Quilt Care

Straight Talk About Quilt Care Book

Chapter 3

When Repairs Are Needed

by Patricia Cummings
photos by James Cummings, et. al.

What is Your Goal in Keeping Old Quilts?

Think very carefully about why you want to repair a particular antique quilt. What is your ultimate goal? What are you trying to achieve? Only you can answer those questions.

Except for minor seam repairs, my first choice is usually to leave the old quilt alone and just enjoy it as it is. Then again, my antique quilts are not actively
“used,” and I am not trying to preserve any family heirloom quilt treasures. The quilts that I collect are intended for the purposes of teaching, writing, and designing reproductions and miniatures.

Some antique dealers start out as collectors. Such is the case with Dana Balsamo of New Jersey who owns a business called Material Pleasures, http://www.materialpleasures.com

She vends all kinds of vintage textiles, buttons, lace, books, booklets, handkerchiefs, and other goodies. Dana reluctantly offers some of her antique quilt “finds” for sale, when she can bear to part with them!

When she heard about my book in progress, Dana graciously offered photos of some of her quilts to help illustrate my points. Dana meticulously searches to find the published pattern name of each of the quilts she collects. She is particularly delighted when she finds unusual quilts to purchase that have a nineteenth century provenance.

Brunswick star quilt

This unusual mid-19th century quilt has been repaired with three blue pieces of home decorator fabric, circa 1970. photo courtesy of Dana Balsamo of Material Pleasures.

"Brunswick Star” is a mid-nineteenth century quilt from circa 1850 that measures 72” x 74”. In checking the quilt over, Dana discovered that three appliqué patches of 1970s home decorator fabric have been added to the quilt. The blue floral colors do seem out of place on the otherwise dark quilt.

Seeing the fabric reminds us of something important. If you are thinking about adding fabric that is not from the same time period, you may decrease the value of the quilt for the antiques market. If you are not planning to sell the quilt and only want to please yourself, then potential monetary value may not matter to you.

Remember this:
If a repair can easily be reversed, all the better!

A green and white 1930s Sunflower Quilt is an example of a quilt that is in pristine condition and has been well-preserved. The quilt measures 72” x 88”.

1930s Sunflower quilt block

Photo of antique “Sunflower Quilt” shows the typical 1930s Buttonhole Stitch appliqué used to tack down or simply to decorate the center circle. Some quilts of this type have centers that are turned under and sewn down before the decorative embroidery stitch is added. Other quilters would apply Buttonhole Stitch over a raw edge.

This quilt has been well-preserved by its former owners, and is just one of the many quilt that Dana Balsamo has collected. Photo courtesy of Material Pleasures.

A very graphic quilt in Dana's personal collection is one that has diagonal sashing and is composed of hexagons. Each of the quilt's Turkey Red calico hexagons has one or more holes. Early Turkey Red fabrics can disintegrate due to the harsh treatment that the cloth endured during the dyeing process.

When Dana first acquired the quilt, she wondered if she should attempt to replace every damaged red hexagon. This would be quite a task! Other antique quilt lovers whom she consulted told her to just enjoy the quilt as it is, and that is exactly what she has decided to do. Often, draping a damaged quilt over a quilt rack can show it off without the risk of hanging it on a wall. From a distance, minor faults such as tiny holes in print fabric are not noticeable.

In the final photos that Dana sent, Crepeline has been overlaid on a Crazy Quilt block and is virtually invisible. She has to tell customers that the Crepeline is there or they would not even notice it. This stabilizer has been basted down around a damaged patch, and its raw edges have been left flat, and not turned under.

Above is a photo of a quilt from the personal collection of Dana Balsamo. Each of the Turkey Red print hexagons, which form the quilt's sashings, have one or more holes. The process to make Turkey Red color fabrics was a rigorous one and has lead to deterioration such as this, on some nineteenth century quilts. Dana has debated whether or not to try to replace all of the damaged hexagons but has designed to enjoy the quilt, “as is,” at least for now. Photo courtesy of Dana Balsamo.

