For the August/September 2012 issue of QN I had the pleasure of writing about quilt collector Bill Volckening of Portland, Oregon. Volckening started buying quilts over 20 years ago simply because he liked them. As time went on, he learned more about quilt history and made connections with other collectors. He only started showing his quilts to quilt guilds and study groups in his area in 2009, and has quickly started to establish a name for himself on the national quilt scene. To learn about his background and collecting methods (hint: eBay) and to view some of his gorgeous New York Beauties as well as a full pattern for one of them, be sure to pick up a copy of the August/September issue.
In the course of researching the article I contacted some quilt collectors who have mentored Volckening, including Julie Silber of The Quilt Complex in Albion, California; and Shelly Zegart, a founding director of The Kentucky Quilt Project Inc. and the Quilt Alliance, and executive director and host of the recent 9-part PBS series “Why Quilts Matter: History, Art and Politics.” Zegart is the one who sold Volckening his first quilt back in 1989.
In an article she wrote for Selvedge magazine in 2004, Zegart reported on collecting trends from the past 100 years. According to Zegart, over the past 15 to 20 years quilt collections have been driven by institutions more than by individual collectors. Collections are not being built as much quilt by quilt, but rather via acquisitions of existing private collections. Zegart predicted that museums would only seek to increase their collections of quilts, both for study and exhibit purposes. Because institutions are limited in terms of being able to show their large collections to the public on a regular basis or to all the scholars who want to study them, they have looked to fill that demand by publishing books and licensing fabric designs for reproduction.
All of these collectors were kind enough to share their advice to would-be quilt collectors. Read their words of wisdom, then learn at the bottom of this post how you can enter to win prizes to aid your own quilt collecting aspirations.
Bill Volckening
My advice to aspiring quilt collectors is simple. Collect what you love, and know as much about it as possible. It’s the same advice Mom gave me about collecting. It’s hard to go wrong if you know what you’re looking at, and enjoying it.
Julie Silber
Learn as much as you can, and take some time. Find a mentor or two; there are no nicer, kinder or more generous people than quilt collectors. Two valuable online resources are the Quilters History List (qhl) and a Facebook page started by Lynn Evans Miller called Quilts-Vintage and Antique. One can lurk on these sites, soaking up information, or one can ask specific questions right away of very knowledgeable people who are, for the most part, willing and eager to share what they know.
Follow eBay and other auction sites for a sense of prices, but be sure to keep in mind that there can be aberrations, and knowledge of market prices can only come after a prolonged period of watching. And be sure to not be mislead by ASKING prices – only prices realized.
Follow the websites of reputable dealers, those who have been in business for some time and who have good track records. (Ask around for those from collectors you come to trust.)
Have patience and pay attention. Enjoy yourself.
Buy what you love (if you can afford it), and buy what you feel you can live with for a long, long time. You may have to.
Shelly Zegart
As antique quilt prices have climbed, interest in collecting quilts has grown proportionately. The number of collectors grows each year, and often many of the new collectors have questions. What do you look for in an old quilt? What makes a good investment? How do you start a quilt collection? As a quilt collector I have developed a few guidelines.
- Buy condition. Old does not have to mean torn and ragged. Unfortunately, a signed and dated ragged quilt is still a ragged quilt.
- Quilting counts. I don’t carry a ruler in my pocket to measure the number of quilting stitches to the inch, but in general, smaller stitches and intricate quilting patterns add visual appeal and increase value. As a quilt dealer for many years, I have learned that well-quilted quilts sell. As a collector however, I have learned to break this rule. One of my favorite pieces, a bedspread, is not quilt at all!
- Think thin. In general thin quilts are better than thick quilts with heavy batting (these are also called “fat” quilts). Again, I have ignored this guideline more than once. It depends on the kind of fat quilt. One of my special treasures is a folksy cows quilt on feedsacks. Technically it is not very good, but it is a one-of-a-kind piece with naïve appeal and it makes me smile!
- Buy from a reputable dealer. You will have a larger selection of better quality quilts from a knowledgeable individual. The quilt market is fraught with repros of every sort. People who have been in the business for many years and have seen thousands of quilts are expected to be able to discern the difference .When you buy from one of them you should receive a guarantee of authenticity.
- Be an informed buyer. Read, visit museums with quilt collections, talk to other collectors. Look at as many quilts as you can before you actually spend your money. You will have a better sense of what you like as well as what is available in terms of both style and quality.
- Be realistic. Of course it is fun to use and display your quilts. However using a quilt as a bedcover or wallhanging does shorten its life. If you want to make sure your quilt will be around for future generations to enjoy, save it for special occasions. When in doubt use only a textile professional for repairs and cleaning.
- Buy what you love. This is perhaps the most important advice I can give a beginning collector. When I began I knew nothing about quilts, but I had studied contemporary art. My interest developed when looking for art for the walls of my new contemporary home.
