Collecting Tomorrow's Quilt Treasures Today

1810s Eagle

Kathie Ratcliff

Virginia

Miniature Commissioned for the Parks-Wildemuth Collection

Some time back it occurred to me, as I was having my morning coffee, that the 1876 ladies/gents who admire quilts right up through those of us who love them today did not think, "I need to add this quilt to my collection because I KNOW some day in the future it is going to be prized as a collectible."

I want you to channel the Florence Peto or Ruth Finley in you and look about you in the quilt world today and REALLY Look at the quilts that studio quilt artists, machine quilters, long-arm quilters, and traditional quilt artists are creating. These are the quilts that will become tomorrow's collectible. Find one or several quilt artists whose work appeals to you and start collecting them or have them create a piece for you with your "quilt interest" in mind.

Along with supporting a quilt artist's work, you are collecting modern pieces that "speak" to you and fits into your collection. There is really no negative to this.

How do you find such ladies and gentlemen?

Etsy.com http://www.etsy.com/

Artfire.com http://www.artfire.com/

Google Images Search using your pattern interest as the search engine word

Google Search Search using your pattern interest as the search engine word

Organizations such as:
Studio Art Quilters Associates http://www.saqa.com/
International Quilt Festival in Houston http://www.quilts.com/newHome/index.php

Miniature Quilt Artists who specialize in historical quilt patterns such as:

Kate Adams Fine Miniatures http://www.kateadamsfineminiaturequilts.com/
Kathie Ratcliff's Nine Patch Studio http://www.ninepatchstudio.com/

The original antique quilt that this piece was inspired by can be found on page 12 of the hardback edition of the book All Flags Flying: American Patriotic Quilts As Expressions of Liberty by Robert Bishop and Carter Houck