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I recently was part of a round-up post on decorating with handmade items. That round-up was targeted at non-quilters and I only had a few sentences that I could talk in. That article made me think about how we quilters approach decorating with the quilted items we already have. When we make something new we usually have a purpose for the item, it's those quilted items we've been given or inherited.
Decorating Your Home with Old Quilts
Most of us have quilts our moms, grandmoms, or even great-grandmas made. Sometimes we store these away because we want to preserve them for future generations. At the same time, we get our feelings hurt if someone does the same thing with the quilts we make for them. We need to remember that the quilters before us probably wouldn't be thrilled that we were storing their quilts in closest or cedar chests either.
I get not wanting to put them on beds because they can be fragile and we don't want to damage those family heirlooms. Blanket ladders or are a great way to display quilts. If you have a loft railing hanging quilts over it is another great way to display those quilts. Getting them out is a great way to remember those who made them and to tell the stories of those quilters.
Giving Damaged Quilts A New Life
What about those quilts that are damaged? Some quilts can be repaired. I recommend reaching out to The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY to get a list of qualified quilt restorers. If a quilt is beyond repair it doesn't mean you have to toss it in the trash there are ways to give it a new life. There are ways to upcycle your quilt. Depending on where the damage is may limit your choices of what you can do. The size of your quilt can also dictate what you'll be able to do.
You can trim off the damage and make a smaller quilt, this works best if the damage is on the outside edge. Once you trim off the damage you can add a new border for a mix of old and new. You'll need to be careful adding borders since you'll have to add to both the front and the back. Once you add the borders you'll want to quilt that area and bind the quilt. If you don't want to go to that trouble you can just bind the quilt after you trim the damage out. Then you can display the quilt however you want.
So what do you do if the damage is in the middle of the quilt? Make pillows! Pillows are one of my favorite things to make. They can transform your room, they are easy to switch out with the seasons, and if you use the envelope method you only need to store the sham you are making. You can cut squares out of the quilt as big as you want or can and then use the envelope method I show here to turn those quilt pieces into pillows.
If you want to get more ideas for decorating your home with handmade items be sure to check out the article below.
Don’t miss the recent Redfin article we were featured in:
“How to Decorate Your Home with Meaningful
Handmade Decor”
Whether you recently bought a home in ![]()
Toronto, ON, or a townhouse in ![]()
Nashville, TN – it can often feel intimidating decorating your home, with
the countless decor options to choose from. Sometimes when it’s all said
and done, if the pieces you chose don’t reflect your personality and your
style is absent from the space, your house can feel unfamiliar.
Bringing meaningful handmade home decor into a space is what
distinguishes a house from a home. Handmade items and decor – whether
it’s created by an artisan or by yourself, can really transform a space.
Redfin asked some of their favorite creators for their unique ideas on how
to enrich your home’s interior with handmade home decor bring happiness
and personality to create a space that means so much more. Check out
what we had to say!