- The marketplace. Aesthetics and form count much more than stitches, pattern name or history when you look at market prices realized for quilts.
So now that you have more knowledge about how to build your own quilt collection, QN has some things to giveaway to help you on your journey.
First up is a 4-DVD set from Nancy Kirk, “Quilt Restoration Workshop.” Topics covered include: becoming a quilt restorer; is restoration possible?; dating fabrics and dating quilts; creating and aging fabrics; cleaning, storing and displaying.
Quilt Restoration Workshop DVD set from Nancy Kirk
Next we have a 46″ x 57″ machine-pieced and -quilted quilt from Mary Fisher featuring her collection The Gathering for Troy Riverwoods Collection.
Mary Fisher quilt
But perhaps you don’t want to collect quilts as much as you want to collect fabric. Well, we have something for you, too. We will also give away the following fabric bundles: Persia from P&B Textiles (17 fat quarters); Lakeside Cottage from Northcott (12 half-yards); and Emma Grace by Kathy Brown from Red Rooster (23 fat quarters).
from left: Persia (P&B Textiles), Lakeside Cottage (Northcott), and Emma Grace (Red Rooster)
[Please note: This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Mary, Diana, Leslie, Maida, and Lovie, the randomly selected winners of these fantastic prizes! Thanks to all who entered!]
We will give one prize to each of five winners randomly drawn from comments left below. For a chance to win, leave a comment telling us about your quilt (or fabric) collecting experiences before 11:59 p.m. MDT on Monday, July 30. You may indicate which of the five different prizes (DVDs, quilt, or one of the three fabric bundles) you would prefer, but we don’t guarantee that’s what you’ll get if your name is drawn. One comment per person, please. Open to people who haven’t won something from Quilters Newsletter in the last 90 days. Good luck!
To be among the first to learn of our giveaways, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest.
My favorite find is a red, navy, black and cream (9-patch) postage stamp quilt…got it for $24. It is in wonderful shape and right now is hanging in my dining room. It will be swapped out for something different in a month or so. I would love Kathy Brown’s fat quarters.
Nobody in my family does the real quiltage, but the love of fabrics and the love to sew is among us.
I have many wonderful old quilts, handed down through my family.
Thanks for the giveaway. If possible, I’d prefer the fabric.
I am really hoping to win the DVD set. We have several raggedy antique quilts that I am determined to mend but don’t know how to do it properly. Help!
My favorite quilt is one my mom made. She embroidered all the state bird and then put them into a quilt. Great quilt to pass on down the generations. Thanks for the give-a-way, I would prefer the fabric or the quilt.
I LOVE fabric! i collect all styles and types, have been sewing for over 35 years now, I started in high school and haven’t stopped since! would love to win any of your fabric collections. Thanks for the chance.
Theresa
I used to and I mean used to a long, long time ago collect a few quilt tops but now I just collect fabric, lots and lots and lots of fabric. I love fabric. My motto, one can never have too much fabric or yarn. I think this is because I live in a very rural area where I have to drive a long ways to get quality fabric and yarn, so when I find it, well, do I need to explain.
Any of the fabric would be fine but my oh my the quilt is mighty fine too. I would be happy with either.
Thank you
sandyb720 at gmail dot com
I would love the fabric. I look at them as a new box of crayons just waiting to turn into a creative work of art.
Mark me down as a fabric collector! If I ever get off the computer, I will actually sew something.
Oh, wow!! I love to collect fabric! So, if I’m a winner, I would like to receive one of the fabric bundles. Thank you!
I am a relatively new quilter and love to collect fabric. I really like bright fabrics and quilts, but have just discovered civil war quilts and the wonderful fabrics that are used. I have earmarked a civil war sampler quilt for my next project. M
I purchased a really ragged quilt and then used it to make Christmas ornaments. I cut out hearts ( or what ever shape you want)and painted them with a fabric stiffener. When they were dry I glued a ribbon on them and hung them on my tree.You could also use an old quilt to make Christmas stockings. I would love to win the fat quarters to add to my stash for the next quilt I make.
It is so easy to be a hoarder when it comes to fabric! It’s not my fault, really! The creative designers and manufacturers are to blame for creating such beauty from a thread! :p
I am a true fabriholic. When I see beautiful fabric like in your giveaway, I become passionate as I dream what I would like to sew or quilt with it. I only wish I could sew as fast as find beautiful fabric.
Thanks for the article on quilt collecting. Some of us have to make ours because we cannot afford to buy the real thing: therefore, fabric is a good thing….
All the fabrics are “Yummy”……Thanks for offering them to us.
