How long will our quilts last??
 

At the LQS a couple of ladies talked about very old quilts like the original DJ. Then one said that the quilts made today will never last that long as the cotton does not have the same quality anymore.
Do you believe that?? I sure have other problems than the question whether my quilts will be in the family for decades to come. lol. but wouldnt that be a shame??

Granny

there are so many variables that come in to play whether or not a quilt will last- i made one back in 1976 that to me is (aweful!) but it is still used and loved- and i have never had to do any repair work on it- i've made quilts that only a few weeks later looked as if they were 100 years old and abused...falling apart- faded, frayed---not even saveable
and i can hear you saying---well the fabrics were different back in the 70's- but i think it's the choice we make-regardless- i've used vintage fabrics that have disintergrated- i've used newer fabrics that hold up for years-the batting is a factor- how it is laundered- and how often- how it is stored- even location (is it a humid enviroment- or a very dry one?) does it get alot of sun?---lives on a bed in a light/airy room? is it stored in a cedar chest- or in a closet? so many factors- i would not be comfortable to just blame new fabric quality---there may not have been as many to choose from 50+years ago---but there was still a vast range of quality---just like today-the statement is just to (general) i bet there will be many many quilts made today still around in 100 years

I have no scientific backup for this, but would expect modern-day quilts to last a long time if well made with good quality materials and well looked after (which would mean no hardcore lovin' from children unfortunately).

Not all quilts from way back when have survived, and not all quilts from now will survive, but there will surely be some that last a long while.

I made one in the late 70's (my first) that I have used constantly. First the "iffy" fabrics wore out and I replaced them. Now even the good quality cotton calicos are starting to wear out. And I do NOT machine wash or dry it.
I have seen much older quilts in better shape, but who knows how much or how little wear they got.

Now I am thinking of maybe making a replacement for my quilt - I think I deserve it after all these years.

I make quilts for people to love and stay warm. My Granny did the same. If you love a quilt like a kid does it won't last a 100 years but in it's life time it was well loved. I have quilts I havent used that are 30 years old. But bless their hearts they may feel unloved. Actully I love them so very much my Granny made them for me. They are taken out and aired and laid flat for a week and put back up, in that week I get to really enjoy them.

The first quilts I made over 30 years ago were big blocks sewn together, an odd used flat sheet for backing and tied with yarn that I had on hand. They are still going strong. My grandkids love sleeping under them as much as my kids did.

I think one variable is that people wash their quilts more often these days than they did back before every home had a washing machine/dryer.

The less often you wash a quilt, the longer it will last.

Personally, I don't routinely wash my quilts...only when they show signs of being dirty. That said...since it's just DH & I and we are both clean people, my quilts don't get washed very often.

I learned this from my aunt who quilted all her life and died at the age of 92. She said to only wash the quilts when necessary.

I hope my quilts last at least a few years. However, I want my quilts to be used and loved and that's how I make them. Nothing fancy, just simple.

I don't think that it is much about the quality of fabric as it is the wear and tear on the quilt and the amount of scrubbing it takes. personally I don't want my quilts to last 100 years because i would rather them be loved to death in 20-30 years.

There are the keepsake quilts and there are the 'drag to the beach' quilts. As long as they are LOVED...that is what is important. i have heard that each washing takes 5 years off the life of a quilt so I do mention this when I give someone a quilt. But then, 5 years off of what? That is the big question!!

I honestly do believe that...first, the cotton..it is NOT grown the same..they use so many chemicals on that cotton just to grow/harvest it, it is amazing..nothing natural there at all...then there is the chemicals use to CLEAN the cotton, chemicals used to break it down before ginning, the list goes on...with finally the chemicals used on the fabric to get back into the USA....and then there are our detergents...quilts were NEVER washed in the OLD days..they were beaten and hung out to air....spot cleaned, but never washed like we do today... I believe that some are making quilts that will last 100 years...they take the time to LEARN about the fabric, the thread, the correct ways to handle both and use their knowledge to make the BEST quilt possible. There is a difference in a utility quilt and an heirloom quilt...we all make different choices when it comes to what we make!

I wonder how much the difference in how we sew them makes? For instance we used to start and stop with back stitches and we would "lock" the stitches. Now we sew continuous strips of fabric cutting them apart in various areas and don't "lock" the stitches. Could that account for some of the problems?

