Care and Feeding of a Quilt

It occurred to me when I sent my niece her new quilt last Friday and I included a note with the quilt's "story" that I also needed to include instructions for how to care for the quilt. Do you do that? Some folks just have no idea how to care for a handmade quilt.

 So let me tell you what I do. I think it's important to protect the quilt from harsh soaps and such. I like to think the quilt can be worn out by love first. So my first piece of advice is to air out the quilt occasionally on a cloudy day to minimize fading of the fabrics.

 I only actually wash my quilts if they really need it. Maybe once a year for a quilt that gets used on a bed daily. Less often for others. When I wash it, I use mild soap and cold water. I dry it on a medium setting.  I don't hang them to dry, because as the quilt ages, it could damage the fabric's fibers.

 If quilts are not being used on a bed and are being kept folded, refold them periodically so the fold lines don't become too permanent. This really helps over the long haul for a quilt's life.

I didn't always include these instructions when gifting a quilt, but I feel like I need to since I have become more aware of how quilts hold up over a lot of years of use. What do you do when you gift a quilt? I would love to know if you have anything to share.

This is my sister Nina's quilt that I made to replace one she had bought that was faded by the dry cleaners. It was the first quilt I gave care instructions with. As a side note, it went missing after she passed away and now it is lost.

Also, please always label your quilts in some fashion. It doesn't guarantee they won't get lost, but if found it can help to identify them. I am amazed that people steal quilts. I can't imagine what they are thinking. You can read about this missing quilt here.  As of this writing this quilt is still missing.
Talk to you soon.