Bring your antique quilts out of the cedar chest and into the light and you will be doing them, and your room décor, a big favor. Few decorative items in your collection are more versatile.
Of course, the most obvious spot to display grandma’s handiwork is on a bed. Don’t worry about how your quilt measures up against today’s standardized bedspread sizes. Antique quilts are as individual in size and design as the women and men who made them. Especially in patchwork quilts, when the quilter ran out of fabric to use, the quilt was done! Use dust ruffles or plain bedspreads to make sure your bed is fully “dressed", and let the quilt lay on top of the bed however it may. If you have a large bed, and a smaller quilt, choose a bedspread with a bit of texture in a complimentary color, and fold the quilt across the foot of the bed. You will get the visual impact of the quilt, but keep the look of the bed in proportion.
But beds are not the only good place to display quilts, nor do quilts have to be relegated to the bedroom. Many antique quilts are works of art in their own right, and make a dramatic statement when hung on the wall. It is not difficult to have a rod pocket sewn onto the back of your piece in a way that will not do it any damage. As with any work of art, it is important that they not be hung in areas drenched in direct sunlight, or where a curious animal can try and climb on them, but other than that, there are no limits to where they can work. A quilt made of feedsack pieces or faded calicos can give a warm and cozy feel to a family room or den, while a jewel toned and densely embellished Victorian crazy quilt can lend a formal air to a dining room or living room. Quilts and throw blankets add texture as well as color, and are a quick way to add interest to large expanses of blank wall space.
Have a few family quilts that have some design interest, but are not exactly in the category of fine art? Or perhaps you have some from mom’s cedar chest or a local estate sale that are too pretty to stay in the closet, but too damaged to be the focal point of a room? Quilts like these are terrific when folded neatly and stacked on an open shelf, in a glass front cabinet, or on a blanket chest. Damaged quilts can also be folded so the worst areas don’t show and displayed 3-5 at a time on a multi-level quilt rack. Play around here, and re-arrange the stack until you are happy with how it looks as a whole place colors and textures next to each other in the way that is most pleasing to your eye. The good news with this system is, when you want to make a change, you can do it with little effort. Change the stack around, change its location, exchange a quilt in the stack for the one on the bed, you can get a fresh look for your room with a minimum of time and expense.
Sometimes, quilts that are damaged beyond salvation as a whole have a stable section that can be cut out and used to make pillows or table runners. I love the idea of part of a quilt living on in usefulness after the rest of it has gone, and I suspect the original makers, many of whom were thrifty as well as artistic, would get some joy out of that idea as well. But, please, only cut up quilts that are well beyond repair. Once each of these unique treasures is cut, it is lost to us forever. But with a little thought, we can enjoy our antique quilts as decorative items, while also preserving them to pass on to future generations to appreciate.
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