What you describe sounds like a beard protector. Men used to have large beards which weren't clean all the time so women used to sew a strip on to protect the quilt from getting major dirty.

I actually have a couple of the protecters. One is just plain white fabric........rather heavy, somewhat like feed sack. The other has beautiful embrodery. These were my mother-in-laws. Probably 75 to 100 years old.

I have seen it in a book once on an antique quilt and it was something about wiskers. So maybe a wsikers/beard guard?

I was just thinking about this yesterday! I have noticed that the quilt we use every day on our bed (given to us 4 years ago when we got married) is dirty at the top. I think it has nothing to do with whiskers, though, it's oil from our fingers when we pull the quilt up at night. I was thinking about how it could be done to protect the top of the quilt. Even after I wash it I notice the top is still darker than the rest of the quilt.

So glad this came up! I may have to try making one of these.

I made two of them, one for on and one for in the wash - one for Spring and one for Fall cleaning - whatever. It works!!!!!! I still don't know the name of them. Edie

I haven't tried it, but I've seen several sites talk about buttermilk and lemon juice. I'm just including one link. This one uses white vinegar with the buttermilk. A word search of "cleaning quilts with buttermilk" will give you several to read.

The following is a quote from the link below it.

If the quilt is age-marked, soak in a solution of one quart buttermilk and one tablespoon white vinegar to each gallon of water before washing. This won’t damage a cotton quilt.

http://tipnut.com/vintage-quilts/

Not a bad idea, interchange able top porton Cool thanks for the tip. :)

My mother had these on all her quilts and her blankets but not her bedspreads. They were washed, starched, ironed and put back on as soon as they became dirty, but the quilt or blanket stayed clean. She bought the material for the protector to match either the quilt or the decoration in the room because back then all the sheets were white and were ironed every time they were washed. Washed on Monday, Ironed on Tuesday. Starched on Tuesday, ironed on Wednesday. Cleaned house on Thursday. In between times she made everyone's clothes, did most of the yard work, went to church everytime they opened the doors. And had a very active social life. No clothes dryer, no dishwasher, no microwave, no TV - but you really got the news off of the party line telephone!

My grandmother used to have them too, I think like the others, it was a duvet cover I believe, grandma had snaps on it to hold it in place

not sure how long duvet covers have been in use...but i have picked up some at estate auctions fr turn of 20th century so not sure that dgm was making 'early' version or was a 'necessity' that had been passed dwn to her to help preserve the bed quilts fr skin oils etc....but that does sound like what they were making. the ones that i have collected button on. i even have a couple made fr matching feedsacks. but to keep the quilt in good repair and looking beautiful was, i was told, one of the purposes of the duvet cover.