How old are antique quilts anyway?

Officially, antique quilts are 100 years old or older. Quilts that are 50 - 100 years old are called vintage quilts and those that are less than 50 years old are considered contemporary quilts.

When I began collecting quilts in the late 1980's and early 1990's, I would usually buy them from the antique stores that my mom and I frequented. I didn't really know how old they were, just that the condition of most of them made me think they were antique. Comparing them to the definition above, I believe most of them are probably vintage quilts, while a couple may be true antiques.

Antique quilts can be any pattern and made of any material. Some are made of different types of materials, especially if the quilter was using any material on hand to keep the cost down. This would obviously give the quilt a very scrappy look. On the other hand, some are made from new material bought just for the purpose of making a quilt.

Enjoy the antique quilts and vintage quilts posted on the Basket Quilt page and the Patchwork Quilt page.

Vintage quilts can also be seen on the Forever Green Quilts website. Here you'll learn ways to "go green" with your quilting and see more quilts.

As more exmaples are submitted, I will add them to the appropriate section and list them here.

Tell us about your quilt - who made it, why it was made and the little bits of info that make it special.