personal shopping | quilts & coverlets

by | Oct 17, 2016 | All Things Home, Antiques, Shopping Tips | 39 comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

I hope you had a great weekend!  For the most part, I stepped away from work, so I could rest up for the busy week ahead.

Anyway, I browse for cool things online pretty regularly.  I particularly like Etsy, eBay, and craigslist.  I sometimes trip across really great buys that I snap right up, but I’ll also find pieces that are a good price, but not a good enough price for me to resell and I don’t have a perfect spot for them, so I just pass them up.

Sooo, I thought I would share some of the things I come across with others who might want to buy them.

Today, I hunted around for some well-priced quilts.

I paid $125 online a few years ago for the one in the picture above.

When I’m shopping for quilts, I look for ones around $150.  Of course, less is better, but I have learned that I can find pretty nice quilts around that price point.  They usually have some fraying, small holes, staining, etc.  Those imperfections make them affordable, but I make sure they don’t detract from their overall beauty.  So, I picked out quilts that fit those qualifications.

The first one is actually a coverlet, but it’s pretty great and I had to resist buying it myself.  I will resist.

Blue & white Coverlet | $109

 I thought this multi-colored fan quilt was so cute.  I like how blue and white are the dominant colors, but it has some pinks, yellows and greens as well.

Fan Quilt | $125

This berry basket quilt has amazing quilting and I think it could be strategically folded to hide any imperfections.  Based on the descriptions and closeups, I think this picture isn’t quite doing the quilt justice.

Blue & White Berry Basket Quilt | $125

This one is pretty amazing.  I have almost bought it a couple of times, but there’s some red in the green fabric pattern and that doesn’t really work for me, but the pattern is stunning and I know it’ll work for someone!

Green & White Quilt | $125

This tree of life quilt doesn’t have intricate quilting, but I think the pattern is really pretty and I  it would be great in a little girl’s room, folded up at the end of the bed.

Pink & White Tree of Life Quilt | $149

I love red work and this quilt is such a great example of it…

Red Work Quilt | $150

And what’s even better than red work?  Blue work...  The “good night” square is my favorite.

Blue Work Quilt | $150

I know this one looks crazy at first glance, but imagine it in a sport-themed kid’s room or man cave.  Denver Broncos, UVA, just pick your favorite blue & orange team!

Blue & Orange Quilt | $85

I’ll share some more of these posts in the future, but let me know if there is something specific you would like me to “shop” for!

If you want to know how I use and care for my antique quilts, check out my post – Using Old Quilts Every Day.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

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    39 Comments

    1. liz

      the quilts are gorgeous. If you come across a nice chandelier like you have in your house I would love to hear about it 🙂

    2. Sharon

      Hello,
      Question: What is the difference between a quilt and a coverlet? Thanks!!

      • marian

        A quilt is layers of fabric and batting that are stitched together and a coverlet us one layer that is usually woven or crocheted.

    3. Teresa

      Would love to see some antique linens – tea towels, ticking material, and of course, grain sacks. I’ve also been looking for antique bread boards with a nice patina. Great idea, you seem to have a knack for finding awesome stuff at affordable prices!

    4. Pamela Groppe

      I love quilts and the history they can contain. I have one that my grandmother made from my dad’s and uncle’s shirt when they were children. Though the colors are mostly muted greys and browns, not something I use much of in my house, I love it all the more for the memories it contains. She would sit and tell what age her boys were when they wore a particular shirt and the mischief they would get up to.

      • Krista

        I love that story. It would be so awesome if you could journal those stories for future generations to read about.

    5. Shelly Wallpe

      Where is that green and white quilt from – I love it! Is it still available?

      • marian

        It looks like someone already bought it.

    6. Jen Carpenter

      Thank you so much, Marian, for featuring one of my quilts in your blog! You just made my day…no, my week! I have been a long-time blog reader of the Miss Mustard Seed blog and look forward to every post. So thank you again and keep up the amazing work!

    7. Gilda Stigliano

      i have a huge inventory of quilts for sale, over 200 plus coverlets…maybe we could meet up or you could tell me what kinds of patterns, etc..you want…but I think from reading your blog for so long, I could guess pretty closely. I’m at the other end of PA.

    8. Randi

      Someday I intend to have a collection of vintage quilts, but for now I make them up myself. Recently I purchased the pieces for a double wedding ring quilt made out of 40’s fabrics. I need to get it out and start working on it. It felt like finding a treasure when I saw it sitting there in a bag for $15!

    9. Krista

      Such pretty quilts! I especially love your blue and white one in the last photo 🙂

    10. Amy K

      I love this idea Marian. Quilts are such story tellers. I have a few and while they are not as beautiful as those above – they still have a beautiful story to tell.

    11. MaryLisa Noyes

      These are some beauties!

    12. Jennifer Banker

      What search terms do you use for quilts?

      • marian

        I generally search “antique quilt blue and white” and sometimes I’ll remove the color or switch it to green, yellow, or red instead of blue.

    13. Karen

      I love quilts. My mother used to do a lot of quilting. She has a trunk full of them that she expects us to divide when she is gone. Not looking forward to that.
      You asked what I would like to have you look for. Porcelain cutting boards are my new obsession. I have no idea where to look to find them. I have a pinterest board especially for them. It is a spin off my ironstone board. I would love to see a post featuring them.

