Restoring the Elegance of Trapunto Whitework Quilts

Four trapunto quilts arrived at Museum Textile Services this winter for conservation. Three belong to Hammond-Harwood House of Annapolis, MD, and a fourth is being donated to the New England Quilt Museum, in Lowell, MA. These wonderful examples beautifully showcase this historic style of quilting that was popular in America in the mid-nineteenth century. The quilts varied in condition, but were all treated in a similar way and exhibit a wide spectrum of this style of whitework.

Trapunto quilting is also known historically as stuffed quilting, whitework quilting, or corded quilting. The names accurately describe the technique used to make these labor intensive quilts; trapunto in Italian means "to embroider," and in Latin it means "to prick with a needle." In this quilting technique, 2 to 3 layers of cotton or linen fabric are sandwiched and sewn together. Once sewn together, the artist would hand quilt or embroider a design over the entire quilt. Many of these designs were available as a pattern, or could be created completely by the artist.  

Example of trapunto quilting. Photo courtesy of Glen Haven Historical Society, New York.

Similar to other textile art such as mourning pictures, images quilted in these such as urns, cornucopias and flowers hold symbolic meaning and can tell a story. Traditionally, the threads would be moved aside with a needle from the back of the quilt and tiny amounts of stuffing or cording was pushed into the voids made by the quilting pattern. This created a raised effect that was beautiful, yet subtle. Once an area was stuffed to satisfaction, the threads at the back that had been moved aside are again worked back together to make the entry area invisible. ​One of the Hammond-Harwood House trapunto quilts has a more delicate backing fabric, which allowed it to be more easily stuffed.

Detail of trapunto quilt made by Elizabeth North, after conservation and bleaching. Image by MTS.

This style of quilting is believed to have originated in Sicicly in the the 14th century, and continued to be popular across Italy and Europe through the 18th century.  Immigrants brought the technique to America with them and it enjoyed popularity from the early 19th century, peaking mid-century. It became less common by the 20th century, as it was so time consuming and the country was being vastly changed by the industrial revolution. The trapunto quilt belonging to a private collector is a fine example of one made in America in 1823 and prominently has the name “Elizabeth North” across the top, possibly having been made for her as a wedding gift.  It also features two urns of flowers and an overflowing cornucopia of flowers.

Damage to this trapunto quilt clearly shows the thin backing fabric through which the cotton batting was originally stuffed. Image by MTS.

​The three quilts that we conserved at MTS underwent similar treatment, a process of wetcleaning and bleaching with the reductive bleaching agent, sodium borohydride (NaBH4). Wetcleaning cotton and linen fibers with the addition of a sodium borohydride bath is beneficial both visually and chemically, resulting in healthier and brighter artifacts. Sodium borohydride cannot be used on protein fibers—such as silk and wool—because they are naturally acidic and the sodium borohydride solution is alkaline (approximately pH 10). 

As cellulosic textiles age, hydroxyl groups (-OH) are converted to carbonyl groups (=O), which contribute to a dingy brown or yellow color. The chemical process known as reduction adds electrons to the cellulose fibers, stabilizing their molecular weight and returning carbonyl groups back to colorless hydroxyl groups. The combination of dissolved soils and cellulosic degradation often turn the wash bath the color of strong tea. The reaction of the sodium borohydride with water is also produces hydrogen gas bubbles, and the bath may give off a smell reminiscent of sulfur or chlorine. It is important to agitate the sodium borohydride wash bath regularly to allow all sides of the textile to come in contact with the surface of the water where the chemical reaction is taking place. Especially dirty whitework quilts receive additional baths with a solution of the anionic surfactant Orvus, before being rinsed and air dried under a cotton wicking cloth.  ​

Detail of Elizabeth North quilt, after conservation and bleaching. Image by MTS.

Cleaning discolored textiles is always rewarding, and restoring the legibility of these three-dimensional trapunto quilts is no exception. Viewers will enjoy seeing the results of conservation when the quilts are exhibited in their museums.
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Sarah Uhlendorf Stebulis is a former registrar, curator, and museum director. She was also Assistant Administrator for the Lowell Historic Board and Office Manager for Preservation Worcester. Sarah continues to provide freelance collections cataloging for private collectors, and is excited to return to her textile conservation training.