My Mother died at the age of 92.
The hexagons she had pieced at the age of 20. For her 90th birthday, I took the hexagaons and appliqued them to material and put them together for this quilt. Then I took old feed sacks
to make the scalloped border.

Did I decrease the value of the quilt by doing applique?

I can't say if you changed the value but I would think the value increased because you cared enough to finish it! It looks beautiful!!!

I'd say no. That quilt is beautiful. No quilt police here. The greatest value of that quilt is the memories your family has. This is a wonder family heirloom:)

I don't see how you could put a price on the value of the work you both did.

Are you going to sell it? Probably not. Then if I were you I would not worry about the value. You now have something can be used or displayed. I am in the process of making some of our vintage quilts useable and I am not worried about the value because they will always stay in our family. I have told my grandchildren if they ever decide to sell any of the family heirlooms I will come down and make them ugly! LOL

Oh yes, I agree 100% w/erstan947 - you have contributed to a fantastic family heirloom to pass on from her generation, thru yours to the next. I'm sure you either already have, or plan to put a label on it w/the complete story.

BEAUTIFUL QUILT & STORY OF MOM & YOU :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Have a blessed evening.

I totally agree. What a fabulous thing you did. There is no value of things that come from the heart.

My educated opinion here; unless the fabric you appliqued the blocks to is a vintage fabric (same era as the block fabrics) then the monetary value has been significantly decreased.

BUT to a buyer who would just purchase because they love the way the quilt looks, then probably not.

In the long run the look on your mother's face is priceless and I wouldn't give it another thought. The quilt is beautiful!

Did it give it more value to have it done for your family or take its value away only you and your family can relly make that decision in my opinion it made it much more valuable Now you can say not only did she take part in making it but she also got to use it

I don't know about the monetary value but what a gift for her to see it finished and have it usable for her family. It only has monetary value if you are willing to sell it. It is a family treasure!

That was a wonderful thing to do for your mother. I know that the pleasure in her eyes when she saw what you had done became valuable all by itself.

I have quilts made by my aunts, my grandmother and my mother. None of them have significant value in the eyes of the world, but they have value for me. :thumbup:

who can put a price on a precious memory!

side note and totally off topic:

I just noticed that you are from CR, IA. I am in Solon. It's nice to see others in my area.

As far as I have been told regarding valuation of quilts:

As far as the value of the quilt: Were you ever intending that the quilt be sold? If so, then yes the value of the quilt for reasons previously stated has been reduced. But if the intent is to keep the quilt in the family and pass it down through the generations, then I would say that the value has not decreased by finishing it.

The only option to not finishing it for her to see and enjoy would have been to use it as a wall hanging in the "finished" state it was in when you received it.

I doubt you plan to sell the quilt so therefore, how could you ever have decreased the value of it. Rather, you've increased the value with the love and care you put into saving it.

You made her smile--priceless. Who really cares about the monetary value--her work was used to make a quilt--you helped--teamwork. Perfect.

Ditto. To me this quilt has more value because of the story and sentiment behind it. Together you both made a BEAUTIFUL quilt and heirloom that you and your family will cherish. Do you keep a quilt journal?

What a beautiful thing you did for your Mom.

Thank you...I do intend forever keeping it. I also made table runners and pillows for my sisters that were from some of the same squares.

I do have a quilt in good shape from 1842 that she had.
I have no history on it though. Where can one sell quilts and get fair prices?

Before you decide to sell any antique quilt you should have it professionally appraised. Call the International Quilt Study Center (Lincoln, NE) to obtain the names of well known and respected appraisers in your area. Antiques dealers are not professional quilt appraisers in most instances. Good Luck!

I'd say by the look on your Mother's face she loves it. You both played a part in putting this quilt together and there's nothing more special than that!! It's beautiful and you can't put a price on memories like that. :-)

You gave it full value of LOVE.

I can't speak to the actual value of the quilt, but it seems as though the smile on your Mother's face is soomething that can never be measured. You gave her such a loving gift, now cherished heirloom .... there is no greater value.

It seems like before you appliqued the pieces onto fabric, it wasn't a quilt yet. So, I can't see how you decreased the value of a quilt that wasn't a quilt. :)

So, to my way of thinking, you made the quilt out of various pieces. Before, it was one of the dreaded UFOs.

So, you did a great thing. And it is beautiful and you will cherish it as long as you live! Congrats.

Technically the quilt is the age of the "youngest" fabric in it.

Gorgeous, wonderful quilt. It will probably never be sold (right?) so you needn't worry one way or the other.