Protect Your Quilt

Irish Chain Quilt from Mosey.

Quilts can become very precious to us. They can hold many memories, be passed down through generations, and become priceless to us. So when something happens and a quilt is lost or stolen, that's when you can turn to Lost Quilt Come Home found at www.lostquilt.com. This is a website "dedicated to displaying lost and stolen quilts and to providing information on protecting quilts". It's a place to not only help you locate your missing quilt but also help you to prevent the unthinkable from happening.

There are some great steps you can take now to protect your quilt and that can make a big difference in locating your quilt later. (All of these suggestions are explained in full on the website, so make sure you take a look at all the links!)

Document your quilt. If you made the quilt, document the creation process. If it's a quilt you bought or was given to you, document everything you know about it, how you got it, sales receipts, and anything about what you know about the quilt's physical history.

Make a label for your quilt. Record who made it, when, and where and add it as a label to your quilt. Another good security measure is to hide your signature somewhere on your quilt such as under a hanging sleeve.

Photograph your quilt. Take several good photographs of your quilt. showing both the quilt as a whole and detail shots. It's even a good idea to keep some fabric swatches of your quilts since photos do not always show true colors, or the colors in a photo can change over time.

Get your quilt appraised. A quilt with especially high worth can be appraised by a qualified quilt appraiser. If you lose your quilt to theft or fire, this step can help you get insurance compensation for it. Which brings us to our next step...

Insure your quilt. Not just antique quilts can be insured, contemporary quilts can be valuable, too. Be sure you talk to your insurance company about what steps you need to take to insure your precious quilts.

Copyright your quilt. You can also protect your original quilt designs. Make sure you look into all the steps needed to give your design a legal copyright. This link is a great place to start. If you feel like someone has violated your copyright, there are also steps you can take to get compensated. Tale a look at this link for copyright infringement.

Again, be sure to look through the Lost Quilt Come Home website for more details on how to protect your quit. None of us want to be in the situation of trying to recover something so priceless...but with these precautions, you'll increase your chances at recovering your quilt and, at least, be able to sleep a little easier!

Add your own tips to the comments!