My Grandmother passed away in1993. I have her roll-a-way bed. I didn't use it much, so I put it out in a storage building until I needed it. My brother wanted to borrow it. My husband and I got it out and took the mattress off and there IT was. When I shook it out (it had been folded in half) there were rust stains all over it, parts and gotten caught in some of the springs, it was totally destroyed. I just can't imagine this!! I was sick. I'm afraid to try to wash it, even soak it in the bathtub. It's already starting to come apart. Oh, just airing a quilt tragedy.

Yes, it is a tragedy but you can probably save parts of it. Maybe you could make Christmas stockings or even cut parts out of it and frame them. Lots of great ideas that you could use it for and still have the memory.

So Sorry {{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}} It is heartbreaking when something like that happens

I suppose so. Right now all I could think about was the destruction of a beautiful quilt. Thanks!

I am so sorry you did not know it was stored there so you could get out and take care of it!!! I too found several (3-4) quilts stored between the mattress and box springs of my grandparent's bed. This bed was kept inside though - so no damage!! That must have been "the place" to store quilts during their era.

Several years after my Grandpa passed away, Grandma had a stroke and had to go to a nursing home. She was a seamstress all her life, making clothes and quilts for the family, and even taking in sewing jobs and alterations for the public. She even made bridesmaid and prom dresses, and cheerleader uniforms. All on a treadle sewing machine! Anyway, when she went to the nursing home and her house was "dismantled", a quilt was found between her mattress & box spring. It was a large foundation-string-pieced lone star. My dad (born in 1921) said he remebered playing by her sewing machine as a small boy while she sewed quilts using newspaper as the foundation. An appraiser told me the fabrics were from the late 1800s & early 1900s, so I'm sure it was made when she was a young housewife. The old quilt was faded and worn, with quite a few rust spots, but was still lovely.

So, at our next family reunion that quilt plus about 4 other smaller ones were given away in a drawing amongst her granddaughters and my name was drawn for the star! I was thrilled. However, Grandma was very angry! She just couldn't see why we were all so excited over that old, worn-out quilt that wasn't good for anything except keeping the mattress from getting poked by the springs! She wanted us to throw it away!!!

That is such a tragedy. Very very sad. But once you are over the initial shock some of those ideas for saving bits will be great (not as great as a whole quilt - of course)

What a lovely family story!

Maybe you can salvage pieces of it and make throw pillows or something?

I found a quilt in my grandmother's attic - shoved up next to the chimney. It had burned spots on it!!!! Why the house didn't burn down, I'll never know! Well, the quilt was pretty much ruined except for 2 squares. The quilt was given to my great-grandfather, a minister, by the women in the church. They had embroidered their names and dates in the center of the star (?) blocks... it was dated 1902! I was able to salvage the 2 squares, framed one with the information on a little label. It hangs here in my sewing room.

Your grandmother's quilt was probably hand quilted. While it would be a shame to pick out her stitching, I would remove it, the backing, and the batting. Then, I would use a light weight fusible web and fuse a pre-shrunk piece of muslin (or an old white sheet which, if you don't have one that you would like to use, are available very cheaply at thrift shops) to the top. Iron on the muslin or sheet side with the quilt down.

I would soak it very gently in a bathtub. First use distilled water to wet the rust stains. Oxalic acid will remove rust; however, if you have hard water it may join with the minerals to form precipitates, which is why I suggest distilled water. You can find oxalic acid in commercial products such a Zud Cleaser (pat, don't rub and abrasive product like this!), Bar Keeper's Friend, and some commercial deck cleaners.

Then I would gently wash it in the tub, perhaps adding a bit of stain remover that you know and like. Rinse and, without twisting, gently squeeze out as much water as you can without stressing the fabric. Spread out your biggest towels on the floor and roll the wet quilt top in them, press out more water, and air dry.

This may give you more salvagable pieces. You could requilt them and frame them. A larger piece might make a backdrop behind a bed. Smaller pieces could be framed in a grouping.

Ohhhh Noooo how heartbreaking :(

The thought of the quilt being destroyed is heart breaking.

Yesterday while searching for ideas for old windows I found these! take a look might be something you could do with areas of the quilt that ARE savable!

http://www.aidenloveszoe.com/images/...loralquilt.jpg
http://www.meganandscott.com/Project...ows_Quilts.htm
http://www.junkmarketstyle.com/item/...-window-frames

She probably used it on the springs because it was already falling apart and she had nothing to loose.
Try and salvadge it by soaking in tub in oxyclean and a mild detergent. It may take several soakings to get the rust out.

I agree about Christmas stockings, cookie cutter ornaments, sachet holders, pincushions, etc. It's ok to cut it up. Quilt police won't come and arrest you.

I used Cream of Tartar to remove rust. Wet area, sprinkle it on thick and cover spot to keep it wet. It took several hours, but the rust came out. I know how you feel about the ruined quilt. I stored two quilts( very old!!) in a metal trunk in my basement , then a couple years later, the basement flooded and while cleaning things, opened the trunk to a black, wet mess. My husband told the cleaners to toss whatever it was, and after it was too late to examine them, it dawned on me that it was my antique quilts. One quilt my great grandmother had made and it was in poor shape, the other was from a country homecoming picnic.. It was embroidered with names that people paid to have added. Family names were in a wheel and spoke pattern, attached to a large wheel and spoke. All the names were written in script, and really small size. Since it was from a town that was founded by my ggg- grandfather, I planned to take it to the county historical museum for display. I had wrapped those quilts in pillowcases so they wouldn't get harmed, and I'm still not sure why they had all the black mold on them, but you can believe I did a lot of crying and beating myself up.

That is a good idea. Salvage what you can and try not to think about the dolt who put it in there.

That is so sad. What a waste. Is there any part you can salvage.

What a shame. I hope that never happens to any of the quilts I make.

maybe there is a family Bible that has some or most of those names?
DianneRab

Thank goodness for memories, my grandmother had beautiful quilts but gave them to everyone but me.
Sad.