I'll Show You Mine, If You Show Me Yours

I'm curious about something. As much as we write about quilt making, I seldom see posts about how people actually store their quilts. Wouldn't it be fun to peek at the collections of our quilting friends and see just what they do with quilts that aren't in use? Do they fold them, roll them, hang them, stack them, wad them into balls... Aren't you just a little curious too? I'll show you my storage method, if you'll show me yours. 

At our house, extra quilts are kept in this corner cupboard. Because it’s positioned across from a window, we keep the door closed to protect the quilts from dust and sunlight.

We had the antique wardrobe fitted with shelves so we could fold and stack quilts. The only problem with storing quilts here is that since they're “out of sight,” they’re also “out of mind” and don’t get aired or rotated into use as often as they should.

I inherited another great option for storage and display with an antique china cabinet from my parents’ home. Mom used it to display glassware, but I knew it would look great filled with quilts.

My friends, Sheila and Kathy, offered to arrange the cabinet for me. They hauled armloads of quilts up and down stairs, gently opened each one, shook it out, and let the folds relax a bit. 

It was like an impromptu quilt show, with plenty of “oohs and aahs” for quilts we hadn’t seen in years.

Here, Sheila is folding so fast, she’s just a blur! 

Now I get to enjoy my quilts everyday. Thanks, dear friends, for a job well done! 

When we get together the "show and teill" is amazing! Here's Sheila, sharing a Bow Tie quilt she received from our friend Barb, on a very special birthday.

Small Quilt Display

A reader named Libby has been following my posts about doll quilts and asked, “Do you have a display of all your doll quilts? I'd love to see how you show/use them.”

Plaid Posies

19" x 22" 

hand appliqued, hand quilted

© Diane Burdin,1991

I’ve never had much luck displaying my doll quilts. Those charming groupings and tablescapes you see in magazines and online are inspirational, but as soon as I try to create one, my quilt becomes a magnet for clutter. Jim moves them off the coffee table so he can put his feet up, and guests mistake them for coasters. I get tired of the tug of war we play, shuffling them from one surface to another, so I don’t bother putting small quilts out anymore.

There is one spot in the house where I hang little quilts -- a room where I spend enough time to appreciate how much they brighten the surroundings -- the laundry room. 

This tulip is a Gwen Marston design. The pattern used to come in a package of Fairfield batting, although, as Gwen herself admits, who needs a pattern? Just cut one from folded paper. I used Roberta Horton woven plaids and stripes, added a saw tooth border and quilted it with my favorite folky fan pattern.

Many of my yard sale finds have ended up in the laundry room too: an old grater, butter paddles, wooden chopping board, and cookie press...

a clothesline winder, cabbage grater and a towel hook made by my friend Laurie from a silver fork and spoon.


Now, if I could only be that clever with quilt displays!