I need some Quilt Restoration advice

[Mary K.]

I am looking for advice for some helpful online info regarding quilt restoration. A friend of mine has a quilt made by her grandmother, and the quilt is showing wear and has some holes in some spots. I have no experience with restoration, so I was hoping to get a little advice in order to point this friend a good direction on restoring and preserving this special quilt.

Thanks for your help!

Mary Kay

[Margo C.]

Mary Kay, I've never done quilt restoration, but I found this book in a Google search that might answer her questions:

http://www.amazon.com/Quilt-Restorat.../dp/0939009838

It will probably depend on the extent of the damage, and what she wants to do with the quilt. Restore it to usable? Preserve it? Fix it to display?

EDITED:: OPPS...I just saw the cost of that book! Holey Moley!! :shock: But that seems to be the one that is most often recommended.

Maybe someone looking for a topic could write a new book???? :wink:

[Margo C.]

If this is the only book on the subject, could you investigate and see if you could borrow it from your local library?

Rosemary

[Frances L.]

Mary Kay,
I agree with Margo. It depends on what she wants to do with the quilt. If she just wants to be able to use it she could applique new fabrics over the ones with the holes. I did that for a couple of years for a friend of mine. He had a log cabin quilt that his grandma had made. Since it was scrappy, I found fabrics that were close in color and value and appliqued new logs over the damaged ones. If she wants to preserve it, a lot of times people use tulle over the damaged areas because it holds everything together and doesn't show much.

Frances

[Mary K.]

Thank you, Ladies! Your information gives us a good place to start! :idea:

[Betty J.]

If this is the only book on the subject, could you investigate and see if you could borrow it from your local library?

Rosemary

Sometimes libraries can get a book like that through interlibrary loan if they don't have it available themselves. It might pay to investigate that option.

[Betty J.]

Hallye Bone, an AQS quilt appraiser and author is an authority on quilt restoration and is a quilt restorer herself. I took her quilt restoration class. I suggest that you do an online search for "Hallye Bone" and "quilt restoration". You can get her contact info if you have specific questions that are not answered in her online articles.