Why do I collect old quilts? And what determines how much I can spend? These days, the latter concern is very real. I am spending a lot less on my hobby and much more time on my career. Never mind that they're both quilt-related. I've been a quilt collector since I've been a quilter (middle 1970s) and a quilt teacher the same length of time.
Recently I added two more quilts to my collection. One was on purpose: I watched the ebay auction and snagged it when no one was looking. It cost less than $45, my upper limit these days. It arrived a bit more ragged than I'd anticipated. But I still love the look--somewhat Art Deco crazy but with a folk-art feel since the basket motifs are boldly front-and-center in each block.
The second is a great treasure since it was a gift from my sister Lili. When she's not the doting grandmother to Rylee, or doing tax returns for her husband Stephen's accounting business, or managing apartment complexes, or doing the books for the local antique mall, Lil looks out for quilts that I might like. And she knows I have a thing for the color orange. She gave me the quilt as a gift back in November when her family came to the beach for a Thanksgiving visit. Beyer's Album of Quilt Blocks & Borders lists the name as Iowa Star and says it was published in the Ladies' Art Company catalog in 1928.
Lil said when the quilt came into the Georgetown, KY antique mall, she bought it since she thought I'd like it. She's right. Who could resist scrappy colorful stars against an orange sherbet background? From the prints, I think it was likely made in the 1940s. The quilting is in large overall fans or waves called Baptist Fans by some. I think the term stuck because the Baptists made it into print first!
