Guidelines for Purchasing Authentic Antique Quilts

Guidelines for Purchasing Authentic American Antique Quilts

Is it Fake or is it Real? In all cases, keep in mind the Latin phrase,
Caveat Emptor: "Buyer Beware."

by Patricia Lynne Grace Cummings

This article is a slightly modified version of one that was published in The Quilter magazine, September 2005.

antique flower quilt

This American antique floral quilt in red, green and white has extensive hand quilting on its surface, and beautifully done appliqué work. Collection of Patricia Cummings.

Fifteen Years of Imports

Ever since fabric manufacturers began to produce a plentiful assortment of cotton reproduction fabrics, multi-dealer shop owners who sell antiques have worried that many of the quilts offered for sale in their shops might really be foreign imports and not true American antiques

In the early 1990s, imported quilts enraged quilters who resented the fact that great American museum quilt treasures were being reproduced off-shore. Today, quilts made by foreign hands are a common consumer option, heavily marketed in the United States.

Who buys imported quilts? The niche market includes people who do not quilt themselves but want something that “looks nice” on their beds. There are also those who want to give the gift of a quilt but cannot afford a custom made quilt, or do not know where to buy one. Availability and low cost of the imports rule the day.

Even quilters themselves have admitted to purchasing imported quilts, especially for a child’s room or guest room. The loss of a poorly crafted but serviceable quilt that costs $19.99, or even $49.99, is easier to accept than the destruction of a vintage, heavily quilted, heirloom quality quilt. These same quilters say, “Why go to all that work to make a quilt just to have someone ruin it?”

American Patterns

In most cases, American patterns are used in the production of quilts abroad. How can the general public tell the difference between an import and an authentic American antique? Admittedly, there is a lot to know.

Just for the fun of it, I would like to share a discussion about a quilt that came up for auction on eBay about a year ago. The quilt was called “Rare Black Figurative Baby Quilt, circa 1920,” an auction which closed at $676.66. After becoming aware of this auction, members of the Quilt History List commented on the attributes and construction of the quilt, as well as the dealer’s description and they wondered if it were an authentic antique quilt.

First, the Encyclopedia of Pieced Patterns by Barbara Brackman was consulted. No exact match was found for the shape of the figures, although a similar pattern called “Oklahoma Boomer,” was located.

Then, a member noted that the background fabric appears to have been artificially dyed, perhaps by a tea-dyeing method.

Another person mentioned that the one visible ragged edge might be present either because of faulty construction, or as a major clue to the quilt being a foreign import.

The edges of the quilt were finished in an “envelope style,” right sides pinned together and sewn, leaving an opening through which the quilt had been turned right side out. As this was not a popular way to finish an antique quilt, the presence of this method is indicative of a much later completion date than the one stated (1920), or else, again, this type of finishing method is a strong clue that the quilt was possibly imported.

One key piece of the puzzle was added when a Judy Rothermel fabric of “crescent and stars” was spotted. That fabric was not produced until the 1970s, and seems to have no traceable earlier version in exact placement of motifs and scale.

Suspicion was raised on two other counts. The seller’s claim that the quilt’s fabrics were made with aniline dyes is a statement that cannot be proven without extensive chemical analysis. Another charge, that the quilt had been sewn on a treadle machine, weakened the case even further since it is not possible to determine that, just by sight.

The fact that the seller did not answer any questions in support of statements made in the online description of the quilt, and also the awareness that the identity of the potential buyer was kept “private,” further raised eyebrows.

As a clincher, someone stated that she had seen a very similar quilt for sale, priced at only $50.00. The low price led the group to conclude that this pattern was produced overseas.

The above account represents a group effort to ascertain the true facts of a situation. When you are looking at a potential unmarked reproduction quilt, you may be a party of one. Just remember that knowledge is the consumer’s best and only protection. Here are some additional tips.

Poor Hand Quilting

Imported quilts are often, but not always, characterized by poor workmanship. The stitches are unusually large and crooked, with two to four stitches per inch, if hand quilted. Lately, there are more and more examples of machine-quilted, imported bed quilts.

Please click on image above for a larger view. Photo shows poor hand quilting stitches and poor overall workmanship on "flying geese" formation on this (lumpy) imported quilt.