Always think twice about any decision to alter a quilt in an irreversible way.

crazy quilt with crepeline

The photo to the right shows a section of a Victorian Crazy Quilt with “fancy fabrics.” There is a Crepeline overlay over this area. Can you see it? No? Good! That is the idea!

Crepeline is used as a stabilizer. It is currently falling out of favor, somewhat, for use with Crazy Quilts. This is because, as they continue to disintegrate, the little shards of loose cloth are “collected” by the Crepeline “pocket.”

Some restorers use a special and fine fusible to secure loose silk back down. The main disadvantage of that method is that the use of new age material devalues an item for the antiques market.

Quilt restorers often take a proactive stance in “fixing” old quilts. They usually work with quilts that have family or sentimental value only. For example, someone may bring in a problem quilt with mouse holes. The rest of the quilt is fine and is intact. The restorer's task is to find suitable fabrics, from the same time period, and of the same coloration, to add to the surface of the quilt. Repairs should blend in, be invisible, and should make the quilt look like it did originally, insofar as possible.

At times, restorers will use a fine (archival quality) fusible, such as Trans-Web sold by Lacis in Berkeley, California, http://www.lacis.com These fusibles are not to be confused with those that are available for the public to purchase at sewing stores.

These fusibles take skill to apply and are rarely used, but are just another option that can be considered under certain circumstances. Fusibles are most likely to be used on Crazy Quilts or on cotton patches that have damage due to oxidation, (a result of using iron as a mordant.) Any use of a fusible on an antique quilt will devalue it, automatically.

Conservation and Restoration: Two Different Schools of Thought

The goal of the restorer is to return the quilt to the family for use, or for display. Restorers actively add other fabrics and use their own hand-sewing and appliqué skills to patch and disguise problem areas, unlike conservators who work to conserve/preserve the quilt as it is TODAY.

Toward a Formal Definition of Terms

According to the American Institute of Conservators' website, “Restoration refers to the reconstruction of the aesthetic appearance of an object.” On the other hand, “Conservation involves examination, scientific analysis, and research to determine original structure, materials, and extent of loss. Conservation encompasses structural and environmental treatment to retard future deterioration.” These two definitions clearly portray the parameters of both quilt restoration and quilt conservation.

As a further example, a “quilt restorer” will sometimes attempt to replace the damaged patches of Crazy Quilts. On the other hand, a “quilt conservator” might prefer to stabilize damaged silk patches with overlays of Crepeline or Stabiltex.

Stabilizers

Crepeline is a fine silk organdy fabric used in conservation work for stabilizing weak, split, or shattered areas of cloth. The book, All About Silk, Vol. I: A Fabric Dictionary and Swatchbook by Julie Parker (Seattle, Washington: Rain City Publishing, 1991) states that, “Silk organdy is stiffer than organza, more opaque, but has similar uses.”

In museum conservation work, Crepeline is basted on, or couched on, with a silk thread removed from the organdy fabric, and the edges are left flat. In restoration procedures, it is more likely to see the edges of the Crepeline turned under slightly, and appliquéd down.

For repairs on Victorian Crazy Quilts, conservators have come to realize that the application of Crepeline can damage the surrounding fabrics to which it is affixed, if those patches are weak. The product does nothing to prevent further disintegration of weighted silk. Instead, the organdy patch just serves to keep all the dropping fragments collected in one place, within a see-through pocket, as stated. Crepeline will work well on cotton quilts to stabilize splits and other surface defects and will look almost totally invisible to the eye.

The price of Crepeline reflects the fact that it is imported. The cloth is produced in France. One supplier in the United States is a company called Talas, http://www.talas-nyc.com/ Crepeline is sold in just three colors: natural, brown, and black. Prices range from $25. to $27. per yard, depending on color. Discounts for quantity buying are available.

