Wow! What an assignment!
10-18-2011, 07:47 AM
#41
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,904
these quilts take me back to my Mother and Grand mothers quilting days. It's like looking into a mirro of my past life. OH! such fond /loving memories. thanks for sharing them . they were made to use and enjoy..
10-18-2011, 08:03 AM
#42
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Oceanside, CA
Posts: 847
I agree with Jan.
Actually, and sadly, I disagree. Yes, the quilts would have more "value" if left as is. But not as much as we present day quilters would wish. There are many, many quilts like this, and even more in much better condition and style, in museums. In this case, intrinsic value is more important to the current owner and should be honored.
Don't worry about saving the papers, they are likely on microfilm somewhere anyway, if the owner isn't interested. It will be difficult to remove them due to age, so the easiest way is to wet them -- with wet q-tips around the seams or with a very wet towel, blotting as you go and picking up any paper pulp that you can. If you're able to get whole pieces of paper you could just let them dry to the side and use them as others here have suggested.
If you lay the tops out on a surface covered with something white/natural you will also be able to tell at this time if something is going to bleed. [Be sure to wash your backing fabric before using it!!] It looks like you probably won't have much bleeding as most of these fabrics appear to be fabrics from clothing, etc.
I think it's precious she wants to remember the past by having these quilted and used. :-D It's kind of you to offer to help her do so.
Jan in VA
Originally Posted by Jan in VA
Originally Posted by Crqltr
I agree..I would bet a quilt museum would love to have these. A shame to tear all the paper out. They should talk to a expert first.
Don't worry about saving the papers, they are likely on microfilm somewhere anyway, if the owner isn't interested. It will be difficult to remove them due to age, so the easiest way is to wet them -- with wet q-tips around the seams or with a very wet towel, blotting as you go and picking up any paper pulp that you can. If you're able to get whole pieces of paper you could just let them dry to the side and use them as others here have suggested.
If you lay the tops out on a surface covered with something white/natural you will also be able to tell at this time if something is going to bleed. [Be sure to wash your backing fabric before using it!!] It looks like you probably won't have much bleeding as most of these fabrics appear to be fabrics from clothing, etc.
I think it's precious she wants to remember the past by having these quilted and used. :-D It's kind of you to offer to help her do so.
Jan in VA
10-18-2011, 08:33 AM
#43
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: western arkansas
Posts: 2,077
I would be afraid to touch them to remove the paper and hand quilt. I would suggest to them to locate a quilt historian and go from there. They may know how to remove the papers without ripping the stitches out of perhaps even tearing the fabric that is old and fragile. My opinion.
10-18-2011, 08:52 AM
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Vermont
Posts: 7,000
Originally Posted by ghostrider
A quilt, even a top, is only as old as the last work done on it, so when you 'finish' them, they will forevermore be dated as 2011 quilts, not 1920-whatever.
I used to buy antique tops for resale, if I quilted them, I then described them that way, a 1920's top that has recently been hand quilted.
10-18-2011, 08:52 AM
#45
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Here and there
Posts: 1,669
Originally Posted by Jan in VA
Originally Posted by Crqltr
I agree..I would bet a quilt museum would love to have these. A shame to tear all the paper out. They should talk to a expert first.
Don't worry about saving the papers, they are likely on microfilm somewhere anyway, if the owner isn't interested. It will be difficult to remove them due to age, so the easiest way is to wet them -- with wet q-tips around the seams or with a very wet towel, blotting as you go and picking up any paper pulp that you can. If you're able to get whole pieces of paper you could just let them dry to the side and use them as others here have suggested.
If you lay the tops out on a surface covered with something white/natural you will also be able to tell at this time if something is going to bleed. [Be sure to wash your backing fabric before using it!!] It looks like you probably won't have much bleeding as most of these fabrics appear to be fabrics from clothing, etc.
I think it's precious she wants to remember the past by having these quilted and used. :-D It's kind of you to offer to help her do so.
Jan in VA
10-18-2011, 09:01 AM
#47
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 44
Here is what I did for my Mil when they remodeled and we found papers from the 1800's, I removed what I could with a sharp knife and make a collage of them on craft board then framed it. You could do a small collage (5X7) and they could hang it near the quilt.
10-18-2011, 01:17 PM
#49
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Tucker, GA
Posts: 2,042
Whatever big pieces of paper you can get off and think are interesting enough to save, you can put between two pieces of clear contact paper. It's not archival and acid free but it is definitely air-free so it will preserve them for a good long time...and you can read both sides of the paper this way too.
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