Barn Blast 11/11/11: Care For Your Quilts

Carol Butzke gets a lot of questions about quilt care. As an AQS Certified Appraiser of Quilted Textiles and co-author of “The AQS Guide to Quilt Care,” she has seen accepted practices in the care of textiles change over time. Cleaning standards are one area of change. “I rarely recommend wet cleaning of your treasured quilts,” says Butzke. “Simply vacuuming your quilt, on a low suction setting, or through a screen barrier, is an adequate way to clean most dust and dirt from your quilt.”

The AQS Guide offers many handy tips for the care, repair, storage, insuring, appraisal, and safe display of your treasured textiles. The guide is on sale at the Museum Gift Shop for $9.95.

As an appraiser, Butzke utilizes different methods to determine the value of a quilt, depending on the age and construction quality of the item. The value of a contemporary quilt is often based on the cost to reproduce the item. Antique quilts are valued relative to other products of their era and their condition.

Butzke will be one of the volunteers staffing the WMQFA’s Documentation Day on Saturday, November 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get your own quilt documented, and hooked rugs, too, for a $5 fee.

Start your holiday shopping at the Museum Gift Shop!

We have many unique, hand-made gift items sure to please everyone on your list. Stock changes often! Open same hours as the museum:

Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays, 10 to 4

Thursdays, 10 to 8

Sundays, noon to 4

***** on Fridays Nov. 18 – Dec. 16, open til 8 *****