The tradition of antique family quilts doesn’t have a specific date to it. Some families that have a tradition of staying connected through a long line of family trees; they’re known for maintaining this tradition since the early 1900’s.
As an author, who takes antiquities and rare items as a side hobby, I’ve always dabbled in antique family quilts with keen interest. This article will fill you in on details regarding a general idea about antique quilts, the way they’re transferred from family to family, and tid bits of keeping them safely stored, while crunching out a long shelf life out of them – so let’s get to it, shall we?
First of all, when we take an introductory approach towards antique family quilts, think of an ordinary person’s life in the country side. Go back to the 80’s or 60’s, and you’ll see that the idea of air conditioning was still in its infancy. Same goes for those chilly winter nights, because people didn’t have internal heaters, boilers or central cooling system. To them, quilts and fireplaces were the only thing to look up to.
People back then, didn’t treat, or regard them as antique items. If you were to question your great-great grandmother about whether she kept those quilts safe for the sake of keeps, or she was just trying to store them for next year usage; chances are that 99.9% of those grannies will go for option B.
Yes, these so called “antique family quilts” were just traditional household items, and people just kept them safely tucked in an attic or somewhere else because they wouldn’t have to make new ones the following winter. Gradually when years skipped by, the quilts became a rare item. More so, because of the fact that they were hand quilted, it added to their appeal and originality.
Currently at the verge of 21 st century, when we’re about to lose connection to our culture and old traditions, item like antique family quilts are the only thing that are maintaining a steady connection. Some of these quilts are sold to museums and auction houses for a tremendously handsome price, while others are locked somewhere inside the family tree.
It’s true that we don’t have those frail hands of an old lady who’d quilt in that rusty porch, every sunny afternoon, but at the same time we can maintain the integrity and life of antique family quilts by tending to proper storage measures. So the next big thing is how to store antique family quilts, without incurring any damages?
Here’s How:
• If you have space in your house, spread those antique family quilts evenly and cover them with a layer of plastic wrappings. Leave them there as long as you wish them to be left.
• The second method is most common as it involves folding the quilts. All you have to do is spread the quilts, cover them with a protective cellophane layer and fold them. After that, cover the entire bundle with another layer of plastic wrappings and you’re done.
Interested in knowing more about antique family quilts? Surf the internet or read informative articles, I’m sure you’ll find tons of interesting things this way.