QUILTMAKERS DESCRIBE their craft with passion. Both Cindy Ganes and Dorothy Thomson, members of the Saskatoon Quilters' Guild, talk about falling in love with the textures, colours and patterns of fabric, and with the design possibilities. Ganes's family heirloom is a crazy quilt created by her great-grandmother Ella and four great-aunts in the late 1800s. Unlike traditional log cabin or wedding ring designs, crazy quilts have no set pattern. They evolved to make use of bits of material during colonial times, when fabrics and other household goods were scarce. Later, elaborate crazy quilts showcased fine needlework. The Ganes quilt (shown above) of recycled silks and velvets, is heavily embroidered and even has painted elements. Ganes is curious about the motifs her relatives stitched on the irregular-shaped patches: there are ladders, a bicycle, a piano stool, a swallow. "It's so important to include names, dates and other information when you're making a quilt," she says. Thomson has sewed and designed her own clothes since childhood. Her interest in vintage fabrics led her to quiltmaking. She recalls finding her first piece of antique fabric at a garage sale. "I knew it was old and I thought somebody should look after it." She was that somebody, and now she has a closetful of fabrics characteristic of the 1930s, and every decade since. Quilts are dated by their fabrics, often clothing remnants collected over many years. But some quilts "scream a certain time period," Thomson says. "A quilt is only as old as its newest fabric." Collectors can be passionate about quilts, too. A vintage quilt has a story to tell. Made to comfort loved ones, it merges practical and personal concerns. The Western Development Museum (WDM) in Saskatoon has numerous quilts, including a Saskatchewan Red Cross quilt donated by a Dutch family, which had received it during the war years; and a crazy quilt owned by Nellie McClung. WDM collections curator Ruth Bitner says she's amazed by the artistic ability of long-ago quilters. "There were not a lot of women artists 100 years ago, but those who made quilts from necessity, recycling clothing and other fabrics, expressed themselves with an eye for colour and patterning." To the museum, a quilt's story is paramount, she says. Private collectors may emphasize design, craftsmanship, age and condition. "Look for quilts that are authentic, not reproductions, and fabrics that are not faded or worn," advises David Freeman of The 1800 Shop in Victoria. "Study the stitching to make sure it's not loose." Sewing machines were widely used by the 1860s: vintage quilts were commonly machine sewn, and the quilted parts hand stitched. Contributing to a quilt's value is its quality, rarity, and the demand for it. Freeman says a collector might pay $100 for a 1930s quilt, or thousands for a treasure from the 1800s. Quilt designs reflect tradition and family circumstances. In addition, they reveal cultural influences. For example: Queen Victoria's prolonged mourning, following her husband's death in 1861, affected textile designs and colours. Black silk and subdued prints only gradually gave way to brighter fabrics in the early 1900s. Crazy quilts became extremely popular after crazed-surface Japanese ceramics were displayed at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The desperate 1930s launched a quilting heyday. Every fabric scrap was used, and brightly printed cottons were popular, even on feed sacks recycled for clothes. The Scotty dog quilt design honours President Franklin Roosevelt's Scottish terrier, Fala, a White House resident from 1940 to 1945. Collectors call these Fala quilts. Many Canadian quilts sent overseas by the Red Cross during the Second World War incorporated crosses. Handle with care: looking after vintage quilts Shopping for an antique quilt? Or maybe you're fortunate enough to have a quilt that's been in the family for some time. A vintage quilt is a piece of handwork with history, and it requires special treatment regarding storage, cleaning and display. An older quilt that is worn or torn may still have a certain charm. Some dealers recycle large quilts into wallhangings, cutting around areas of deterioration. Sometimes quilts are repaired or updated with new materials. A quilt that is in poor condition, badly soiled, or less than fragrant is probably not a wise purchase. Unsuitable for display "as is," it could fall apart in the wash. The condition of a quilt, its age, size, pattern and craftsmanship all have a bearing on the value attached to it. Most antique quilts available for sale date from the 1860s to the 1940s. However, pre-1975 quilts are also collectible. Documents attesting to a quilt's history enhance its value. A beautifully made, signed and dated older quilt in excellent condition is a collector's dream. New collectors of antique textiles may be surprised to learn that cedar chests and linen closets are not ideal storage places. There are safer ways to keep a family heirloom. Dorothy Thomson, a Saskatoon quiltmaker and collector of vintage fabrics, notes that unpainted wooden shelving and cedar chests contain acids capable of staining or damaging fabric. It is better not to fold older fabrics, as fold lines strain the fibres. If you must store a quilt folded, be sure to fold it differently each time you put it away. Thomson suggests storing a valuable quilt rolled, rather than folded, and kept in a pillowcase or a sheet. Other enemies of delicate older fibres include: Direct sunlight Drycleaning Vigorous machine washing and drying Plastic wrapping Environments that are too damp, too dry, or subject to extremes of temperature. If you acquire a vintage quilt that needs cleaning, try the least drastic measures first. Air it by hanging it on a wide railing, or draping it over a table outdoors, covered with a sheet for protection from the sun. Sometimes a gentle vacuuming is all that is needed. It may be possible to wash a cotton quilt with cool water and mild soap, using the gentle cycle of an automatic washing machine. Dry flat or on a drying rack rather than in an automatic dryer. Be cautious, though: many older quilts contain fabrics that are not shrink proof and colour fast. Unstable dyes were often used in 19th-century fabrics. You can test the colour fastness of cottons by rubbing the fabric surface gently with a damp Q-tip. The batting or filling is another consideration. Contemporary quilters often use easy-care polyester batting, which became available in the 1960s. The batting of an older quilt may be raw wool, subject to matting and clumping with laundering. For more ideas on cleaning an antique quilt, see the website: www.quilthistory.com/cleaning.htm. In the home, an antique quilt can be displayed out of direct sunlight on a bed, on a blanket rack, draped over a rocking chair, or hung over a padded rod. Never hang fragile fibreworks by tacking them directly to a wall; this will cause the material to stretch over time. Thomson recommends placing a collectible quilt on a spare bed, covered with a sheet to protect it from dust and sunlight. With proper care, your treasured vintage quilt will remain in good condition so you can pass it on to your grandchildren. - SHEILA ROBERTSON