twisted.stitchers.MO

We had a great meeting last night! The attendance was fantastic, and Linda Courtney gave a wonderful presentation on quilt appraisals. We had a very abbreviated guild meeting so that we could make time for our presenter.
Linda is a very knowledgeable lady, and her quilt-smarts are astounding. In the past, quilts were not made for the same reasons that we make them today. They were made to keep warm rather than to decorate with. She stated that several factors go into determining the value of a quilt. The most valuable quilts are not always the oldest. Color is also a major factor in determining the worth of your quilt. Blues and reds are colors that people usually prefer to decorate with rather than pinks and purples, for example. Linda also talked about the proper ways to store your quilts so that they are preserved. For example, you should not place your quilts where the sunlight will fade the fabric. You should not place them where they have direct contact with wooden surfaces, as the chemicals in the wood will bleed into your quilts and cause fiber decay. Plastic sacks are also not a good idea, as they cut off air circulation. Pillow cases or cloth sacks are the best ways to store your quilts (when you're not using them!).
Along with Linda's wonderful talk, some of the guild members brought in some beautiful vintage and antique quilts, one possibly dating as far back as the 1890s.
On another note, our next Friday Night Sew falls on April 3rd, or Good Friday. The question has been raised as to if our sew night should be rescheduled or cancelled because of this. The Kidder United Methodist Church will not be having services that night, so the church will be open to us if we choose to go. An email has been sent out to get feedback from everyone on this and see what we all want to do.

A community service quilt:

Some vintage and antique quilts that were brought to the meeting. The first 5, if I remember correctly, were most likely made after the First World War (the brighter colors were a trend during the Great Depression when everyone was, well, depressed):

This quilt had several fabrics that seemed to be cut from men's shirts:

These crazy quilts have no clear date, but it is likely that they were made in the late 1800s. Various materials such as silks, velvets, and even some rather sheer materials seemingly cut from dresses or other garments were included in these: