Cozy Up to Winter with a Quilt Display

When winter winds blow cold air down your back, there's nothing like coming indoors to the warmth of a cozy quilt. This winter, why not do more than wrap yourself up in the comfort of a quilt. You can give your interior the comfort of a toasty-warm bed by decorating with quilts.

Although heirloom quilts are by definition old and honorable, they needn't be regarded as relics. Indeed, your home will be enriched if you blend references to the past in your present-day decorating. The idea is to select the items that have special appeal, then use them in your own individual way.

Quilts are beloved for their homemade beauty and kaleidoscope of colors and patterns. Spread over a sofa, displayed artfully on a wall, draped on a quilt rack or balcony railing, or hung carefully over an opened cupboard door, these high-spirited textiles convey a sense of warmth and comfort.

To care for your treasured quilts, follow these tips:

*Remove dust from quilts by gently shaking them or vacuuming them with a light suction. For extra protection when vacuuming, put a nylon stocking over the vacuum attachment.

*To remove a spot from light or white areas of a quilt, spread the quilt out in the sun. Cover the quilt with an old white sheet. Cut out a small hole in the white sheet that matches the size and location of the spot so you can see the spot through the sheet. (Be careful not to cut the quilt underneath.) Put a little lemon juice on the spot. Let the area dry.

Displaying Quilts

Never-assembled quilt blocks or quilts with just a few blocks intact show up at flea markets for little more than a song. Display them in a series of frames for a homespun gallery. To frame a quilt block, first cut 100 percent rag board to fit the block, leaving a few inches of board space around the textile to act as a mat. Use a large needle to pierce through the board beneath each corner and at several spots in the center. Using a single strand of cotton thread, stitch up through the holes and into the block. Secure the thread to the board back with acid-free tape. Use a shadow-box-style frame with acid free spacers to keep the glass away from the fabric.

More ideas for displaying quilts

Hang a quilt by draping it over an antique ladder mounted horizontally on the wall with deep shelf brackets. Fold the quilt to fit between the rungs of the ladder.

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