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Old 04-30-2010, 07:59 PM
  #52  
shequilts
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Atlanta
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I sincerely hope you don't add new fabric to these beauties. As stated above, their antiquity will be lost. I would gently tack the loose binding to preserve it and then display with the damaged part folded inside so it doesn't show. They shouldn't be hung since the fabric is obviously fragile. To display, drape them nicely over something like a trunk or stair rail so that most of the body of the quilt is supported.
Keep them out of direct sunlight. If you absolutely must wash them, do so with extreme caution. Put them seperately in the bathtub with tepid water and a scoop of Orvis soap. Press the quilt down with the palms of both hands moving all over the quilt. Don't wring or rub. When you've sufficiently squished the wash water through the quilt, drain the tub. Fill it with clean water and squish again. Drain and repeat until the water is no longer soapy/cloudy. Let the quilt remain in the tub with the drain open and occasionally squish again to remove the water. Drain as much out as you can before you atempt to remove the quilt. Its own weight can tear/fray it. Dry the quilt by spreading it flat onto a white sheet. Let it air dry (preferrably outdoors in a shaded location). Cover lightly with another white sheet if birds are a concern. For my antique quilts, I like to find a spot where the grass is a little tall in order to circulate the air underneath. I usually do this kind of laundry in the hot summertime so they will dry better. Whaever you do, don't hang it on a clothesline or place it in a dryer.
Congratulations on your findss. I love them both, but the pink is my favorite. Very 1930ish.
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