It's been quite awhile since I taught at a guild in Virginia. Before my lecture, I had dinner with about 6 women, and one of them mentioned how she folded and packed her quilts. She folded her quilts on the bias instead of the the straight of the grain. The bells and whistles went off in my brain--this was the answer on how to safely pack quilts when I teach and send them to exhibits. Of course it also works when quilts are stored in a closet somewhere.
Everyone loves "show and tell" at their quilt meetings, I've probably been to hundreds. I could just cry when someone opens up their quilt and there is a hard crease right down the middle in two directions. Once that crease is set, over time, it will never come out.
With the consent of that quilter in Virginia, I wrote and published a short article on folding for Quilter's Newsletter Magazine in the January 2006 issue. This little article has gotten more comments, feedback and requests to reprint in local newsletters, than anything I have ever written. So if you are tired of having heavy creases down the middle of your quilts, this is what you should do:
If the package still needs to be made smaller, fold again much the same way. Or open it up and refold.
When you open up the quilt after it has been folded like this, the folds will soften and disappear in a very short time. Why? Because every fold that has been made is a soft one, the fibers aren't folded or crimped on top of each other--always at an angle.
All quilts should be folded on the bias, or rolled to prevent permanent creasing. I heartily recommend this method. When sending to a show, it will arrive without the big crease in the middle, it will look much better. The same goes for antique quilts, it may be too late to "save" some of them from heavy creasing because the damage has already been done. In general even old quilts will be happier folded this way.
Practice this a couple of times and you'll figure out how to do this. Even blankets and bedspreads can be folded and stored this way too. Go to your closet and find something to fold! You will be impressed.
For a more recent post please see this blog.
Ann Fahl
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| One of Ann's quilts folded and ready to pack, ship or store in the closet |
With the consent of that quilter in Virginia, I wrote and published a short article on folding for Quilter's Newsletter Magazine in the January 2006 issue. This little article has gotten more comments, feedback and requests to reprint in local newsletters, than anything I have ever written. So if you are tired of having heavy creases down the middle of your quilts, this is what you should do:
Lay your quilt on a table, bed or on the floor. Fold one
corner across the quilt on the bias.
Fold up the next corner, the same way.
Fold the third corner, the same way.
Fold the third corner, the same way.
Then fold the last corner as shown.
The finished package should look something like this.
When you open up the quilt after it has been folded like this, the folds will soften and disappear in a very short time. Why? Because every fold that has been made is a soft one, the fibers aren't folded or crimped on top of each other--always at an angle.
All quilts should be folded on the bias, or rolled to prevent permanent creasing. I heartily recommend this method. When sending to a show, it will arrive without the big crease in the middle, it will look much better. The same goes for antique quilts, it may be too late to "save" some of them from heavy creasing because the damage has already been done. In general even old quilts will be happier folded this way.
Practice this a couple of times and you'll figure out how to do this. Even blankets and bedspreads can be folded and stored this way too. Go to your closet and find something to fold! You will be impressed.
For a more recent post please see this blog.
Ann Fahl
24 comments:
Thank you for sharing,Ann!
What a great way to fold a quilt! I dislike those creases and bends in my quilts too, and will have to go refold them right now!
Thank you, Ann, I've been folding my quilts this way since I learned it from you. I refolded all the old quilts I have stored on shelves and pass this tip along to everyone I know.
Quilters everywhere need to share this tip with everyone they know!
Great tips! Saw it on your facebook & shared your link!
Great post! I've always folded my quilts to "look pretty" when opened. I guess I'll have to get creative while folding on the bias. Thanks for this info.
Doesn't this just produce a crease on the bias fold??
When a fiber isn't folded on top of itself, the fold or crease is much softer. That's why the bias folding works.
This is great, will be sharing with all my patchwork friends. Thank you
Thanks for sharing, I posted your link on Pinterest.
Thank you!!
Wonderful of you to share this nugget of valuable knowledge. Thank you so much ~ I've shared a link to your blog on Facebook's Quilters Show and Tell page. And I will tell all of my shop customers and students why folding on the bias is important!
Thank you! I have just finished my first very big quilt and it took me a year and a bit! It's wonderful to know now already, the proper way to fold!
Thank you Ann. Would it be possible, as long as I mention your name, to pass this on to my quilting guild. I would like to make copies and pass them out. Great information!
This is such great information I would like to paraphrase it as a "tip", with your permission, in a perpetual calendar book I'm putting together with photos of some of my quilts.
Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.
Joan Smith
Thanks for sharing. I still am not able to do this perfectly every time, but I'm getting the hang of it! :) In any case, I've pinned this tip to my "Quilty Goodness" board on Pinterest (with proper credit, of course!). Feel free to follow me if you'd like: http://pinterest.com/lipglass/quilty-goodness/
What is the 3rd fold? Did I miss something?
A tip I use for remembering how to do this: If you can, get a copy of Ann's article (it's actually in the DECEMBER 2006 issue of QNM not the January). The illustrations in the article very clearly demonstrate the folding sequence (including that third step). Have it laminated at your local copy store and then keep it where you store your folded quilts. This way you never forget how to do it and the laminated copy slides neatly and safely on the same shelf with the quilts. Also consider giving a copy of it to people to whom you give gift quilts (they can laminate it themselves if they wish)!
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What is QNM?
@Anonymous - QNM is Quilters Newsletter Magazine, as it says above.
I have always rolled my quilts but find they still get quite creased. I will certainly try this, thanks.
Thank you lovely lady, I knew archiving a quilt was folded differently but didn't know how, I do now.
I roll my quilts like a sleeping bag.
Use acid free bolsters to pad the folds, separate layers, refold differently every six months and protect from sunlight and insects and it does not matter what your folding scheme is
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