I have been quilting since I was 14…I love collecting different patterned materials. My fave quilt I have done over the years is the Dresden plate. I would love to win the DVD set or the fabric stash. Keep up the great issues of Quilters Newsletter. They are wonderfully written with many great tips and projects. Hugssssssssssss Kath
I have 8 LARGE plastic storage containers neatly stacked in my attic. I have been quilting and collecting material for almost 30 years. Would be lost without my quilting time.
I have several family quilts which need attention. Thanks for offering the DVD set!
Fabric, Fabric, Fabric! Do we ever have enough? I love picking up quilts at thrift shops that have been hand made. I feel so sorry for the maker that they haven’t been passed down to family members knowing all the work it took to make them. Hope my family knows the love I put into the ones that I make.
Fabric is my love. The touch the feel the smell. I have 5children 8 grandchildren with another due in September. At birth they get a baby quilt, in their first year they get a flannel quilt and on their first birthday they get their first single bed quilt. I just love sewing quilts for them all
I am new to quilting & love recieving all different kinds of advise. Also I love playing with all of the fabrics. Sooooooooooooo much fun to mix and match
Although I have not quilted long myself, I have love quilts from early childhood. I think that finding fabrics that can be mixed together to make a new creation is an art and has become a passion for me. I love learning more about quilting all the time.
When I collect fabric, I buy 1/3 of a yard. If I really really like it, I buy 3 yards.
I appreciate the opportunity to win fabric
I had already collected more fabric than I could possibly use in my lifetime, then I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Almost two years later, and still fighting strong, I am still trying to reduce the stash. I am quilting every day and sharing with my quilting friends – we’ve hardly made a dent. I guess that means I have to stick around for a while longer!
FABRIC! Its always on my mind….lol
Fabric esp the Red Rooster bundle is calling my name. I like getting fabric. Thanks.
My favorite fabric experience was during a quilter’s bus trip to the AQS show in Lancaster, PA. I only needed a bit of encouragement from my fellow quilters to buy, and buy some more! Sew much fun!!!!
My quilt collection started by inheriting my father’s quilt that his mother and one of his sisters made for him. Dad was second to the last of 8 and by the time Grandma was down to piecing his quilt she was too sick to finish so one of my Aunts finished the top. A Lady in the community hand quilted it for them. It has of course grown from there. Some made by others and some by me.
The quilt which has the most sentimental meaning to me is one which I remember was always on my grandmother Callie Morrison’s bed. I am fortunate now to own it. It is whole cloth white with a large medalion in the center made up of red poppies appliqued with black button-hole stitches. The fine hand quilting is a grid of small diamonds.
I would like to win the fabric bundles or the quilt!
Just started my grand daughter on her quilt stash, she is 5 and went to the quilt store with me and picked out her own fat quarter just to hold.
I love collecting fabrics and had a pretty good stash. When my mom passed away I was given all her fabric in fact anything that had to do with sewing. Needless to say I made a haul but through it all knew I had lost my best quilting buddy….my mom. Now when I look through fabric for that certain piece I have happy memories.
I would love any of the fabrics as a girl can’t have too much or really any of the prizes are awesome! I am not picky. Thanks for the giveaway.
I started quilting 30 years ago so I have lots of fabric if florals from long ago so I have to be creative to use them as they are not as pretty as fabrics you find now, guess they will be good for traditional quilts.
My Mom, Sister and I seem to be vying for the “most fabric” prize — we love to buy much more than we seem to get things done — I really love the Lakeside collection. Northcott fabrics are always so soft and silky feeling.
The quilt restoration series looks really interesting, and I really love the Persia fabric collection. All the fabrics are beautiful. Thanks for the article in the magazine, the supplementary info. posted here, and the chance to win. J.
After fighting stage 3 b invasive lobular breast cancer in 2010 I decided to stop wasting time and get on with my dream of making that king size quilt for our bed. I have just begun to sew again so I am practicing by making lap size prayer quilts to pay it forward…..( I got two beautiful lap quilts during treatment ). Hopefully soon I can get back in the swing of things and get that dream quilt done soon. My husband is retiring soon and said I cannot buy anymore fabric! LOL I am hoping he will join me in this addicting hobby! Fabric needed and deeply appreciated!
I am in Love with fabric!!! I can’t pass a good deal up!! Thank You for having these give-a-ways. I have Never won anything but always keep my fingers crossed ! My favorite thing to make is baby quilt & pillow sets
I moved here from Australia two years ago now….to get married and brought a lot of my quilting fabric with me – of course! Just setting up my stash and love everything – mostly….hopelessly addicted….fun to do in the States as it is very expensive in australia……thankyou for the opportunity….Jilly Norfolk
I was given a quilt top my Great Aunt Herma made in the 1960′s. I would like to finish it off and quilt it but I love having it -makes me feel close to her. She was
a state fair blue ribbon quilter in Oklahoma.