AboutDARWIN D. BEARLEY Expertise I am considered by many to be an expert on AMERICAN ANTIQUE QUILTS.
My real expertise lies with ANTIQUE OHIO AMISH QUILTS.
I can help with all aspects of identification, dating, repair and cleaning. I also buy, and broker antique quilts.
Experience Over the past 30 odd years, I have bought and sold ANTIQUE QUILTS for a living. I also have a personal collection of Antique Ohio Amish Quilts.
I have sold to the Smithsonian, the LA County Museum of Art, the movie "What Lies Beneath" starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer and to Catherine Denuuve.
My Antique Ohio Amish Quilt Collection has been exhibited at The Museum of Our American Heritage, The Akron Art Institute, The Canton Art Museum, Wright State University and The Quilt National in Cincinnati, Ohio. They have also been exhibited in Germany and France and recently at the Quilt Expo in Houston, Texas. Many of the quilts have been published in various books, magazines and calendars. One was even pictured in National Geographic Magazine.
Recently a book on my collection was published by Bernina Sewing Machine Co. of Zurich entitled, "Antique Ohio Amish Quilts, The Darwin D. Bearley Collection"
Question My great grandmother handmade some quilts and they were not taken care of very well. I was wondering if you have any suggestions on cleaning them and repairing some spots on them. There are two nearly identical quilts and one has a large stain and the other has a large hole in it. Thanks for your help!
Caroline
Answer Hi Caroline,
It is very difficult to suggest cleaning methods for old quilts without really seeing them. However, washing really is the only way to go. You first need to determine if they will hold up to the washing process. If the fabrics are still strong, chances are that they will be washable. You can usually wash in a machine on gentle cycle using a mild detergent. I wash one quilt at a time after filling up the machine with water and adding the detergent. Agitate to mix up the soap and than add the quilt. Let it agitate a while and than shut it off and just let it soak for a few hours. You can agitate it every half hour or so but let it soak more than agitate. Always rinse well. I add a half cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
DO NOT use bleach or fabric softener.
I like to dry them in a large dryer at a laundromat but don't dry 100%. Remove while slightly damp and lay out on a clean surface and block it and let it finish drying.
It should help a lot.
As far as repairs go, always use fabric of the same vintage as the quilt. Otherwise the repairs will stick out like a sore thumb.
If you are really concerned, I would seek out a quilt conservator who can examine the quilts first hand and follow his or her instructions.