Poor Overall Workmanship

In imported quilts, the quality of workmanship in piecing and in appliqué also leave a lot to be desired. Pieced work is inexact and appears to have been hurriedly done. Appliqué, if present, is usually done crudely, by machine.

Type of Batting Used

The use of polyester batting is another clue to a newly-made quilt. Since polyester had not yet been invented until the 1960s and were not used in antique quilts, you will find only wool, cotton, silk, or milkweed silk used as fillers for true antiques. Sometimes, you may also find an old quilt stuffed inside a later one!

Odd Materials

Sometimes, imported quilts contain odd materials that are not commonly used in American made quilts. A classic example of this are the cable knit swatches of acrylic yarn that are included, in sections of a quilt purchased at the Home Goods store. The border is composed of long lengths of this same material that cover the front edge around the perimeter of the quilt. The finishing technique is the “sew it, flip it inside out” method.

Other fabrics such as a chino pants weight material and other heavier cotton fabrics not usually used by American quilters are a dead give away as to foreign origins. That particular quilt feels so heavy, it could have been stuffed with lead!

Foreign Import Quilts

A vast number of foreign imported quilts are currently commissioned by large retailers who rely on home catalogs for sales or who vend in large department stores. A recent check with retailer L.L. Bean found that many of their quilt imports are coming from India and China. An Indian made twin size quilt sells for $129.00 at L.L. Bean, whereas a Chinese made full/queen size quilt sold for $49.99 at Home Goods department store in Nashua, NH.

Prices can be much higher. According to Beth Davis, a white trapunto museum reproduction quilt was advertised in Horchow for $850. in August 1992. Garnet Hill offered a blue and white appliqué quilt in 1994. Speigel showed an American Seal Quilt on their catalog pages for $375. in 1992, and the National Wildlife offered a Shore bird appliqué quilt in 1998 for $375.

Carolyn Maruggi, another person who has been keeping track of this information, started collecting pictures of imported quilts from national sales catalogs and local sale fliers in 1991. Then a newly certified appraiser, she wanted to be able to spot any potential imported quilt that was brought to her for documentation. While that has not yet happened, in the meantime she has collected sixteen notebooks of ads. She organizes them by quilt type, such as “Log Cabin,” “Star Quilts,” “A-Z patterns,” “Wholecloth,” “Trip Around the World,” and so forth. Each pattern has its own page. To date, Carolyn has saved more than 3,000 patterns.

Within the one year period that Beth Davis, a friend of Carolyn, has been paying attention to such things, she has seen quilts with labels which note the country of origin as: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Korea, and China.

One of Beth’s stories is that of the time she was asked to do a “bed turning.” A couple brought in a pair of quilts they had just purchased to round out their 1930s collection. How surprised they were to find their “antiques” staring back at them from a print ad in the 1993 Fingerhut catalog which Beth showed them! If that were not enough, the same quilt could be seen in the Winter/Holiday 1993 “Touch of Class” catalog.

Another person who has been extremely interested in this phenomena of quilt imports has been Connie Ark. Connie wrote five articles for Quilting Quarterly about this very subject during the years, 1992-93. She has collected numerous advertisements and sent me a list of sixty two retailers, five television shop-at-home channels, and various internet sources who market these imports. The list designates each business as mail order, department store, or importer. Connie has also kept a running list of magazine articles which have been published on this topic.

What an invaluable aid the work of these three quilt historians will be to other researchers, present and future. Their clippings will serve as a permanent record for appraisers and interested parties. Carolyn states, “The main reason for my collection is to document the quilt patterns. It’s my hope that I will be able to continue to help identify imports when there is a question of authenticity.”

A word to the wise: If the quilt says “hand pieced,” “hand quilted,” and looks too good for the price listed, it is probably an import.

Unfortunately, the American consumer has come to equate the word “quilt” with these imported quilt spin-offs. Without the connection of a grandmother who made warm quilts, many people today think of a quilt as an item bought at a chain store for little money. The price is right. Paying little for these so-called quilts means that they will temporarily serve a purpose but may fall apart in the wash. An overriding factor among consumers seems to be that they can be tossed out without guilt, should a child or animal do damage to them. The real danger is that the public equate these kinds of poor quality quilts with our true American quilting heritage.

