"Yes there is the patchwork quilt! Looking to the uninterested observer like a miscellaneous collection of odd bits and ends of calico, but to me it is a precious reliquary of past treasures; a storehouse of valuables." —"The Patchwork Quilt," 1845
Bobbie Aug bought her first antique quilt when she was 18. "I have always been drawn to cloth and to women's work. I started out as a home-sewer. Most quilters my age started out with sewing."
But she was also fascinated with old things and even became an antique dealer. Over the years, the two interests meshed. "I became knowledgeable about the age and value of quilts."
In 1989, when the American Quilter's Society started offering a discipline in quilt appraising, Aug was one of the first to sign up. As a certified appraiser, she not only evaluates quilts but also teaches classes and is on the AQS committee that supervises the appraisal certification process.
Now living in Colorado Springs, Colo., Aug was recently in Utah to conduct an appraisal seminar for members of the Utah Quilt Guild and talked about the history and value of quilts.
As an appraiser, she has come in contact with thousands of antique and newly made quilts, and "I can honestly say I've never met a quilt I didn't like," she said.
Studying the construction, pattern and designs, the fabrics and colors is a never-ending pleasure, she said. "I hope to never know it all, because it is so fascinating to keep learning."
Quilts document history, she said. "They've been used for generations to mark milestones in people's lives, such as births, weddings, anniversaries and deaths. They express friendship and have been used to document political opinion and patriotism. They have been associated with tragedies, both natural and man-made." After events such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, one of the first things people turn to for comfort is quilts, said Aug.
A lot of things can affect the worth of a quilt — such as the rarity of pattern and design, the workmanship or fame of the quiltmaker, and events or happenings associated with the quilt. But the prime consideration is condition, she said. "Condition is like location in real estate: condition, condition, condition."
Things such as soil, wear, abuse and staining will detract from the value. So, she urges anyone who has quilts — antique or modern — to take good care of them.
The oldest quilt that Aug owns is probably the least attractive to look at, she said. It was made between 1790 and 1810 in New England. The fabric was printed using a copperplate method. "Copperplate fabric resembles wallpaper. It's done in monotones." Yet, for its time, "it's indicative of luxury. It's French, and it would not have been common in New England in the late 1790s."
Another interesting thing about the quilt is that the back is made of plain linen. "This was made before women cared much about the back. So the knots show. Backs didn't become important until 25 years later."
Aug has several quilts from the 1840s that were made of a color known as Napoleon blue. One that was made in Virginia has decorative edges on three sides of the quilt; that was about the time that edging became popular.
She has quilts done with block-printed material; some with stenciling. "Stenciling was very popular around 1800; then it was revived in the 1870s. It was revived again in the 1980s. And now women are doing crayon pictures." Fabric design often reflects other arts, she said. "Stenciling was popular when tole painting was popular."
Quilts trace the rise of other technologies. For example, when the sewing machine was invented, women who had them often used a different color of thread on the bobbin than on the top. "That way, other people would know they had a sewing machine because it would not be possible to do the two colors by hand," said Aug.
Quilts reflect life in other ways. Politics, for example, were often woven into the bed coverings. Whig Rose, Tippecanoe and Tyler Too, Pride of Ohio, Mr. Roosevelt's Necktie are all quilt patterns. Log Cabin quilts are associated with Abraham Lincoln or Andrew Jackson. Flag quilts are common; eagles are a popular motif on applique quilts.
Around World War I, Red Cross quilts became quite the thing. Often people paid to sign them, and then the quilts were raffled off to raise money for the war effort. "I have a dozen I collected before 9/11. After that, they doubled, even tripled in price, because people saw them as patriotic."
By the way, she said, red and white is also a popular color combination for quilts. "It's second only to blue and white. The red-and-green combination is third."
Collecting old quilts has become more popular in recent years, said Aug. But, as with any art form, prices can fluctuate greatly. "A lot depends on the market and the economy. For example, seven years ago, an 1852 signed-and-dated appliqued Baltimore quilt was sold at auction for $267,000. Three years ago, it was reauctioned and sold for $60,000."
Aug has seen quilts sold for thousands and thousands of dollars, and some for less than a hundred. Even newly made quilts can be expensive, she said. "You may have $300 in the fabric and the materials. Then look at the labor."
And some have intrinsic value that can't be measured. If you have a heirloom quilt, handed down through your family for generations, said Aug, to you, that can be priceless.
Whether you have old quilts or new quilts, "preserve them for the next generation. They tell so much about life."
E-mail: carma@desnews.com