How To Care For A Handmade Quilt
Studio Brûle handmade quilts are made to be heirloom pieces that stand the test of time. One of the best ways to ensure your quilt lives a long, well-loved life is to take proper care of it. Here are my suggestions for the best ways to wash and look after yours.
Air Out Your Quilt
If you think your handmade quilt could just do with a bit of a freshen up, you can skip the wash and hang it out for a good airing. As with hanging your normal washing out to dry, a bright sunny day with a slight breeze is going to be ideal. Sun is known to kill bacteria on fabric and the wind will help get rid of smells. Just be aware that bright sun can cause colours to fade, so perhaps put the back of the quilt facing the light directly.
How To Hand Wash Your Quilt
In an ideal world, we would all be hand washing our quilts to keep them in the best condition for as long as possible. It might sound like a lot of effort but it’s super easy to do. Just fill a bath or a large bucket/box with warm water and a small amount of gentle washing detergent and let the quilt soak for a few hours. Then do a few rounds of rinsing until you feel satisfied that the soap has been washed away. Squeeze out as much excess water as you can then place it flat on a towel, roll it up and squash out the rest!
It’s best to air dry your quilt after that - I like to just hang mine on the line with pegs along one edge so it can dry without a fold in the middle, but make it work however you can with your space!
Can You Machine Wash A Handmade Quilt?
The general advice on machine washing a handmade quilt will tell you to avoid it because, as with our clothes, the motion will affect the condition over time.
But while that definitely is true, I’m not 100% against it. I actually machine wash all my finished quilts on a delicate cycle. Firstly, to make sure that it’s super clean before sending it off to its new home, and secondly to ensure that it will withstand a machine wash in the future - I double check that there’s no fraying or loose ends after, for example. I do this because I mainly sell kids’ quilts and I’m realistic about the fact that sometimes parents don’t have the time or energy to hand wash a quilt, or your child might have got a particularly tricky stain on it.
So here’s my advice: it’s ok if you have to machine wash your quilt - but do it as little as possible! Use a gentle soap and the delicate cycle, then air dry it afterwards in the same way as the hand wash approach.
What Can I Do With A Stained Quilt?
If airing and washing doesn’t get rid of a stubborn mark (which could well happen with a kids’ quilt!) then it’s time to get creative. You could add a simple patch in a contrasting or coordinating colour, an appliqué design element or embroider something over the top. These touches will only add to the story of your heirloom quilt and keep it living its best life for even longer.
Let me know if you have any questions about quilt care in the comments - I’d be happy to help.