Page 30 - MyMomHadAQuiltLikeThat

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Quilting

Quilting is the stitching of top, through the batting, through the
backing of a quilt and is commonly done both in regular grids or in
patterns like braids or floral wreaths. Fine stitching is regular and
tiny, up to 8 stitches or more per inch. Coarser quilts require looser
stitches and 4 to 5 stitches per inch is common. The best old quilts
are quilted by hand. Quilting by machine has a different aesthetic
quality altogether, but I have seen modern quilting very nicely done
with long-arm machines using templates for ornate patterns. Some
long-arm machines are suitable for free-form stitching that is really
quite nice. Some African-American quilts are quilted in crooked lines
with the thread not even trimmed off at the end of the line, as though
the quilter were saying “Look here, it’s a pretty quilt and completely
usable and I don’t have time to make sure the lines are straight or to
tie knots, so just enjoy it as is.” Traditional Amish quilts are stitched
with black thread. I have seen imported Indian quilts finished with
straight lines and long stitches (4 stitches per inch) in thick black
thread.
Trapunto is a special quilting technique in which an appliquéd
design is stuffed with batting until the design is hard enough to
stand out. There are two or three trapunto quilts in the collection.
I’ve seen vendors be careless about the term “trapunto,” using it to
describe any high loft quilted design. The extra stuffing is essential
for the design to be called “trapunto.”

Condition

Although I deaccessioned most poor-quality quilts in 2014, the collec-
tion still displays a broad range of quality as evaluated according to
my own criteria: Excellent - Pristine and never washed, and good
design. Very good - Good design, solid fabric, but likely washed at
least once, and imperfections minor, not noticeable, and not impor-
tant, such as very minor popping, split of silk in older pieces, moth
holes, tanning of the top surface, light soiling. Good - Solid fabric
but mundane design, or defects requiring mention if I were to sell it
honestly. Such defects would include damage to front or back requir-
ing restoration, staining that is visible on the front if one looks for
it, or crude piecing or quilting. Acceptable - The quilt would have
significant weaknesses but worthy of collecting due to its rarity or
some other saving condition.