Caring,for,Quilts,Caring,for,Q family Caring for Quilts

Raising a family can be challenging and stressful at times. However, the common goals and emotional, financial, and physical investments made can be a common bond between husband and wife. One that compliments their marriage relationship.Of A lot of women avoid wearing nice clothes when they getpregnant because they believe that they look fat or ugly. You know that there’snothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman glowing and smiling, so youshouldn’t hide your body during p

Caring for QuiltsBy: Joyce Moseley PierceFor many years my mother worked in sales and lived outof a suitcase as she traveled the country, but that didn't stop her from doing some of the most beautiful needlepoint and cross-stitch work I've ever seen. When she retired, she quickly filled up the walls of her home and kept the local frame shop in business. After she had given favorites to her children and filled every white space in her home, she decided to start making quilts, but instead of just sewing the pieces of fabric together, she cross-stitched or needlepointed squares that would be sewn together by the town's quilting expert.I was the recipient of one of these beautiful quiltsbut because my children were small, I didn't want toleave it out on a bed where it might get smeared withpeanut butter and jelly, or even worse, colored withcrayons or a permanent marker. Instead, I folded itup and put it in my closet inside a plastic zipperedbag that my bedspread had come in.Well, when Mom came to visit the next time, she wentlooking for that quilt. I assured her that it waspacked away and that nothing could harm it. After all,it was sealed in plastic. Nothing could get to it.Boy, was I wrong!I learned a lesson from Mom about how to store quilts:1. Don't ever store them in plastic of any kind! Itdoesn't matter that your bedspread came in it. It's not the same.2. Don't store them in humid or hot climates. If thetemperature feels good to you, then it's okay for yourquilt. If you live in Houston you shouldn't even own a quilt!3. Don't store quilts in attics or garages. It makesa comfy bed for rodents and insects.Instead, you should:1. Store your quilt in a pillowcase or sheet, orroll it onto a muslin-covered tube. 2. Place a piece of fabric between the pillowcase orsheet and your quilt to protect it from the acidsin the wood.3. Twice a year, when the humidity is low and theair is blowing, air your quilt outside, out of directsunlight. 4. Mark your calendar to refold your quilt every 3-4months so you won't make a permanent crease init. Crumple up some acid-free tissue paper to helpeliminate fold lines. If you feel comfortable in displaying or actuallyusing your quilts (and isn't that why we make them?),you'll want to follow these guidelines to make yourquilt last longer and help retain its beauty.1. Keep your quilts away from direct light. The sunwill make them fade and will age the fabric.2. If you notice any tears, repair them as soon aspossible. Remember that "a stitch in time saves nine,"and will help lengthen the life of your quilt.3. Clean up any accidents immediately. Washable quilts can be cleaned with cold water. My quilt, with the delicate cross-stitching fabric and thread, would need to be dry cleaned by an expert.4. Before you wash, test the fabric to see if thecolors are going to run. Use a white towel and coldwater to test each color.5. Do not put quilts in the dryer or hang them overa clothesline. They should lay flat between two sheets placed on the grass in the shade. When I was a young, married woman I discovered a boxof fabric in my grandmother's closet along with thepattern for a quilt that had been published by theKansas City Star in the 1920s. Grandma told me shehad bought the fabric when my dad was born and hadjust never made the quilt. She told me if I wantedto make it, she would pay to have it quilted for me.I accepted the challenge, and without knowing anythingabout quilts (or anything else!), I cut and assembled all of the pieces. It was beautiful, and I remember the pride I felt in knowing that I had sewn every stitch, but even as I laid it across my daughter'stwin-sized bed, I could see how thin and worn thefabric had become. I wish now I would have used the pattern and bought newer, more sturdy fabric, thatwould have lengthened the life of the quilt, but thatwas just one of life's lessons I had to learn.Going through the process of piecing that quilt helpedme to have a deep appreciation for all of the timeand love that goes into each stitch. As I worked onit, I tried to imagine my grandmother as a young mother and wondered what life was like for her. Was motherhoodas challenging for her as it was for me? Did she everimagine that she would have a granddaughter who wouldtreasure this old fabric and the bond it gave toboth of them?Buying a bedspread is fast and fairly inexpensive because they are mass produced, but you can't expectit to give you you the same warm feeling as when you run your hands over the stitches of a quilt that was made by you or someone you love. When your handscaress the fabric and stitches of the quilt you have painstakingly created, the memories of the past areguaranteed to rush into your heart. If that quilt was made by someone who loved you, you will feel a connection that seems oblivious to time.Copyright 2002 Joyce Moseley Pierce http://www.emersonpublications.comJoyce is a freelance writer and owner of Emerson Publications.She is the creator of "All They'll Need to Know," a workbook to help families record personal and financial information. She is also the editor of The Family First Newsletter, an ezine for families with young children.