Antique Quilt tops
 

I have four antique quilt tops that were made by my husbands grandmother. My husband is 75 years old. These quilts have been wrapped in tissue and kept in cedar chest for many years. They look like new condition. Three of them are hand stitched. The fourth one is machine stitched. They are made for a full size bed I would say. Our best guess is they are between 75 to 100 years old. His grandmother passed away 60 years ago. There is also a twin size quilt in "Grandmothers Flower Garden" pattern. That is finished. We saw this quilt on a bed in her house 55 years ago. We are trying to down size and wonder what to do with these. I do not hand quilt. Would the value be lessened if they were machine quilted? Can anyone tell me of an outlet to sell them and how I could come up with a fair price? I would appreciate your input. Thanks

hard to say without pictures, I would try offering them on Etsy. In my eyes the value would be lessened if they were machine quilted but I am sure others would disagree with me. I used to buy and sell antique quilts and tops and never bought one that was machine quilted. I have hand quilted several antique tops I bought and there are some people who even disagree with that. (purists).

Do you have children or grandchildren who would appreciate their heritage? No idea about pricing, and I don't think I would machine quilt them.

some sell on ebay as well and listings are free many times to new sellers. If you prefer not to go that route, perhaps a local quilt guild or shop would have a lead for you. Our local shop has a board next to the front door of items and services for sale.

I would check out Esty over eBay because eBay is really only a big garage sale with buyers wanting bargain prices. I know because I shop there too !! Good Luck.

If these tops are up to 100 years old and were machine quilted, the machines themselves would now be considered antique, and if you have one that still works, you have something special. IMHO, you would truly have to be a purist to turn your nose up at a 100 year old quilt whether it was quilted by hand or by machine.

I would suggest you contact some of the quilt museums and ask them about appraisers / conservators. You might be asked to contribute one of these quilts to the museum. Then you know they will be appreciated and cared for in the future. Several Universities have quilt collections, too.

I agree with mckwilter -- museums are a wonderful resource. The curator in charge of textiles has many resources, including a circle of contacts, available to help. It seems that value in antique quilts is dependent upon condition, workmanship, pattern, and provenance. A textiles curator can evaluate those things. Another item they consider is the rarity of the design. There are some patterns that were so common that they are of little interest to collectors. On the other hand, if a person is a decorator or operating a bed and breakfast with a vintage theme, they may welcome another double wedding ring or Sunbonnet Sue. That buyer will look for a quilt that will have durability.

We would love to see pictures!

Do you have family who would appreciate having any of the finished quilts, to keep in the family? If so, I think finishing one or more by machine would be fine. They would then be inter-generational and all the more precious (in sentimental if not monetary terms). Would also love to see pictures!

Yes, pictures, please!

A friend of mine has a couple of quilt tops her aunt made that are from the 40's. She has been planning on hand quilting them since they are hand pieced. She has 2 tops and 2 daughters. And she does not machine quilt. But it is better to have it completed by a family member since it was made by a family member. I would rather have a quilt that was pieced by my GGM quilted by a family member - even if it is done by machine, than hand quilted by a stranger.

I am not concerned about future value, only about the family side of it.