There are so many variables here: fabric content, fabric quality, construction, well loved, storage, the list goes on. If they last a 100 years, great; if they fall apart tomorrow, we get to make more. I do have 3 that my mother made in the early 70's, made from double knit fabric. Those quilts are still as bright and beautiful as they were the day she made them and they have been through 3 kids , 2 grandkids and now 3 greatgrand kids.

Interesting topic. I guess those of us interested in creating heirlooms or long lasting quilts might make different choices. Others who don't care about longevity would make other choices (or maybe the same but not worry about it)

I only care that my quilts last as long as I do. I use what fabrics I have and pay what I want to for them, I am not interested in how long they may last. If no top sheet is used between the quilt and body and if washed every week, I doubt even the pricey fabrics will last very long. It the "old" times quilts were only washed once a year at the most, made them last longer.

A lot of the antique quilts were used only on special occasions and stored away most of the time. I want my quilts to be used and abused with love. I would like my children to be able to have a quilt when I am gone for a memory of me but beyond that, mine are not masterpieces.

The ones my Mother made in the 60's and 70's are coming apart. It is more the thread she used than the fabric. The thread is breaking and everything is coming apart.At least I can repair that.

My personal experiences. My great-grandmother's final 2 quilts lasted for 50 years only because nobody used them and they were stored in a closet. They deteriorated fairly fast once we encouraged my great-aunt to use them in her last 8 years. Fabric ages, whether well kept or not and once you give light exposure to it, it goes much faster.

The tied quilts my Mom made in the 70s lasted about 10 years of being washed and dried in the dryer two to three times a year. The embroidered quilt she made between 1955 and 1957 is in PERFECT condition. It's never been used and been stored in a closet all this time (I'm trying to convince her to use her quilt NOW).

Honestly, I don't think the cotton quality is less (the stuff sold in quilt shops is far better cotton than most women used in the 30s), but the coloring chemicals have changed. Some were changed due to cancer causing agents, some due to level of pollution. I don't think any are the same as what were used back in the 30s.

I have alot of old quilts made by DH grandmother probably pre and post war era. Maybe even during the depression. I discovered that one of the quilts batting has disintegrated. Its still together though. the two wool ones I keep in the cedar chest.
They should last a long time. I think our machines are not as hard on quilts as the old wringer ones. DH's mother remembers washing them on the scrub board....so that tells you how old some of the quilts are that was handed down to us!

I think a worn and tattered quilt that is much loved is a testament to the recipient as well as the giver. Long ago I read and re read the Velveteen Rabbit to my kids and my grandkids. I would prefer my quilts are loved and used, maybe a gift should be 2 quilts, one to love and use, and one to put away for future generations.

I think it depends on how the quilt is used and how it's cared for more than the fabric that is used in making it. I hate to say this but, many people today have been spoiled by the easy come - easy go style of living and simpley do not take care of anything. Therefore, a quilt placed in their hands will not last very long compared to a quilt placed with someone who takes care of their things. I have quilts made by my Mom and my Mother-in-law that are more than 50 years old. They have been used on a regular basis, washed many times and are still in great shape.

Hadn't really thought about it - but just hope mine are used and enjoyed-

For me personally, I want my quilts to be enjoyed and used. If they last 100 years that's great, but I would much rather the ones who I give them too would have fond memories of all the times they were comforted by having a quilt to use. Guess I would say I make Linus quilts for kids and adults.

I believe longer than those of my Granmother's days. I have quilts that I use from my Grandmother, I wash and use again. These were made with the cotton of the 1930s and 1950s and most are sewn by treadle machine and all handquilted. The colors are faded and I have redone some of the quilt bindings, but the quilts are still in good shape for the daily use. Grandma made quilts to use NOT to sit in some chest and keep till - LATER.

Today with stronger fabrics and threads and with more care with washing etc, our work should last.

My Grandmothers quote: "I hate to cook, because all I have to show for my efforts is dirty dishes. When I sew, it is for a lifetime,"

Wise lady!!!

I'm with sahm4605

I disagree with that to some degree because of the quality of fabric and useage of the quilts.Make on out of polyester it will be around for 200 years i think that stuff is thick and hot and last and last and last a very long time.Personaly I don't like polyester quilts they are too heavy and hot for me.I gave one to a couple whos house burned down years ago,when my daughter was only 7 she is now 25.

