We thought we'd spread the inspiration seed this week with a little quilt hanging action for your viewing pleasure. And even though it's way too hot to be thinking about using a quilt as bedding, you can save some storage space by displaying your prized quilt proudly.
My mom spotted this idea in Pottery Barn a few weeks back and immediately decided to hang her quilt (made by hand by my great grandmother). Using a dowel rod, a little extra fabric was folded over and sewn into place. Positioned high above the couch, the quilt is displayed with pride and looks immense as it covers a large portion of the wall. Hanging a quilt is a great alternative to displaying artwork or a wall of frames and channels a cozy welcoming vibe. Not to mention family memories are proudly on display, which is always a nice thing.
Images: 1-2 Becky Zeigler, 3. Pottery Barn, 4. How To Hang A Quilt Artistically 5. Erica's: Invisible Quilt Hanging System
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My grandfather's wedding present to us was a gorgeous colorful quilt my grandmother (who passed away when I was little) had made. I love it too much to use it & risk the wear, so we hung it proudly in our guest bedroom (literally, the only wall space big enough for it!).
http://www.cozylittlecave.com/2010/03/guest-bed-before-after.html
OK. You posted these beautiful quilts just for me. Thanks!
Note: If you have a valuable heirloom quilt, it's worth the investment to have it hung professionally. Just hanging it by it's top edge could stress the vintage fabric and lead to tearing. Contact with non-acid-free surfaces could lead to staining. The best way to display an heirloom quilt is on a spare bed.
Agree with 'quiltmaster'. i had a quilt my grandmother made hanging in our bedroom for a year or two, but eventually took it down because i was afraid of sun damage and dust exposure. it's now lovingly sealed, just like a wedding dress, in my closet.
she makes quilts for all 24 grandchildren every year (about 2 a month) and gives them away at christmas...so i have loads of quilts to put on display.
glad to see the idea is catching on.
As I read this at work, there are 11 handmade quilts hanging on display around me, and another vintage (Bicentennial) one hanging in the stairwell.
I don't have a problem with people treating old quilts as precious keepsakes and protecting them, but as a former museum curator and textile artist, I can also say that not all of them deserve or require it. Quilts were made to be used. As long as you don't expose them to lots of UV light, and clean them periodically and professionally (dust settles, even if nobody sleeps under them), most quilts can be used on beds or hung on walls for years with little harm. And what's the point of putting all those hours of work in a closet where nobody sees it?
If you want to hang them, I'd take an old white sheet, preferably cotton, and make a sleeve (sometimes the wide top hem can be used.) Baste it by hand on the top back of the quilt (top and bottom of the sleeve, the whole width of the quilt) and run a dowl rod through (for old quilts I'd make sure it was polyurethaned so the acid from the wood doesn't stian the fabric over time.) Or use a metal curtain rod.
If the quilt is newish, just a pocket across the top should do. If it's old and the fabric is getting weak or frayed, I'd use the whole sheet as a backer and baste a big tic-tac-toe pattern through the quilt and backing to help support it, as well as securely basting the top pocket in place. This will help distribute the weight and support it while on the wall (but NOT in front of a big window, unless it's only there for a short time, like a holiday season.) I did this with Grandma's heirloom quilt, now documented by the National Quilt Documentation Project, when I used it as wall art. Now it's in the hands of a cousin who I hope is enjoying it more than me!!
Avoid contact with wood, which is acidic and will, over time, destroy your quilt and with plastic, which out gasses. I use metal curtain rods. Supporting a textile properly is also important.
Yes yes yes! Out of sunlight and with a simple sleeve to avoid stretching and you'll have yourself a beautiful piece of art and history. It only takes a half hour to throw together a sleeve. I had one hanging on our bedroom wall for five years and just took it down (time for a new look) and it hadn't stretched at all.
A little off topic, but where'd you buy your couch?
@clintjones-- my mom said she purchased it locally in Irmo, SC at Home Furniture. The couch is made by Classic Leather.
I have a collection of quilts, machine pieced and machine quilted by family members, and hang them using straight pins through the quilt and into the drywall, spaced every few inches near the binding at the top edge. This is what the quilter recommended, and how she displays quilts throughout her own home.
When I was being more careful, I used quilt clips and folded the top of the quilt carefully over a (sealed) yardstick to keep the top edge straight.
These hanging methods may be the wrong way to do it, but they don't seem to have damaged these (new, washable, strong) quilts over the last 5-6 years.
Being able to enjoy the bright colors, artistic skill, and loving feelings built into the quilts feels so good.
I'm in New Hampshire as well - do you have any resources who know what they are doing (unlike me!!!) who I could work with to professionally hand an old family quilt? I get the principle but don't trust myself to do it!