QUILT APPRAISER WILL BE IN CAPE

Wonder what that quilt your grandmother left you is worth? How about the quilt you just bought or labored over for months?

This weekend, quilt fans have a chance to find out. Thelma L. Stone, a certified quilt appraiser, will at the Show-Me Quilts show in Cape Girardeau. Stone of Chaffee is one of just two appraisers in Missouri qualified to give both market and insurance values for quilts and quilted textiles.

The show is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Plaza Way Community Center. Admission is $2. Quilts, displays, quilt contests and craft booths will be open both days.

Stone is certified by the American Quilters Society in Paducah, Ky. "You really don't know if a quilt is valuable until you have it appraised," Stone said.

A number of factors are considered when placing a value on a quilt, but Stone said its condition is most important. Color and design are also considered.

"Some quilts have the old, traditional patterns," Stone said. "A lot of people take an old, traditional pattern and adapt it to something new."

Old and new quilts can be valuable, she said. "I've appraised new quilts worth $5,000, and I've seen antique quilts appraised at $20,000 and more."

Stone owns an antique shop and has bought and sold antique quilts for years. She is also a quilter.

"When you buy and sell antiques and old quilt tops, you need to know about fabrics and values," she said.

In 1990, she took tests to be accredited as an appraiser. She was the first person in Missouri to be accredited. The only other Missouri appraiser lives in St. Charles.

Stone allows 30 minutes per quilt. She asks that people make appointments for appraisals if possible. Call Estelle Wood at 243-5196 for an appointment.

In addition to knowing if quilts are valuable, people may need to report the value of quilts to their insurance company. "Homeowners policies won't cover artistic values of your quilts unless they have been appraised," she said.

Occasionally someone tells Stone that quilting is a lost art. Stone disagrees.

"More quilts are being made today than at any time in our history," she said. "Way back, quilts were made through necessity. Today, quilts are an art form. Many quilters are already artists. The quilt is just their medium."