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Free Tutorial - Packing Your Quilt for its Holidays
So, it's going to a Show...
All this assumes a rollable quilt (under 1.5 metres rolled) - larger quilts need to be boxed, see at the end. All the other advice applies...
You need - a good big clean space, sticky-roller, needle with a big eye, card tube or pool noodle, tissue paper (I use old dressmaking patterns, these are cheap and very large), sticky tape, bubble wrap, brown paper. Photograph your quilt before you send it away, please...
Start with your labels - most shows require a paper label to be attached to the quilt and most have some sort of labelling for the parcel - make sure you have these in the right order. I laminate mine and use safety-pins to attach them, or sew the label on. Back, bottom, right side..
The above shows a set from Festival of Quilts, with one for the quilt, one for the parcel outside, one to enclose, this stays with your packaging
Note - don't count on getting your packaging back - I get mine back about half the time, so regard all materials as disposable
Lay the quilt out in good light and inspect it closely.. Sew in any loose threads or trim, and make sure all markings from quilting are removed. Also tackings...
Sticky-roller all over, back first, then front.. Make those cat-hairs cringe...
Cut a tube to length (about 4 inches longer than the quilt) or use a foam "pool noodle". Carpet shops and fabric shops usually have lots of cardboard tubes
Wrap the tube in tissue. Start rolling from the TOP of the quilt, as this means that when it is hung, the greater weight from the bottom will pull out any creases. And RIGHT SIDE OUT!
Start to roll, enclosing tissue between the layers as you go
Tape only at the outside of the rolling
Then a layer of bubble-wrap or polythene. Finally, brown paper. Don't forget to enclose any paperwork at this stage
Label, outward address, and your return address
Note the bands of tape to hold the parcel - carriers can be brusque
Parcel Force will take rolls up to 1.5 metres, as will most of the carriers. Tracking is a Good Idea, as is Insurance
NEVER mark as "quilt" on the outside, as this predisposes to theft...
Big quilts need packing folded - this is more inclined to make creases, so make sure you fold softly, still right-side out and place loose rolls of tissue between the layers.
There are several interesting/alternative theories about how you fold - some recommend loosely crumpling the quilt into a box, which makes the creases "irrational".
Lynne Edwards recommends folding on the bias, so fold the corners into the middle on the diagonal, then keep folding this way - I have not tried this, but I plan to and will let you know...
Wrap with tissue and bubble wrap and then find a good card box. Use plenty of tape...
4, The Raveningham Centre, Beccles Road, Raveningham, Norfolk, NR14 6NU. United Kingdom