While some people have suggested that bridal illusion, or “tulle,” could be used in place of Crepeline, fibers in fabrics sold for bridal headgear are usually too coarse, stiff, and abrasive, are made of nylon, and are not the same quality, or the same product as silk organdy. On the other hand, if you have spare change and can afford the price of $180. per yard, silk tulle illusion could possibly be used instead. That is available at Lacis.

Since Crepeline is made of silk, silk thread can be used for tacking it down around the perimeter of a damaged area. Alternately, a thread of fabric can be removed and inserted into a needle for use in applying the stabilizer. Some conservators prefer to use a very fine 100% cotton thread to couch down stabilizers. To apply stabilizers to cloth, silk pins and fine needles are needed.

The Crepeline patch is often cut larger than the damaged area. Silk has tensile strength that is equal to the strength of steel that is the same diameter. Be aware that silk is a much stronger fiber than cotton. Today, many appliqué teachers recommend silk thread for use with cotton fabrics in new quilt construction. Over time, this silk thread could potentially cut through the cotton threads in the fabrics. Consider this principle if you plan to sew with silk thread in conjunction with Crepeline repairs on (weak fiber) antique cotton quilts.

Old silk also can be stabilized (immobilized) on garments and quilts with the Swiss product Stabiltex (Terelene/Tetex.) These are plain woven, multi-filament fabrics composed of 100% polyester fibers. Stabiltex offers more color options than Crepeline and the claim has been made that the product lasts longer and is stronger. The New York company, Talas, offers Stabiltex in a price range of $42.00 to $55.00 per yard.

Tin Weighting of Silk

Victorian Era Crazy Quilts present the greatest challenge to those of us who love them. Their deteriorating silks do not mean that silk itself is inherently inferior to other fibers. Silks in old Crazy Quilts shatter because they were weighted with metallic solutions containing arsenic salts, iron, and/or tin. Silk readily absorbs these additives. The longer the silk was soaked, the heavier it became. Since silk was sold by the pound, it was appealing to merchants to make silk weigh more. Only time would tell us that this was not a good thing to do to silk!

Weighting silk with tin was a process first practiced in Europe. Jacob Knup of Switzerland had assisted Professor Hans Wolf of the Technicum, Winterthur, in developing the technique of weighting silk with Tetrachloride of Tin, in combination with Tungstate of Soda. This manufacturing process was first introduced to America in 1887, implemented by the firm of George Marlot in Paterson, New Jersey.

In the exhibition catalog generated by the Smith College Museum of Art, for an exhibit that lasted from March-June 2003, the comment was made that silk clothing would shred after just a few wearings (during the Victorian Era.) At that time, the “rustle” of a gown, as a woman entered the room, was very desirable!

A fine silk petticoat shown in the exhibit, a garment that was worn to be seen, was quilted with silk yarn, and made in 1731. The fact that the petticoat has lasted in such fine condition is in sharp contrast to the state of the Victorian Era silks that we see deteriorating so horribly, today. The difference is that the petticoat's silk was not tainted with metal additives.

According to a journal article written by Tandy Hersh, published in Uncoverings 1984, silk petticoats were popular during the mid-eighteenth century. She states that few were seen before 1710, nor after 1775. These garments originated in England. Indeed, the colonies were still under English rule for the entire time that silk petticoats were worn here. An impractical garment, they seem to have been worn only by affluent ladies who wished to make a fashion statement.

Quilted petticoats were designed for frontal visibility and were worn under a gown that had an opening at the front. When quilted silk petticoats went out of vogue, many of them were packed away and some were later recycled into (the centers of) quilts. Museums in various locations throughout the United States, particularly those in the east, have examples of this type of early silk clothing.

As a luxury item, silk was afforded by only the wealthy, in any era, but in this instance, at least a few quality pieces have withstood the test of time. Wool petticoats, some of which were made of calimanco wool cloth, a “calendered” wool that was imported from England. These were a warmer alternative to the silk ones. Petticoats were often part of a wedding dress ensemble.

