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Repairing a vintage quilt Advice?
purplebouquet Advanced AR USA Member since 11/16/05 Posts: 1004	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 8/1/12 10:39 AM I am looking for advice on how to repair a vintage quilt. I am a regular poster to the garment-sewing topics on this website, but I know very little about quilting or quilts and the care they require. When cleaning out my MIL's condo recently, we set aside a quilt to use in our own bedroom. I googled the pattern and evidently, it's an example of Grandmother's Flower Garden I know that neither my MIL nor her mother or MIL made it, but at one point, my MIL spoke about having won an antique or vintage quilt at a show. This may be it. Anyway, a lot of the little hexagons are fraying and tearing, revealing the batting underneath. I love this quilt and would love to extend its life. I don't know if it's valuable per se, but the mere fact that it brightens and cheers my bedroom is valuable enough for me that I want to take good care of it. I called some of my local folkart museums for advice, and they referred to me to out-of-state conservators, which sounds like a lot more money that I can spend on this. Any advice? Thank you. Claudia
justgail Intermediate IA USA Member since 1/19/06 Posts: 514	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 8/1/12 1:27 PM I've seen repairs done by appliqueing a matching piece in as close of a matching fabric as possible over the frayed piece. I'd guess it depends on how much and how close the pieces are, and if it's due to the fabric, or wear, how you'd go about repairs. Do you have any photos? It might help to know if it's a few spots, or lots.
CM_Sews Intermediate CA USA Member since 9/18/04 Posts: 1476	Login to reply to this post In reply to justgail << Like this post Date: 8/1/12 4:54 PM In some quilt magazine, probably several years ago, I read an article about fixing or restoring a quilt, and they used a scanner to scan the fabrics on the quilt that were still in good condition and then printing onto fabric to obtain matching fabric for patches. This did require some fiddling with the color levels and lightness/darkness in the computer to obtain fabric that matched, but it was a clever way to duplicate small pieced of vintage fabric. You'll need an ink jet printer and special fabric sheets, for example: EQ Printables. Grandmother's Flower Garden design is actually a good candidate for appliqueing patches to repair it. Note that conserving a quilt is not necessarily the same as repairing a quilt for use on a bed. Conservation involves stabilizing the quilt so that it does not deteriorate further and any restoration is done in a manner that can be undone at a later date. A conserved quilt is often displayed as an artwork. If you use a quilt as bedding, you'll eventually want to clean it, which can contribute to the further deterioration of an antique quilt. Depends on the specific quilt, and how fragile or worn it is to start with. Quilt Conservation article, Kansas State University (opens a PDF). CMC
purplebouquet Advanced AR USA Member since 11/16/05 Posts: 1004	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 8/2/12 10:40 AM Thank you, both. Our history museum referred me to a conservator in New Orleans, and we had a lovely phone chat. She was so gracious and generous with her advice, I am very thankful. She suggested repairing the quilt by hand-appliqueing new hexagons using a fabric that complements the others. Since I know how to sew, I'd be the (wo)man for the job. I am not looking forward to hand-appliqueing dozens of tiny hexagons, but I can progress slowly, one section at a time while chatting on the phone or watching TV. Maybe it will be therapeutic? Also, finding complementary fabric will be trickly. I'll have to find a matching color cotton and then distress it by repeatedly washing and sundrying it so it will look more vintage than new. But I am glad that I know what to do. Claudia
tinflutterby   Advanced CA USA Member since 8/9/11 Posts: 205	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 8/2/12 8:01 PM I'm doing this now for a quilt from my husbands family. There was only one fabric that had rotted out all the rest are good. You may find that to be true too. Larger quilt store do carry vintage reproduction fabric from various eras and there are also vintage fabrics available. Lastly Spoonflower.com will print what ever you want.
Babe B   Intermediate MA USA Member since 10/4/04 Posts: 262	Login to reply to this post In reply to purplebouquet << Like this post Date: 8/2/12 8:53 PM Claudia, If you can identify the time period for the fabrics in the quilt, perhaps the 1930's, reproduction fabrics are available through quilt shops online or near you. Sometimes it's possible to use the wrong side of the fabric which has a softer look, and so you wouldn't have to distress new fabric. You may also be able to find vintage fabrics in antique stores or at flea markets for that and other time periods.
gramma b Advanced USA Member since 7/25/08 Posts: 2267	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 8/3/12 10:16 AM I am not a quilter, but repaired one for a relative so she could pass it on to her granddaughter. I saved the now-thin patches that I could by adding a backing for strength, adding new strips in closely-matching patterns, mainly on frayed outer edges. (It had been made from family clothing, so the fabrics meant a lot.) It will just be hung, not used. If you are in the city, search for local home quilting groups. They may enjoy restoring it for you without as much charge as a commercial job. Our groups that sew for the homeless and hospitals have done that.

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