marymay

A quilt will last as long as you know how to care for this.

MaryKatherine

Poly batting deteriorates quickly. It's as though there is no batting.

quiltingbuddy

I made my son a quilt that he designed probably about 20 years ago now when he was like 10. It was one of the first quilts I ever made. It has high loft poly batting and 7" squares to accommodate a large print plaid he wanted. I pieced it in rows and didn't even realize not every corner matched up perfectly (or should lol). He used it all the time and still loves it. One of the fabrics didn't hold up all that well so I'm now replacing all those squares (by hand) and after working with that awhile I see another of the fabrics won't last much longer either so am now replacing it also. It's a real chore at this point and going very slow. Then the binding was covered cording (one layer) so when I get to fixing that it will be hand done also. It will probably take another lifetime to finish fixing his quilt but what else can I do? He just loves it so much! He has no idea this will take forever, but he's worth it. If I didn't fix it for him he would continue to use it until it was a shred of nothing left. And he can't bear to part with it. I've made him others but he loves "this one." He says I made him get rid of his baby blanket too soon so I guess this will make up for it. So to the question at hand...I guess some quilts will have to last forever. Looks like this one will.

QuiltingHaven

Okay, as I sit here and a new quilter (on my 5th year after retiring), in my living room on a quilt stand are 3 quilts. One made by my grandmother in the 1940's. It has cotton balls in it picked from the farm in North Carolina. It has never been washed because it has cotton balls in it and my mother told me "DO NOT Wash it!!!" It was put in water and spread out on the grass and weeds on the farm to dry in the sun. It was well used and still treasured. Next, is a quilt my mother made in the 1970's and it looks like it is brand new and has been washed and hung to dry. Finally, the 3rd quilt that I hand made using (to learn how to do it) the "quilt and go method" because we were traveling back and forth from Ohio to North Carolina for 3 years after I retired (from teaching) because my mom was alone and needed us to be there 4-6 times each year. I hand-quilted it in car and at her home while I sat with her and we talked about the farm and all the years. I finished it and took it back to show it to her before she passed. She slept under it and that is the last time it was used. So, I have three generations of hand-quilted quilts on display and washing them is not a worry. I switch them around and refold them every 3 months and yep, when the blizzards come and if there were needed, all three generations would say "go for it and use them!"

Lafpeaches

I made my first bed quilt in 2000. It was made with fabric from LQS. My daughter ended up with it in her college apartment then threw it in her trunk when she moved. It is pretty ratty. I think will cut off the last border and rebind it. I have a quilt that my mother-in-law made about 1980. I couldn't find it for awhile then discovered it in a wad tucked in boat stuff. Apparently our boys took it out in the sailboat and left it there. It is thin and worn with a couple of little holes.

kyquiltlover1942

I have one that I made in 1979 that has been on my bed every day and night since. It gets washed twice a year or more if necessary. Just noticed last week that the binding is starting to fray. Guess that will be added to my todo list.

lclang

I have a quilt I made that has been used pretty steadily for over 55 years. True it is getting tattered but is still warm. I made it out of fabrics that were four yards for a dollar at Penneys.

CanoePam

It sounds like the quilting is the major problem, and that it just wasn't well done. Maybe the tension was off, or maybe they used bad thread. As for the binding, was it double fold French binding or a single fold? Bias or straight of grain? Double foldbias lasts the longest but takes more time and more fabric.

If you really want to keep the quilt, you could remove the quilting and binding, then replace both. I would recommend sewing the outside edges together as you take the binding off since it has already been trimmed.

Pam

Mariah

I recently fell heir to the quilt my Paternal Grandmother made in 1894. It was given to my Dad upon Grandmother's death. It is all handmade, and hand quilted and is "Drunkard's Path," Pattern
I have looked at the work on this quilt several times and marvel at the intricate stitches. According to my sister who gave it to me, it was only washed once. My Dad kept in his chest of drawers for 20 yrs. He had4 daughters and knew they would all want it.
At the time of his frail years and last illness, he gave it to my sister just older than me. She gave it to me,as she knew nothing about quilts/quilting.
This quilt looks brand new, except for some fading. Being over100 yrs. old, I still can't believe it.
I am making new binding now,and will post a picture when I get it done
This proves to me that workmanship and care go a long ways i preserving a quilt.
Mariah

carolynjo

I have two quits, made in 1930's. I don't wash them often, but they are still holding together fine. I do wash them in Orvus soap, agitate them very gently and not long. I try to spread them out on a sheet, cover them with a sheet and dry them. I don't put in the dryer.