Is there hope for this antique quilt?

[Judy R.]

I have a small antique quilt (made in the 1800's) that has been glued to a board and framed. My grandmother purchased this at auction (for $3) back in the early 70's and gave it to my parents. It did suffer some damage in a house fire in 1981, including the glass that protected it being shattered. Some of the pieces of the quilt have deteriorated and I would like to preserve what remains and prevent any further damage from occurring. Would it be best to try and conserve this quilt or to leave it as is?
It can be viewed here: http://athreadofred.blogspot.com/200...all-hands.html

[Judy R.]

OMG!!! Looks like quite a challenge.. Um, is it a layered quilt, or a quilt top? Can't tell by the photo if there is any quilting on it.

I think Alex had done a show (Simply quilts?) with a historical specialist. Maybe she could hook you up with her and get a better idea if it is at all possible to fix.

Sorry I couldn't be any more help. Cheryl

[Judy R.]

Hi, Cheryl- Thank you for responding. It is just the top which has been adhered onto the board. No quilting, but it is hand-pieced. Actually, it was pieced by a brother and sister ages 5 and 8! My fear is that there is no hope of removing it from the board and it will have to live there forever. At least it's not in my parent's garage anymore!

[Judy M.]

I love that quilt top! Those soft browns are so beautiful! Do you have any idea what type of glue was used? I don't know if Elmer's was washable in the 1980's and would come out if the cardboard was soaked in water. I'm assuming it was glued to the cardboard in the 1980's. The fabric must be very fragile, so I would take that into consideration. Also, very early quilt tops should probably remain unquilted because of the value--a top made by children would have a value of it's own, I would think. I'm not an expert, but I've just read alot of articles by experts. Any experts out there in TQS Land???? I would like to know what the experts would say myself. Judy in Torrance

[Judy M.]

In my region I recommend that people contact the Henry Ford Village conservator. Way back, somewhere in the forum someone else had a similar question and maybe they could tell you what they did.

Jean in Windsor, ON

[Judy M.]

It seems like it might have to stay the way it is. Soaking might also make things worse. Like Judy said, the odds of washable glue in the 80's isn't very good. I'd be really nervous about this one. Hopefully someone with better knowlage might chime in... Good luck Cheryl

[Judy M.]

Thank you, ladies! I'll try the Henry Ford village. They may be able to lead me to a solution.
I wish that the glue had been applied in the 80's but it wasn't. It was already glued to the board when my grandmother purchased it and had been for quite a while. The glass that was in the frame had small bubbles and was very wavy- indicative of early glass. I would guess it had been framed in the early 1900's by the wood, frame style and glass. The frame was made for the quilt.
I think you are correct, Cheryl, I should just leave it as is and enjoy it.

Karin