If you’ve ever made a quilt before, then you can appreciate the amount of time, love, and effort that goes into each stitch. This is true today, even with modern sewing machines, rotary cutters, and all sorts of modern conveniences, and it is especially true of the quilts made before all of these helpful tools. Back in the day, quilts were hand stitched and each pattern and piece of fabric was meticulously measured and cut.
All quilts have innate value, especially to us quilters! But some quilts are actually worth quite a bit of money. Here’s how to identify some of the more valuable quilts from the 1900s.
There are a few things to consider when looking at a quilt and determining its value. First, there’s the fabric. Quilts that have bright colors and more nuanced shading are likely from after WWI. After the war, we started getting supplies from Germany to make synthetic fabric dyes. Another thing to look out for is the actual patterns themselves. Some popular post WWII patterns include the wedding ring quilt, grandma’s garden, and Sunbonnet Sue.
Dr. Lori gives us more details to look out for in the helpful video below. Depending on what you find, your WWII quilt could be worth anywhere between $200 to $25,000!