Just key in the words “cutter quilts” in the eBay search engine and you will come up with page after page of pillows made from “cutters,” and a recent trend: dealers cutting up old quilts to sell them as pieces. Some tops or quilts are left as a whole unit, leaving it up to the buyer as to how he/she wants to treat the object, cutting it being just one possibility. If eBay is a true reflection of the marketplace, then I shudder to think what is happening

The problem I see with a non-specialist’s interference with an antique item is that they may possess a “diamond in the rough” and not even know it. With today’s availability of reproduction fabrics, if the original old textile has a hole or needs replacement patches, a restoration specialist could probably assist. It takes someone who appreciates quilts and their history and who wants to preserve them, rather destroy the work of some anonymous quilter, to decide what best to do.

Here is an example of a quilt I would not “cut” – eBay #250614634071. This looks as though it has a lot of intricate piecing, and appears to be quilted. The description does not cite any problem areas, or explain why this is a “cutter,” rather than just an old quilt for sale.

However, in the interest of a fast and easy buck, some dealers are finding it more expedient to just cut to pieces otherwise viable antique quilts. In the interest of full disclosure, just last week I purchased a four block section of a quilt from the 1800s and was happy to do so! I would not have wanted to store a larger quilt, particularly one with a lot of fading or surface damage, but felt I could photograph one of the blocks for demonstration purposes. So, purchasing cut pieces of quilts can have generic viagra no prescription needed value to professionals who publish or teach.

As a general rule, I would caution dealers against making cutting an habitual practice. I’ve seen too many blocks that were cut too close to the edge, particularly applique designs and crazy quilt patches, rendering the blocks completely USELESS for anything else. Adequate space should be left around any block to allow for joining it to other units or finishing it with a binding. Here is one auction that recommends purchasing the block for re-use. I ask, “How?” eBay #260579112147.

For some reason, I cannot help but think of the quilters who went before us in other centuries. There they sit in Quilter Heaven, looking down on us mortals who are cutting up their quilts, the work of their hands, for the sake of money, or making cutesy new crafts from them. Somehow, on some level, it seems a shame that we are de-composing that which they composed.

Patricia Cummings