I don't think the ladies of the farms and prairies really gave that a thought. They were just trying to keep their families warm. :-) So I hope that whomever I give a quilt to, loves it and uses it. (Relatives made quilts for our sons when they were born and the kids beat them to death. They did become a bit threadbare, but the boys loved them. That's what counts).

helenquilt
 

I have a quilt dated May 19th 1867. It has a few very small holes where rust once was. I think I washed it one time to many trying to get it white again. It was purchased at a garage sale very dirty about 30 years ago.

I feel that the type of machine they are laundryed in makes a big difference in the life of a quilt. But the fabric also is a key. I have a quilt that my mother made the blocks for and gave me 65 years ago, they were stored for at least 40 years before I made the quilt.
This was due to a # of reasons??? the point is it is a butter fly pattern, the first time I washed it all of the black body fabric fell apart.
none of the others were damaged, figure that one out. I made new bodies for the Butter flies these I did on the sewing machine Mom had made all of it by hand, my hands can't operate needle and thread due to tremors. All looks great but have it stored in a quilt box, to admire and protect it.

When I was a child, we slept under quilts made by my mother's grandmother, who raised her. She must have been born around the 1850s. I don't know when the quilts were made, but it had to be no later than the 1920s or early '30s. They were pretty much in tatters, but what I wouldn't give to have them now. I had no idea what we really had. They were just warm bedding for us. Some of them had become so worn when she still had them that she used the worn ones as batting for the new ones, so they were multi-layer wonders. I don't know if someone will still be using mine a hundred or more years from now -- I just hope they value them more than we did our great-grandmother's.

I made a quilt as a wedding gift for our son and his wife (they just got married in October of this year). When we stopped at their house the other day I asked them where the quilt was...I made it in the colors of their living room and just the right size for both of them to snuggle under while sitting on the sofa...guess my idea was way different (LOL) than their idea...it is in the plastic bag tucked away in the closet for "safe keeping". They want to keep it nice because I made it for them....grrrrr...I said use it I will make you another one....so some quilts will last forever for some people! LOL

I have all my quilts that my MIL gave us,that was 54 yrs ago, they need some new binding but they are still very good.
I don't think the up comming generation has the same feel for family heirlooms, so ladys enjoy them while we can.

d.swindle

If they are taken care of, I imagine they will out live us.

Incidentally, I saw an idea in Real Simple magazine that I thought was worth remembering ... when old quilts finally wear out, the author suggested cutting out surviving blocks and framing them under glass. I thought this was a great idea for saving a part of a quilt that has special memories but is no longer in serviceable condition.

The quilt that I received as a wedding gift in 1971 and the one I finished as a home ec project a few years before that was muslin blocks colored with crayons and hand embroidered by my mom and her sister in the 1930s both lasted over 25 years. These two quilts were used constantly and washed and dried frequently. Once they got too threadbare to wash I hung them on a quilt rack along with one that the top had been given to my dad long before he and my mom met in the 1930s. It was also used daily and washed and dried frequently from the time I was in high school until the late 80s/early 90s. I was very sad that they were destroyed when our house burned in 2000.

Textile all surcome to time. I have a quilt over 30 years old. It's been boxed in acid free paper and rearly see's light, and no one touches it. That is the only way any quilt last.

Most of the old quilts you see were packed away in a chest in the attic. They were hardly ever used and never washed. Which is why we don't see more of them, they got used up.

Some of mine were made 30 years ago and people still ask me if I use them, because they are in very good condition. I think they will last for as long as I have the luck to stay upright and I don't suppose I will worry about them after that...

I completely agree. Washing is difficult on quilts and clothes, and we Americans are obsessive about keeping both clean. My sister and her beau are from the Netherlands and have a very different schedule for laundry than we here are comfortable with. I've noticed the same thing in England. It would be easier on us if we relaxed a little...now if I could talk my husband into adjusting his thinking on the matter, I'd be happy. He creates huge piles of laundry because he never wears anything twice. I'm a "wear jeans twice" and "wash sweaters when dirty" kind of gal. I've never had anyone tell me I stink, so that must be acceptable! :)