quilt ladder - happy!
 

I have been asking my husband for this type ladder for over a year. Finally on a recent vacation I showed him something similar in a quilt shop and he understood what I was asking for. (The drawings, online examples, descriptive words didn't do it, I guess.) That trip was over on June 15 so finally on July 24 it's up and in place. Love it! The space it fills had an ancient short bookcase that was full of grandkid toys and books. THey are now in a bedroom and ... well, now, .... my couch looks really old and dated. :( Oh well! Still happy! :) The bookcase has been moved to my sewing room and I'm cleaning house in there. Joy! Joy! (Before and after pics to follow.)

The quilts - Top one with paintings of flowers made by my husband's mother when she was young. He's 59 and she was in her 30's when he was born so ... over 60 years old and probably over 70.
Second one: We call it a Texas star - also made by my Mother-in-law when she was young.
Third: Made by my husband's grandmother so ... older anyway!
Fourth: a churn dash (?) made by my mother-in-law
Fifth: Sunbonnet Sue from feed sacks. First quilt made by my mother-in-law when she was 10 or 12. That would make it about 80 years old.
Bottom one: my grandmother made this for my son when he moved into a Big Boy Bed. She had made exactly the same quilt for his crib. It's made of "bullet proof" polyester. It's 31 years old. (His little boy sleeps under the crib sized one when he stays over here.)

Awesome ladder (he did well!!) and awesome collection of quilts. Thanks for sharing.

Very nice quilt ladder and you have a great collection of old quilts to display on it!

That second down is not the one I thought it was - it's not the Texas star. I do see a star shape, but ... what is that thing anyway? Anyone know?

4th down is a Bow Tie not Churn Dash.. They are all beautiful and the display ladder is great!

Looks wonderful! Pretty quilts, too!!! :thumbup:

Looks great and such great quilts to display. Great quilt ladder.

Thank you for the story about each quilt, it was so interesting! He really did a nice job on the ladder!

Bow tie makes a lot more sense - thanks!

Awesome quilts!! Just curious.....did you stain, paint, varnish.....the ladder? Was wondering what you used so that it wouldn't hurt the quilts. I am trying to find an old ladder at a sale or have my husband make one.

It's coated in polyurethane after staining. I'm going to add something else though because I'm concerned about that - I'm thinking of some drawer liner rubbery stuff laid over each rung. Many of them have been hanging over an old ladder in our bedroom - came from my in-laws' house - for about 15 years and I see no signs that any problems came because of that, but ... just in case ...

What an amazing collection of family quilts. And that's a wonderful way to display them.

A reminder to rotate them and refold for fading......but do not put them away.....enjoy them and allow them to put a smile on your face every day

Wow, all the way to the ceiling. nothing like using all space available. Good for him!! and you too!!!

Great ladder and the quilts displayed on it are wonderful.

He did a great job! Put a star on his chart! :D

Your quilts and ladder are really nice. Thanks so much for sharing

Is the 2nd quilt down a spinning star? I also have a quilting ladder, but I bought it, not made. I enjoy using it. You're lucky to have one like that - more rungs than mine.

Very nice way to display your beautiful quilt collection!

I am soooo jealous. I have wanted a quilt ladder for a long time. It is beautiful.

What a wonderful way to display your heirloom quilts, the quilts are awesome and your DH did a great job.

Love your display great family history of quilts...

Great ladder and quilts, you packed a whole lot of family history on it.

I want a quilt ladder so badly. I've been begging, but I believe it's going to be up to me to find someone else to make it for me. Love yours!!

I want one too...now where is my DH? Oh HONEY!!!

Nice job by all.
J J

You have a lovely treasure of quilts!!

Wow, that's a great way to show love for family and have a colorful display in your room too. Love it.

Thank you for sharing the history of all the quilts. Love your stories and the quilts are precious.

what a great way to display quilts and they are very beautiful

Was just thinking as I re-read some of the comment here. Do these quilts have labels on them ???? If not do it now...as latter no one will remember....I have so many things from my mother, her mother and her family, that I have no clue of who and what they are......I just stared this month putting tags on things that I know the history of and working on a modest family tree, as I am the last surviving member of my family.....and even thou I am only 65 sometims I have to think hard as to what is what and who is who....

nice ladder and awesome quilts. your hubby did good.

You just gave me a wonderful idea for a birthday present! Put in a call to Dad and am going to ask him to make me one. Then I'll be able to display more than one of Grandma's quilts and some I've made. Yours looks awesome! Enjoy! :)

Awsome ladder. Your DH did a great job. Those quilts are wonderful. I have one quilt made by my great-grandmother for me when I was born, that would make it 68+ years old. It has been used hard and washed about a million times. It is still going strong. Putting a label on it is a wonderful idea. Thanks
Sue

Great ladder. I think I'll show it to MY son and see what happens!

The original plan was to put this behind the couch. The couch is angled out from a corner with a dusty plastic tree behind it. (Dated and ycch, I know.) but ... if you put it behind the couch you lose sight of the bottom 2 - 3 rungs so .. it ended up here. The NEXT plan - we'll see how long this takes - is to build TWO of the same type ladder and hinge them on the long sides. This will be put in the corner behind the couch. There are a few more family quilts to be displayed, but this will mainly be for the quilts I've made. Even those that are in progress can go there while they wait to be sandwiched and quilted.

Labels? GREAT idea. My son is 33 and I was telling him about each of these last night - and he had no idea. His 29-year old sister has no clue either.

Refolding for fading - another great idea. When these were in our bedroom that didn't happen, but I knew absolutely nothing about quilts or quilting. Now as an educated person I can do better. I had a few on an old family wooden ladder, but the rest were folded under a bench at the foot of the bed - no direct sunlight.

Thanks for the atta-girls (and atta-husbands) and good advice.

When my mother-in-law was showing me this Sunbonnet Sue - her first quilt - she pointed out each flaw in it. Flaws I couldn't see, of course, but which I'm sure had been pointed out to her by her rather harsh mother. So not only did I learn more about her - which made it a bit easier to understand her, I learned a lesson that helps me today. Flaw? Shmaw! Enjoy the quilt - process and product!

Here's a close up of each one. The amount of quilting interests me - several are tied - the Sunbonnet Sue has very little quilting - this was a first one by a child so that makes sense.

Beautiful quilts. Thanks for sharing them and the ladder idea.

Beautiful! I bought an old orchard ladder that one member showed us a while ago. The only trouble with that is the top is narrower and tapers out at the bottom. I didn't know about quilt ladders. It's perfect, of course.

Great quilt display ladder. Nice quilts.