"Whether passed down through a family or hunted like treasures, quilts bring color, beauty and stories into your home. They “really represent America’s textile history, but more than that, its cultural and social history,” says Dianne O’Connor, founder and CEO of Weston Table, which recently opened its flagship store in Dallas. She sources and sells a handful of old quilts each year, and she also has a personal collection passed down from her grandmother. “They have an incredible nostalgic appeal to them.”
Quilts of the past were largely utilitarian, used and washed more than they were treasured or displayed. But there was always an undercurrent of beauty that has become more prominent over time. “When you can find them in extraordinary condition,” O’Connor says, “they are works of art.”
What’s a quilt worth?
The record tells the recipient that “this is something of value,” Erlandson says. “This is not something to wrap around furniture in a pickup when moving.” Points out O’Connor, “It’s an incredibly time-consuming art.”
If you’re in the market for older quilts, expect some age spots. Acidity in the batting can cause spotting, as can extended storage in cedar drawers or chests.
Mending tears is a personal choice. Erlandson repairs her own purchases as needed and also offers the service to others, while O’Connor prefers to leave the quilts as they are and handle with care going forward. “These are never going to be perfect items,” she says. “Even the mint-condition ones are flawed.”
For vintage or antique quilts, condition is the primary determinant of value. Add age to excellent condition and the value increases. Erlandson says a quilt from the mid-1800s that’s never been used or washed could be worth thousands of dollars. “And they are out there,” she adds.
When O’Connor finds an older quilt pristine enough, she adds it to Weston Table’s offerings. “They don’t come along very often,” she shares — three or four a year. Hers are usually priced between $600 and $900.
Showing off your quilt
O’Connor uses inherited quilts as tablecloths, too. Many quilts can be washed, she points out (even if that’s very carefully and by hand). “If you have something, no matter how nice it is, you use it,” O’Connor says. That’s why she also put family quilts on her children’s beds. “I wanted my kids to be able to feel a little bit of their grandmother.”
Drape a quilt over a sofa, place it at the foot of your bed, nestle it into a basket. “If somebody wants to pull it out, let them,” O’Connor says. Quilt ladders and quilt racks, both wall-mounted and free-standing, allow you to display single or multiple folded quilts.
