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How To Display Your Quilts

So if you haven’t noticed I use a ping-pong table to drape your quilts on for the photo.   I face two problems – lighting and not be able to display the entire quilt.  And of course for long-term displaying – well a ping-pong table just won’t do.

Now sometimes if I have some able bodies in the house and I have them hold it up in my family room where natural light is optimum or for the larger quilts to hold it over our second floor catwalk that looks over the family room.  Great lighting and you get to see the whole quilt.  But I depend on able bodies – which are decreasing even as I type.

Well I’ve been looking at some options floating around on the web — and some I’ve ran across at some at quilt shops.

Here’s what I’ve found:

http://www.hangupscompany.com/Invisible_Wall-Bracket_Hangers.html

Hmmm… OK but needs a sleeve.    Not an option when they aren’t my quilts.  Even my own quilts I don’t want to bother with a sleeve.  Of course if you don’t mind sleeves – any nice curtain rod will do.

This same company makes a hang-up booth like for quilt shows – time-consuming, need to pin the quilts to the curtain – most definitely not a good long-term solution.

Using PVC pipe –

http://www.ehow.com/how_7693813_make-quilt-wall-putting-holes.html?vm=r&s=1

Not particularly appealing – get the same results as the ping-pong table in that you don’t see the whole quilt.

Now I have seen a PVC pipe hanger that I’ve considered  in another long arm quilter’s studio.  She was hiring the guy to make them and then she would sell them – don’t know if it ever happened.  Anyway – the guy cut a slot down the pipe the entire length, sanded the edges and added end-caps.  You simply removed one end cap and slid the quilt down the slot – the binding would be enough bulk to keep the quilt edge inside the pipe.  What I can’t remember is how it was mounted to the wall – maybe before you put the quilt it you could screw the pipe to the wall?  You’d have to drill a tap hole to keep the pipe from shattering – but that is definitely something I should follow-up on.  And you can paint the pipe to match your walls to boot!

Another is a giant like clothes pin –

http://www.custommemoryquilts.com/quilt_hangers

I’ve also considered taking a 1×4 and screwing clothes pins to it every 6-8 inches.

Lighting is a big obstacle – generally I take the photos in the basement – no natural light, and the fluorescents are down to one bulb.  Problem escalating. Hmmm.  I really would like to take them outside to photograph… hmmm.  Maybe husband can build large self-supporting frame with clothes pins???

Backs of couches, old fashion quilt racks, cedar chests, ends of beds – are all great place to display your handy work.  I have an old treadle machine that I plan to put an unfinished top on someday.

What do you use to display your quilt?

Here’s what you’ve been doing the last month or so – displayed on my ping-pong table until I come up with something better – which better be soon because the lighting is doing a number on the photos this month.  And a couple of my projects in recent weeks too.

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