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First decide what kind of quilt you have

Some quilts are meant to be used on a daily basis and loved to death. Some quilts are meant to be heirlooms and passed down in the family from generation to generation. Other quilts are meant to be works of art and displayed for visual pleasure. How you treat your quilt will depend on what kind of quilt it is.

Choose a place for your quilt that you would like to live in

Put your quilt in an environment that is not too hot and not too cold, not too damp and not too dry.

Keep your quilt away from bright light

Do not place your quilt in direct sunlight or other strong sources of light. Both natural and artificial light have the potential of fading your quilt.

Keep your quilt away from smells

Avoid placing your quilt in the kitchen or in a smoke-filled environment. Odors can become embedded in the fabric.

Keep your quilt away from humidity

Avoid places that may be humid such as a bathroom, kitchen or basement. Fabric can mildew easily. Once your quilt has mildew spots, they are not easily removed.

Keep your quilt away from pets

Pets can cause numerous problems for quilts. Playful puppies love to chew on corners. Cute little kittens have needle sharp claws. When quilts are displayed in a horizontal position, pets love to sleep on them, leaving behind hair and sometimes stains or odors.

If you want to hang your quilt, support the entire width

Do not hang your quilt by the corners. Instead, hand sew a fabric sleeve (a tube of fabric the width of your quilt) to the back of your quilt along the top edge, being careful that the thread does not show on the front of your quilt. Then, slip a dowel through the sleeve (for small quilts, a café curtain rod works well) and set the dowel on nails placed on either side of your quilt.

Change your displays occasionally

Give your quilts a periodic vacation by rotating your displays. This will also give you the opportunity to inspect them for any damage and fading.