Course: Preserving History: One Quilt At A Time

In this 25 minute online class, broken into four sessions, you will be introduced to thoughtfully restoring and preserving vintage quilts using the techniques I rely on to save my own vintage finds.

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Course Description

Join Carling Mabry, aerospace engineer turned quilt coat designer and creator of the bestselling Carling Loves Cats Quilt Coat Pattern, for a 25 minute introduction to thoughtfully restoring and preserving vintage quilts. With more than 20 years of experience in aerospace engineering on NASA’s Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs, Carling brings a unique perspective on design, structure, and creativity.

In part one of this class, you’ll learn how to restore the quilt top by evaluating quilt condition and determining restoration methods, stabilizing worn or thinning fabric, repairing tears, holes, and seam stress, and replacing or reinforcing damaged blocks.

In part two of this class, you’ll learn how to restore the quilt top and batting by choosing appropriate batting for vintage quilts, understanding layering techniques for vintage quilts, and considering hand versus machine quilting methods.

In part three of this class, you’ll learn full restoration using Quilt-As-You-Go by restoring the quilt top, batting, and backing, joining restored sections securely and cleanly, and selecting fabrics that complement the original quilt.

In part four of this class, you’ll learn how to restore appliqué using appliqué specific repair techniques, stabilizing fragile appliqué pieces, repairing turned edge appliqué, and recreating missing elements while honoring the original design.