Most quilters are a prolific bunch when it comes to making quilts -- they rarely find a pattern they don't like. Well...not exactly true. But I do live by the mantra "So many patterns, so little time!" And then there is the question that my husband often asks, "When will you have enough fabric that you won't have to buy any more." Ha!! Hopefully, he will never see that day!
So what does one do with all of those quilts. There are only so many friends and relatives in one's life. And it is just a shame to pile them in a closet and shut the door. Well, we are all in luck as there are a wide variety of ways to display quilts both large and small.
Of course the first thought one has is to put a quilt on a bed and use it as a spread -- a great way to display a large quilt. I am using one in that way right now and I am in the process of making another. I have a very large quilt made from Christmas fabrics that I use on a bed during that season of the year.
I also have several large quilts that we use in our family room when we are watching TV or reading a good book. These are displayed on an oak quilt rack that the grandfather of some former students made for me several years ago. It holds three or more quilts.
In addition, I have two quilt racks that hang on the wall to display large quilts. One holds the first large quilt that I made and is located in our bedroom. The second one I inherited from my mother in-law and it hangs in my sewing room. It displays a vintage quilt in which the blocks were made by my paternal grandmother and the quilting was completed by my maternal grandmother -- a very special quilt indeed!
I have also seen quilts displayed on ladders. My oldest daughter recently requested a quilt rack that would hold six quilts. I suggested the ladder idea to her and it has made a great decorative addition to her apartment. She was able to purchase one on Amazon. I have also seen them at antique and gift stores.
I have a couple of medium sized quilts that I rotate on a wall in our family room and they are hung with three wooden clamps. I purchased them from Robinson's Woodcrafts. I chose that method because I wanted the entire quilt to show rather than having it folded.
There are several ways in which I display small quilts. The most common way is to sew loops or a sleeve on the back of the quilt and then insert a dowel. Two nails are then placed in the wall and the dowel sits atop the nails.
I also like to use metal hangers from Ackfeld Manufacturing. They have a wide variety of designs from actual hangers to those with ornaments such as stars at the top. The quilt is attached to the hanger on the back with safety pins.
I also find plenty of opportunities to display quilts on most every piece of furniture in our house -- end tables, coffee tables, dining room tables, cedar chests, couches, buffets. Any piece of furniture can be enhanced with a quilt!
Some quilts are definitely pieces of art and can be displayed as such. Other quilts are made to be used and loved. With all of the ways available in which to display quilts, there is no reason that they should be stacked in a closet where no one can enjoy them.