How to Repair a Quilt
One thing that makes quilting special is that it tends to be shared within families, and quilts often are passed down from generation to generation. Eventually, these prized quilts will need repairing so they can continue to be passed down with the family. If you have an heirloom or treasured quilt that needs simple repairs, and you're handy with a needle and thread, you should be able to make small fixes yourself.
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Instructions
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Scan for damage on the entire quilt. You should repair the quilt from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. Work your way from top to bottom and from the left to the right.
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Cut a new square and place over the damaged square. This technique works even if the shape you need to repair is not a square.
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Stitch the new square to the quilt. Match the stitching style performed on the rest of the quilt. Match it as best as you can.
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Fuse ripped fabric, if there's nothing else wrong or missing from the damaged patch. Place a fusible bonding web product between the fabric of the tear and iron down the product.
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Un-stitch one side of a patch and slide in the batting in between the fabric, if you need to replace the batting. You can use bonded batting, which has an adhesive on one side, which will help keep the batting evenly spread. Sew up the side of the patch that you had un-stitched.
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Repair damaged binding just as you would repair patchwork, but if the edges are fraying, the fabric will likely need to be replaced. Cut new fabric and lay the frame around the quilt. The edges should line up along the edges. Sew along the top and bottom of the fabric, then from the inside corner to the outside corner.
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Tips & Warnings
If you do not feel capable of making repairs yourself, or if the damage is extensive, take your quilt to a professional who specializes in quilt repair/restoration.
When making repairs, match the thread color, stitch style, fabric, etc. as closely as you can to the original materials.
If you need to replace quilt batting, choose a loft, or thickness, that's consistent with the batting that's already in the quilt.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
