Click here for PDF Version By Anne Copeland and Beverly Dunivent AQS Certified Quilt Appraisers Published in Vintage Quilts, Fall 1997 issue. As we approach the twenty-first century with our quilts, we all have a responsibility to see that they survive by giving them the kind of care that they deserve. As we do this, we validate not only the quilts but their makers who have left us these legacies in cloth. As we answer questions about their care, we can be assured that we are doing what is necessary to preserve our quilting heritage. How should I label my quilts? Each quilt in your possession needs to be labeled and documented as thoroughly as possible. Take a photograph of each and keep it with documentation, preferably in an area separate from the quilt (in a safe deposit box, for example). The documentation and label should contain the following information, at a minimum: the name of the quilt; the maker; your name as owner; the city and state where the quilt was made—or where it came from if it is an antique; and the date, or approximate date, it was made.     In your documentation, note any special stories or information about the quilts, such as shows entered and prizes won, as well as the source of the design on the quilt. If it is a family quilt, whether it is one made by you or a deceased relative, it is appropriate to have a photo of the maker transferred to washed, unbleached muslin and sewn also on the back. Photos of the people who made the quilt and their surroundings are especially nice for your great-grandchildren. This will also be useful for quilt historians and researchers. In addition, people tend to value something more when it has a face connected with it. Photos can be transferred for a very reasonable rate at many of the photocopy stores. I'd like to know about displaying my quilts. If you display your quilt over a quilt rack, put a soft white or pale towel over the rack to protect the quilt from the acid in the wood, then lay the quilt over that. If you are going to hang the quilt on a wall, you need a full-length sleeve on one end of the quilt if it has a definite direction in which it should be hung. If the quilt has an overall pattern and could be hung in either direction, make a sleeve for each end. Mark the quilt so that you can remember which end was hung last when you take it down. The quilt should not hang in direct sunlight. If you use fluorescent lights, the light should be filtered. Incandescent lights should be at least 10-12 feet from the quilt. Quilts should not be hung in the kitchen where they might be exposed to harmful moisture, smoke, or cooking oils. If there is a smoker in the house, the quilt displayed should be aired frequently as cigarette or cigar smoke will ham quilts over time.