Thanks for the UNL site!

My pleasure...my kid is a Husker! ;-)

I think one has to ask oneself, is it old.....and special?, or pretty? or heirloom quality? You only said it was an old family quilt. I have some old quiilts that are 1-ugly 2- threadbare 3-not much more than rags sewn together. One might take more time, effort and/or expense depending on these questions. Some take old quilts and cut them up to be pillows if they are shabby. You can put bridal veil net over the quilt which will keep it intact and not show. Maybe not for this quilt but keep that in mind for future use. Amway has a Liquid Organic Cleaner that is so gentle that you can brush your teeth with it and it cleans great. But some old quilts just disintegrate no matter what you do.
How did you get the quilt?

My DH cousin owns a car wash and detailing shop. He says to get smells out of cars the best way is to leave the windows down in the clod weather. The colder the better. Don't know why it works, just that it does. so lay it out in the cold.

The quilt has been in my in-laws family and was found when they wee cleaning out their effects etc. It is not the prettiest quilt ---the colors are all browns and reds etc. I am going to have to look at it again. I am sure it must have been made for warmth and not beauty. This poses another question. Are the older quilts signed or marked? I can't find anything on the quilt.

Most old quilts weren't dated or signed, but you can compare fabrics to get an idea of the dates. If a quilt has lots of 1960s prints, chances are, it was not made for a 1922 wedding.

Depending on how old it is, it could have been made by kerosene light. I was watching a program (probably Alex Anderson's Simply Quilts) and the lady was showing the most god-awful ugly quilt in browns & reds. The colors were absolutely atrocious! Then she turned out the lights and lit several kerosene lamps and the effect was amazing! This quilt went from hideous to stunningly gorgeous! I would have paid good money for this quilt! It had never occurred to me that the colors would change so much depending on our light source. It makes me wonder what light source was used to make the quilt you are talking about. Just something to think about.

My girlfriend had an old family quilt appraised. It wasn't anything special, but we were all shocked when the appraisal came back at almost $2000! :shock: You just never know. What is ugly or a utility quilt for us might end up being a special quilt that is valued much higher than we would expect.

Interesting information about the kerosene lamplight!

I agree about the unexpected value. It could be worth the time to get it appraised.

Where do you go to have old quilts appraised?

Thr Traveling Antiques Road Show comes through here once or twice a year---would they be the ones to go to. Now I am curious and don't know if I can wait that long for them to come back.