Fine Pieces of Auctioned Quilts in California

A quilt is a type of bed covering that is made up of a quilt top, separate layers of batting and a fabric for backing that are generally combined using the method of quilting.   Tying is also another method for securing the layers of quilts. Tying makes use of the thread, ribbon or yarn to pass through the quilt’s three layers at regular intervals. These so called ties keep the layers together when the quilt is used or washed. Tying is easier if the quilt is handmade. Tied quilts may also be called comfort, comforter or lap. The quilt comes with many different uses. It can be used as bedding, decoration, wrapping and campaign material or a commemorative item. It can also be used for armoury, documenting activities and other events, for educational purposes as well as a form of artistic expression.

There are many art auctions in California that feature unique quilts. The quilts’ exquisite beauty is but a fruition of many long hours of creative planning and careful stitching. The quilt found its way into the art auction scene when a woman decided to sell some of her family’s great historic heirlooms that were passed down from generation to generation. Some of the very precious heirloom pieces that had gone through many generations were the Pennsylvania Quaker masterpieces. These pieces originally belonged to the Quaker family.

Log cabin designs for quilts have always been a popular among many people. An art auction in Los Gatos showcased an 1870s quilt that was made by Mennonites. An art auction in Orange held an amazing quilt with the Blazing Stars design dating back from the Civil Era. Its center had a hand quilted feathered heart and had an appliquéd red and green swag-like border applied to it.

Another art auction in San Bruno featured a fantastic hand appliquéd quilt that was created in the 1860s.  Solid cotton fabrics were used in the said quilt in cheddar, red and green colors with a white background and a winding floral vine border. A Rancho Cucamonga art auction had a wonderfully made quilt entitled Victorian Crazy that was created in 1894. Victorian Crazy quilt had very intricate hand embroidery over each seam and within its blocks, which made its style really fun and fabulous.

At a Napa art auction, a number of really pretty quilts were featured as well. One particular quilt called Ocean Waves was made in the 1870s in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Warm, cadmium orange was the color of the quilt’s border and background. Its chain had triangles in colors earth green and chocolate brown that were pieced to the highest skill and precision. 

Another quilt, which was featured at an art auction in Paradise was a thin, cotton quilt called Quaker cotton wedding and was made in the 1840s. It had a measurement of 108" x 88" with ten stitches per inch.  The top border had a blue print near the pillows and each side and bottom had wide borders, each corner with North Carolina Quilt blocks. The quilt’s center had two rows of North Carolina Lilies, with one row on every side facing outward.

An art auction in Huntington Beach that earlier advertised quilts that featured several nice pieces.  One interesting quilt was that with a pictorial theme, more like an album quilt with many fun and fantastic designs. Every block of the quilt was uniquely different. There was also another art auction that featured a fabulous quilt that was very hard to find. The quilt’s light and dark design had a red-colored center on one side with two blue, cinnamon and green bars and another two red bars. On the other side of the red square in the middle are two yellow, black and white stripe, Lancaster blue and peppermint stripe bars.