How to Display Quilts Using a Wall Mounted Quilt Rack

There's something homey and nostalgic about seeing handmade or passed down quilts hanging on a wall. The look of vibrant or pastel colors merging together with decorative quilting can indeed be a work of art. Luckily, getting the quilt on the wall is fairly easy even if you don't initially know how to display quilts using a wall-mounted quilt rack. There are three basic methods or styles of wall racks, but they each attach a quilt effortlessly.

Things You'll Need

• Finished quilt Scraps of batting Hanging sash or sleeve Tape measure Tissue paper or muslin fabric

Instructions

Clamping Rack

1. Open the clamps of the rack, whether it is one long bar or multiple clamps.

2. Insert the top quilt edge into the opening. Having a friend help hold the quilt will ensure it hangs flat.

3. Tighten the clamps back down, catching the quilt edge in the bar or under each individual clamp. If needed, add some extra batting pieces behind the quilt to supply enough thickness to catch in the clamp.

Removable Rod

1. Hand sew a hanging sleeve to the back of your quilt about an inch from the top if one isn't there already. You can also attach small tabs to the quilt back if an entire sleeve isn't desirable.

2. Remove the rod from the rack and slide it through the sleeve on the quilt back. The quilt should not be longer than the rod it is mounted on or you will have bunching.

3. Insert one end of the rod back into the rack from the inside. Scrunch the quilt down the bar slightly if needed to insert the other end of the rod into the rack. Adjust the quilt back out to a flat position.

Secured Rod

1. Measure the rod space you have available and cut a strip of muslin fabric 4 inches wide by the measured length of the rod. Acid free tissue paper can substitute for the muslin until you have some available.

2. Fold your quilt so the area you want to show exists in a space no larger than the measured length of the rod. Small quilts may only need to fold over once while larger quilts may need to be folded into thirds. Hang the folded quilt over the rod with your preferred area facing out.

3. Slip your muslin fabric in between the quilt and the rod. Have a friend hold the quilt up so you can adjust the fabric to cover the rod entirely. Over time, the wood can breakdown the fibers of the quilt; this extra muslin layer keeps the quilt from coming into contact with the bare wood.

Tips & Warnings

• If using the secured rod method on a wall mounted quilt rack or on a traditional standing rack, always be sure to refold the quilt about once a month to avoid fabric breakdown along creased and folded lines.

• Don't hang quilts in direct sunlight or in areas of fluctuating temperature or humidity. All of these factors can lead to damage and fading of the fabrics.

References

• Making and Displaying Quilts; Sarah Hoggett; 2003

Resources

• How to make a hanging quilt sleeve