How to Store Antique Quilts

Store antique quilts in acid-free archival boxes.

Antique quilts are fragile works of art that should be stored appropriately. Museums rotate their quilts in and out of storage on a regular basis to ensure the longevity of their holdings. When displayed, they must be hung to distribute the quilt’s weight and stitching evenly and be kept out of direct sunlight. When storing the quilts, the institutions, and you, must protect them from the elements that can harm them.

Things You'll Need

• Antique quilt
• Screen
• Vacuum
• Vacuum attachment
• Sheet (optional)
• Acid-free archival paper
• Acid-free archival box
• Acid-free archival tape

Instructions

1. To clean an antique quilt, lay it out on a swept floor and cover it with a piece of clean window screen. Vacuum it with a hand-held attachment on low suction through the screen to remove all dust and foreign matter. If the quilt has any odors, consider laying it outside on a cloudy day to air it out. Lay the antique quilt on top of a white sheet for a few hours but bring it inside immediately if the sun comes out. Be sure not to expose the quilt to any moisture; if humidity is trapped in its layers, allow it to dry thoroughly before storing.

2. Lay the quilt out flat, faceup, to judge where you have to fold it to fit in the storage box. Bend the quilt, rather than creasing it, to that size. Stuff the folds with acid-free archival paper so they will not compress and crease when in storage. After making and stuffing those initial folds, loosely roll the quilt from top to bottom to fit within the confines of the box.

3. Wrap the rolled quilt with acid-free archival paper to prevent dust from settling on its surface. Do not tape the paper closed. Place your antique quilt in an acid-free archival box. Place the top on the box and seal it using only acid-free archival tape to help keep out any airborne dust and contaminants.

4. Label the box with the name of the antique quilt and any pertinent information you have on its maker, origin, as well as your name and when it went into storage. This preserves the quilt’s antique provenance for future generations.

Tips & Warnings

• Never store an antique quilt in plastic bags or boxes. These encourage moisture and mildew, which will destroy your quilt.

References

• Michigan State University Museum: Quilt Care
• Smithsonian: How do I store antique textiles at home?
• Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives: Saving Kentucky's Past -- Preserving Quilts
• Kansas State Historical Society: Preserving Textiles