is at the Latimer Quilt & Textile Center in Tillamook.Janet Eastman
- Unless very old or fragile, cotton quilts should be washed rather than dry cleaned since the solvents used in the dry cleaning process are harsh and can speed the deterioration of the quilt.
- Use a top-loading washing machine and a mild detergent such as Ivory liquid or a special quilt soap such as Ensure, Mountain Mist or Orvus, available at quilt shops or at the merchant sale areas of quilt shows. Don’t use soap or soap flakes since it’s almost impossible to completely rinse the soap out of a quilt.
- Fill the washing machine with warm water and add the cleaning product. Allow the machine to agitate long enough to distribute the detergent. Turn the machine off.
- Fold your quilt lengthwise with the top of the quilt folded inwards. Carefully lower the quilt into the washing machine, distributing the quilt evenly around the center part. Push the quilt into the water to make sure it is soaked through. Allow the quilt to soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Don’t let the machine agitate because this can strain the stitches in the quilt and cause them to weaken and break.
- Move the machine dial to spin. Allow the water to spin out and then refill with rinse water. Let the quilt soak up the water. Then move the dial to spin again.
- Repeat the soak-rinse-spin process.
- Remove the quilt from the washing machine and lay it over several parallel clotheslines, out of direct sunshine, until dry. Or lay the quilt on a clean sheet on the grass, out of the sunlight.
- You can also wash the quilt in a bathtub. Fill the tub with warm water, add quilt detergent and stir into the water. Lower the quilt into the tub and push it up and down with your hands. Let soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, refill with rinse water and repeat again.
- Squeeze as much water out of the quilt as possible, being careful not to wad, wring or bunch the quilt with your hands.
- Roll the quilt up in clean towels or cotton sheets to absorb as much water as possible. Dry it flat.
- Don’t suspend a quilt when it’s wet or it could stress the seams and displace the batting.
- If you have a dark fabric, test a spot to see that the dyes won’t run. Wet a white cloth and rub it over different colors. If the color transfers to the cloth, don’t wash the quilt. Instead, lay a screen over the back of the quilt and hand vacuum over the screen.
— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072
jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman
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