. . . a Stitch in Time Can Save an Heirloom

Quilts are fascinating pieces of American art that were originally made as bed warmers for cold winter nights. Now those covers that our grandmothers painstakingly stitched are heirlooms coveted by collectors, antique dealers and museums.

Depending on a quilt’s size, age and quality, it can range in price from $300 to $5,000 or more, with some Amish quilts selling recently for $55,000. The value of quilts increases at such a rapid rate that individuals and corporations buy them as investments, using the quilts as interior designs for office buildings and wall hangings for the home.

Whether you invest in quilts, use them as wall decor or simply sleep under them, you need to know how to preserve their charm and value.

Margaret Cavigga, a Los Angeles quilt collector, seller and author who owns more than 1,000 quilts, suggests that the first step toward quilt preservation is to become familiar with quilt construction and design.

A quilt is distinguished by its three layers and the stitching sewn through these layers. The top is sewn in pieces to create a uniform design or a “crazy” pattern (randomly placed pieces of cloth stitched together). Underneath is batting, usually thick cotton that gives the quilt a raised look. The third layer is a sheet of fabric the same length as the top. The stitches that pierce these layers create a second pattern or design visible on the top and bottom.

Don’t confuse pieced comforters and coverlets with quilts, Cavigga warns. Often called quilts, these lack the required stitching through the three layers to actually qualify for that label.

Purchase From Dealer

If you want to buy a quilt, Cavigga recommends that you purchase from dealers specializing in quilts or from the quilt maker. Examine a quilt carefully. “Hold it up to the light to detect any holes and to see if the batting is bunched up,” Cavigga says.

While only an expert appraiser can date a quilt, you can still look for signs that will help determine its age.

“An old quilt will almost always have cottonseeds. Most pre-1900 and even quilts made up to 1920 have them,” Cavigga says. A distinct crease in the quilt also indicates a quilt is several decades old. If the fabric pieces appear to be made from bleached flour or sugar sacks, then the quilt was most likely made during the Depression.

Don’t be dismayed by tiny brown stains on a quilt, Cavigga says. These are usually caused by the oil in cottonseeds or blood from a quilter’s pricked finger.

“It’s part of the life of the quilt,” she adds.

Cavigga advises that quilts not be washed unless they are so dirty you can’t bear to display them. An antique quilt, one that is 100 years old or more, “has no business getting washed.” Instead, on a windy day, air out a quilt on a double clothesline or clothes rack.

If an antique quilt must be cleaned, the following method is recommended: Put the quilt in a clean, dry bathtub, with sheeting or a large towel under it, and place a piece of screening over it. Vacuum the quilt through the screen, using a low-power hand vacuum. To spot clean, sponge the fabric with a diluted mild soap. Raise the screen so the air from an open window will dry it.

If a quilt dates from 1920 or later, you can try to wash it in a top-loading washing machine on the gentle cycle or by soaking it and squeezing the water out. Use only mild detergent; Cavigga uses a product called Vivid. Remove the quilt by gathering and lifting from underneath. To dry, hang across a double clothesline, a clothes rack or spread it out on a cotton sheet on clean, dry grass.

Cavigga discourages dry-cleaning because the batting can expand and rip a hole in the quilt.

To hang a quilt on a wall, Cavigga suggests mounting a wooden dowel or curtain rod on the wall. Fashion a sleeve out of muslin, and sew it on the quilt’s back at the top. Slip the wooden rod through the sleeve. If the quilt’s design looks good when hung upside down, attach another sleeve to the bottom. Rotating the quilt reduces fading. Keep it out of direct sunlight.

Quilts can be stored in linen or clothes closets in closed muslin bags with mothballs and silverfish balls. First fold the quilt in thirds, then roll it up. Periodically change the direction of folds. Wrap in a muslin or cotton sheet. Never put a quilt in a plastic bag; trapped moisture can destroy it.

Here are some Southern California resources for repair work:

Hands All Around Quilters Service, Palmdale, (805) 273-3263. Jaydee Price and Jane Campbell, members of a quilting guild, will quilt pieced tops or baste unquilted tops to the other layers.

Beverley Dietrich, Sun Valley, an expert quilter with more than 30 years’ experience, will quilt pieced tops. Telephone (818) 767-3429.

The Quilt Peddler, El Cajon, (619) 442-2382. Patti O’Neill, an interior designer, runs a complete antique-quilt restoration service.