Shop With an Antique Dealer You Trust

The first rule of thumb in purchasing an antique quilt is to do business only with dealers whom you know and trust. The seller should be willing to share provenance information about the quilt with you, insofar as it is known. That would include general knowledge such as the name of the quiltmaker, the quilt’s place of origin, and some of the same information that is requested by state documentation teams. Facts obtained at the point of sale often represent the only chance you may have to know more about your new acquisition.

The Most Valuable Quilts have a Provenance

Serious collectors and museum curators often use the word “provenance.” This derives from the late eighteenth century French verb, provenir, which means “to come from.” Simply put, provenance means the known history of an object. When the owner of an antique object knows details about its past, the object becomes much more valuable, and in the case of quilts and (their) potential further research, provenance becomes critical.

The dealer who handles an estate auction would be doing a would-be quilt collector a huge favor, if he or she were to gather some provenance information, even if that means just saving the name and contact information about the source from whom the quilt was obtained. If this opportunity to collect vital information is not taken, then most likely, the quilt will become just another one, “made by Mrs. Anonymous.” With the emphasis on quilt history today, collectors do have a strong interest in knowing the origins of the quilts they are buying.

Attributes of Antique Quilts

One major key to dating quilts is in knowing fabric styles and types and when they were most popular. Dating cotton fabric by recognition based on key elements is not exceedingly difficult to learn, but can require experience before accurate results are possible. To familiarize yourself with many swatches of authentic fabric from various decades, please see: Dating Fabrics: A Color Guide 1800-1960 by Eileen Trestain, (American Quilter‘s Society, 1998). She has also published a second guide book, Dating Fabrics 2. In addition, take every opportunity to visit museum displays that have old quilts and pay keen attention to all of the aspects of each one.

Sheen of Fabric

Examine the condition of the cloth. Old fabric does not look pristine. It usually does not have heavy sizing in it, and if the quilt has been used, it has most likely been washed, at least once. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but shiny, pliable cloth is a sign of a more recently made quilt, not an old one.

Thread, What is it Like?

Look at the thread. Is it the thick cotton thread that came from feedsack bags which some women used for quilting thread in the 1920s and 1930s? If other thread is used, are the stitches small, regular, and even? What does the overall hand quilting look like? Or, is the quilt tied, perhaps indicating a twentieth century quilt? s white thread used for appliqué work, perhaps because it was the only available thread or because “matching threads” was not yet the standard?

Still a Top? Lucky You

Is the quilt still a top? If so, look at the back. Many quilts from the nineteenth century have very scant seam allowances, sometimes as little as 1/8” or less, to conserve fabric. Tops are prized by collectors because they are usually pristine, unused and unwashed. They usually cost less than a finished quilt, and because there is no batting, are easier to store. One of the latest efforts is to sell imported quilt tops, many made in China, and listed on eBay as “hand-made” and “machine-sewn.” This practice will only confuse the issue.

Pattern Dating Resources

The other major clue to understanding the provenance of old quilts is to know something about when the pattern design first originated, and this date is usually determined by when the design was first published. There are a number of reference books about quilt patterns that have been published.

Bed Size a Clue

Be aware that bed sizes have changed, over time, as well as their configurations. Thus, if we see a quilt shaped like a capital “T”, we would place this quilt as “early New England,” and made for a four poster bed. That is, of course, just one example.

Sellers of Antique Quilts

These days, the quilts found in (New England) shops are less desirable than when I first began collecting them. The nicer antiques seem to have been grabbed up and are now stored, in use, or have been resold. High quality antique quilts still be found at some of the auction houses online, such as the Copake Auctions.Often the chance to educate the general public is lost when quilts are arbitrarily assigned a name that is not one of its official published names.

Would Be Collector?

Learn all that you can about how to date fabrics, when various techniques were used, and inform yourself about dyes, threads, trends, and so much more. Only as an expert, can you be fully able to know the difference between foreign import quilts and authentic American ones. I hope that you have enjoyed this brief overview of a subject that has been of overriding concern to appraisers and professionals, as well as to collectors.

Write to: pat@quiltersmuse.com

Other Online Sources:

http://www.uri.edu/hss/tmd/tmd402h/quilts.htm

http://www.cecc.gov/pages/annualRpt/annualRpt05/2005_3c_labor.php

Quilter's Muse Virtual Museum

Guidelines for Purchasing Authentic American Antique Quilts