Garment Demonstration at ATHM

In a demonstration at the American Textile History Museum, a staff member who works in the conservation lab showed us a Victorian Era black silk waistcoat that was being conserved because of its unusual front plackets. She explained and demonstrated how a thread can be peeled from the edge of Stabiltex and threaded into a fine needle. The thread is then used to make “couching” stitches, to invisibly tack the Stabiltex overlay in place.

The American Textile History Museum has been known widely for its fine work in the conservation and cleaning of textiles. Check directly with the museum for availability of this service, as the museum has undergone some restructuring. Contact information includes all of this: American Textile History Museum, 491 Dutton Street, Lowell, MA 01854, (978) 441-0400, http://www.athm.org

For the Best Advice, Seek a Professional

Your choice of whether or not to engage the services of a professional conservator or trained textile restorer will depend on how much the quilt or textile means to you. The monetary cost of either option is an investment that may extend the length of time that you will have to enjoy a beloved family treasure.

Conservation labs have special washing trays that are located at about waist height. These units allow a quilt to lay completely flat and not be moved throughout the entire washing process. That is an improvement over the back-breaking work of cleaning a quilt in a home bathtub, and is a safer option if the textile is old or very fragile but must be wet washed.

Student Interns Work on Quilts

The textile conservation laboratory at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI will work on quilts owned by the public. Linda Welters, Professor and Chair of the Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design, states that when a quilt is brought in, the client receives a receipt, and then signs a contract that gives permission for an analysis of the quilt.

Students assess the quilt and then prepare a treatment report, as well as a cost estimate. Margaret Ordoñez, Professor in the department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design, oversees the program, monitoring the analysis, treatment proposal, and the actual treatment of each quilt. Fees are determined on a per hour basis, and the client is notified when the quilt is ready to be picked up. To contact the department, please call: (401) 874-4574.

PRO Chemical & Dye has given us permission to reprint these directions, copyrighted by the company in 2002, for use of the product Anti-Chlor, which is discussed in the preceding pages of this book.

Anti-Chlor

Please read the directions carefully before starting.

Use Bleach to discharge on cotton. Not all colors strip 100%. In the bleaching, stripping, or discharge printing of natural fibers with bleach, it is proved difficult to remove the last traces of chlorine. If left in the fiber, this chlorine seriously weakens the fiber. It also may cause difficulty in obtaining a given shade, if the fabric is to be over-dyed.

It is important to work outside or in a well-ventilated area and use gloves, safety glasses and a cartridge respirator fitted with an acid gas cartridge. Always do test samples before working on a large project. Do not use this process on silk, it will destroy the fabric. For additional information, visit our website at: http://www.prochemical.com

Wear rubber gloves, apron, or old clothes, and cover work area with newspapers.

Dye and stripping utensils should never be used in food preparation.

Supplies

Anti-Chlor Concentrate from PRO Chemical & Dye

Procedures

Make the Anti-Chlor bath. Measure 2 ½ gallons of 80 degree to 100 degree Fahrenheit water,
(27 degrees to 38 degrees Centigrade), into a clean bucket. Thoroughly dissolve one level teaspoon (2.2gm) of Anti-Chlor in the water.
Soak discharged fabric in this mixture for five minutes, giving the fabric an occasional stir.
Rinse well in water that is room temperature – 75 degrees to 95 degrees (24 -35 degrees C.) The fabric may be over-dyed without drying, or the fabric may be dried with no further assistance.

PRO Chemical & Dye can be reached at P.O. Box 14, Somerset, MA 02726.

Orders can be placed at: (800) 228-9393, or 1-800-2-BUY-DYE

Technical support is available at: (508) 676-3838

Fax: (508) 676-3980

E-mail: promail@prochemical.com

http://www.prochemical.com

Go to Chapter 4A - Handling Quilts: Biohazards and Other Considerations