Friendshipgroep 13 Feb 2015 - Ons kuier by Bernina Bloemfontein.

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How to fold and store quilts

How to Fold and Store Quilts!

http://annfahl.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/how-to-fold-and-store-quilts.html

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.

One of Ann's quilts folded and ready to pack, ship or store in the closet

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 forQuilter'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.

 Then fold the last corner as shown.

 The finished package should look something like this.

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.

http://annfahl.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/how-to-fold-and-store-quilts.html