Take Care Of Your Treasures

If you want to be sure your quilts will be around for future generations to enjoy, you must treat them with tender, loving care. Do not leave them in sun light for prolonged periods of time. They will fade.

Store the quilts in acid-free tissue paper in a cool dark place. If folded, re-fold them periodically so that the quilt does not develop a permanent crease along the fold.

Wash in cold water if you must. I use Vintage Textile Soak to remove age stains. You can find Vintage Textile Soak at your local quilt shop or visit them on the web at http://www.starspangledsampler.com/. Air drying is probably best, but I have used a dryer. Remove it immediately.

Following these simply guidelines will ensure that your treasure will be around for future generations to enjoy.

Vintage Textile Soak 

A Word about Grandmothers and Quilts

My grandmother Clara Ford was born December 12, 1892 and died May 20, 1966. She was a quilter. The most memorable thing about her small home in Crossett, Arkansas was the huge quilt frame that took up the entire living room. She always had some scraps around. My sisters and I called her Big Mama.

Big Mama taught me how to sew. I had lots of feed sack skirts that we made on her Singer peddle sewing machine. I was glad she taught me to sew. When I got to high school I skipped the required home economics class and took French instead. No need to learn what you already know. I didn’t see the value in quilting at the time.

When my mother died in 2000, I inherited some of Big Mama’s quilts. They had been locked away in a trunk stored in the back of the closet. By then, I had become a quilter. I understood the value of my inheritance and knew I would forever be rich.

I plan to create the Clara Ford Foundation so that my grandmother’s quilts can be preserved for future generations. I hope they live forever – just like the Declaration of Independence – just like Michaelangelo’s paintings.

I hope you enjoy Clara’s quilts and her legacy.