Dr. Lori, a Ph.D antiques appraiser, gives us some insightful tips on how to value quilts. Whether it’s a family heirloom, or a find a thrift store, these tips can help determine the quality of the quilt!
The first tip is to check for the number of stitches. You’ve probably heard of the saying, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Well, nine is the magic number we’re looking for! Spread your fingers apart to roughly an inch, and then place them on the quilt. If you see around nine stitches within that inch, you know you have a quality quilt on your hands!
Another tip is to look at the consistency of the stitches. Older quilts obviously were stitched by hand, so the quilters didn’t have the luxury of the steady stitches of a sewing machine. Most quilts were made by multiple people, so it was understandably difficult to get the same, even stitches from person to person. So, if you find an older quilt with consistent stitching, you know there is a lot of value there!
Watch the video below for more tips to look for when valuing a quilt!