Friday, May 11, 2012

Hanging your Quilts

I want to talk about hanging quilts today but first I have to tell you ....it pays to whine about never getting a May Basket! My dear friend, Gail, came to my doorstep with these beautiful tulips a few days after she saw my post....she didn't ring the bell and run, though. She came in for sewing, chat and lunch!! Delightful!

Are you changing some of your decor with a fresher look for spring?
I use several ways to hang my quilts depending mostly on their size.
The simple 'corner' method I used on my recent contribution to the Alzheimer's project seems perfect for very small lightweight pieces. I had not used it before but will surely do so in the future.



I carefully twirl the pin as I insert
 it into the inner corner of the
 binding to prevent tearing the fibers.
They bend easily if not the
sturdy short kind.
I must admit to having   used clear push pins on small pieces - or even sturdy sewing pins, but these are not recommended! You can damage the fibers and after a short time even a small quilt sort of 'sags'. Best for only temporary hangings.




Most often I use either dowels or slats inserted into a sleeve at the top. Make the sleeve about 2" shorter than the width of the quilt so the slat extends beyond it and can be hung on a brad or headless nail. I put that straight into the wall at just under 90 degrees.




For the slats, I drill a small hole about 1/2" in from the each end and also write the name of the quilt with permanent marker on each end.  Some fit more than one quilt. This handy tip makes it easy to find what you want.

I use slats from old shades, trim from the lumber yard or yardsticks. I pick up free ones whenever I see them (Home Depot gives them away at our state fair.) They are straight and sturdy and a nice thickness. They are easy to cut shorter if needed.  In the store they are only $.68!
 Perfect for quilts 38" wide or less

I tie the different types together and store in an old wastebasket in my closet with other supplies that need to be rolled.






.

For dowels there are several options.
For the one on the right I slanted the brad and then just hung the dowel in the 'crotch'.




Eye hooks can be screwed into the wood slat either through the fabric at the top or on each end as shown here.











What methods have you used?

2 comments:

  1. Must admit that I'm too often a push-pin or sewing pin hanger! I have also used a decorative curtain rod with brackets after sewing a sleeve on the quilt.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, Nancy. A decorative rod would be good esp. for something larger and heavier. I don't have anything hanging on that at the moment but do have a rod that didn't work for the curtain so I'll have to remember to re-purpose it!
    thanks.
    jean

    ReplyDelete

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