Figuring the value of a Depression-era quilt

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Dear Helaine and Joe:Enclosed is a picture of a quilt bought by my aunt on her honeymoon in Kentucky around 1938. It is in excellent condition. It is huge -- queen-bed size -- and it appears to be completely hand-sewn. Please comment. Thanks.-- G.Y., Buckingham, Pa.Dear G.Y.:Patchwork and applique quilts were necessities for our ancestors. They were what kept the family snug and warm in bed during cold winter nights, but these utilitarian objects could also be works of art.Actually, quilts are sometimes divided into two categories -- "everyday quilts" that a family might sleep under every night; and "company quilts," which were special pieces generally of better quality that were kept for company use. Interestingly, "everyday quilts" tended not to survive because they were literally used to death, but "company quilts" were carefully stored and cared for, so many of them have survived over the years.There is a tradition that after a young girl was taught to do a straight, even line of stitches, she was encouraged to make a plain quilt that would go into her hope chest. Over the years, as her skills developed, the young woman would make 12 more quilts -- each one more ambitious than the one before.The 13th quilt was left unquilted, and just before she was to be married, the young lady's friends would get together and have a quilting bee to put the finishing touches on that last quilt before the big day. There was a superstition that if the young woman did not have her quilts completed by her 21st birthday, she would be an "old maid."Quilts were very popular between 1775 and 1875, but the tradition has never died out.The patchwork quilt belonging to G.Y. is in a pattern called "Double Wedding Ring," and it was probably new when it was purchased in 1938. Such pieces are known to collectors as "Depression-era quilts." Many of them do not get much respect from current collectors because the patterns do not reflect much creativity and they are less well-made than many earlier quilts.G.Y. reports that this quilt is all hand-sewn -- and indeed it may be. However, a careful check of the stitches needs to be made. If they are very regular, they were probably done with a sewing machine. Irregular stitching in both size and spacing suggests hand-sewing, but this factor is not as important as the quality of the quilting and the selection of the patches used to make the design.In both instances, this appears to be an "average" or even a little-below-average example, which greatly affects the value. Another issue mentioned in the letter is the size. Most beds of the 1930s were either double (full sized) or twin sized, and the quilt belonging to G.Y. was probably meant to be used on a full-sized bed. The larger size tells us the maker intended it to hang over the sides of the bed and look more like a bedspread.The scalloped edge also says that the quilt was meant to drape attractively over the mattress and perhaps cover the bed rails below. The insurance-replacement value of this Depression-era quilt is $300 to $350 if there are no tears or staining.(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, 5201 Kingston Pike, Suite 6 - 323, Knoxville, TN. 37919. E-mail them at treasures(at)knology.net.)