      • Sue Therrien

        Karen,
        Can you get your mother to gift the quilts now, while she is alive? The gifts will be appreciated now and she will be able to see the appreciation of the receivers.

        I inherited 4 quilt tops my great grandmother pieced in the early 1900s. As a teenager, I thought they were ugly! In 2013 I found a long arm quilter to finish all four quilts. Each of the girls in our family (my 3 sisters and I) received one of the finished quilts. It is a shame that these quilts were hidden away for almost 100 years! I just hope the younger generations appreciate what the antique quilts represent: at least 6 generations have now enjoyed them.

        Sue Therrien

    14. Sally

      This info was very helpful. I’m starting to collect quilts and am never sure about price or what to look for as far as quality. Thanks for this thoughtfulness.

    15. Kristyn Baker

      I’ve admired your blue and white quilts in your family room! I have a favorite thrift store where I find a Miss Mustard Seed style goody almost every time I visit. The other day I found a blue and white hand quilted quilt that just needed the binding done. It was $30! Perfect condition except for a bit of fading on one edge. I couldn’t help wonder who went to all that lovely work but could never finish. I was very happy to take it home and hope to finish it for that mystery person!

    16. Shawnett

      Jacobean Buffet and china cabinet. I am so loving all of the refinshed ones I run into online but they are hard as heck to find

    17. harriet

      Just do some noodling around on eBay and Etsy like Marian did and you’ll find what you are looking for. Not sure why this ‘middle man’ is necessary. (Go ahead and criticize me for this post if you want. Or use your time more wisely and go on eBay yourself!)

      • marian

        Oh, I don’t think I’m necessary in this case, but I thought some would enjoy me pointing out things I find when I’m browsing around. If I bought it myself and then sold it at a profit, then I would be the middle man!

        • Kimberly

          Marian, I think Harriet meant “middle man” in that other people should hunt down stuff they want on Etsy, eBay, and Craigslist, as opposed to asking you to to it for them, not that you are the middle man in a purchasing sense, more like in a research sense! I understand what she means — they’re likely on the internet already reading your blog, just go open another tab, go to Etsy, eBay, or Craiglist’s website, and start searching! 🙂

          • marian

            Yes, I get it. I viewed this more like being a shopping buddy. I love it when I shop with friends and they point something out that I overlooked.

        • Karen A

          My time is limited or my plate is full. LOL I really appreciate that you have taken the time to do a little internet hunting for us! Blessing to you!!

    18. Lori

      LOVE the last quilt you photographed, blue and white, in a pattern I’m not familiar with. I make quilts from old quilt tops and collect old quilts. If you ever decide to sell that one, I would definitely be interested!

      • marian

        I loved that quilt, too, and I actually sold it already, though!

    19. Donna

      Marian, this email isn’t about quilts, although they are really beautiful. It seems that the concept of your business has changed. My computer was down for several months and I must have missed your blogs that explained you new business plan, could you point me in the right direction of a blog that will give me some insight?
      Donna

      • marian

        The concept of my business hasn’t really changed, but I have had new opportunities come up and I needed to make some changes as a result of the work and deadlines I’ve taken on. But some of that work is temporary and I have more furniture waiting in the wings when my time frees up. You can read about those opportunities here… https://missmustardseed.com/2016/09/things-have-changed/

    20. Teresa

      Great post. I still want that splay legged stool if you ever sell it!

    21. Hannah Rose

      YES! Do this post more often for quilts (and other things)! I’m looking for a gray or green (but with no red) quilt for my son’s room.

    22. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!)

      Marian, your quilts are beautiful! I especially love the blue and white quilts. I do quilting whenever I have some free time!

      Bless you!

    23. Cassandra e

      It’s like window shopping. I love the quilts. I have some from my family, that had lived in a box in the closet probably 50 years.
      On another note, NPR did a story on ads on the web today. I’ve noticed I can barely get through some blogs, the ads are so thick, and actually cover content. His answer is we may need to start paying for content. Just wanted you to know, I immediately thought of your blog, and that I would pay a subscription fee for your content if it came to that. You’re about the only one I think. That’s how much I love this blog.

    24. Karin

      I hunt and hunt for beautiful blue and white quilts but I have not had any luck. I would love to see any beauties you come across. One more look on Ebay, Craig List and Etsy before bed . . .

    25. JudyCinNC

      As a quilter speaking, you are probably very much in the right price range for the older used quilts Another thing to consider is the very nice quilting, could it possibly be hand quilted. They generally run higher and are highly prized. Today’s hand made quilts are priced very high. The cost of fabric alone since they started buying from foreign countries do not reflect a better price. Fabric has gone from 4.99 a yard to over 13.00 a yard and the long arm quilters charge per square inch to quilt it.

      So happy that you use them in decor and display them as many were made with a great deal of love and time. I could qualify for the orange and blue quilt – born in NC, raised in VA, adult working life in CO, now back home to my native NC. JudyC

    26. Meg

      Thank you for this post!! I’m very limited on time and very much appreciate the effort you put in to finding and sharing these, as well as having a cyber “shopping buddy”! I’m looking for a blue and white quilt like the ones you have in your living room. Also, for two coordinating quilts for my girls’ room. Something similar to the fan quilt in blues and pinks predominantly would fit their color scheme. Keep the personal shopping posts coming!

    27. LaDonna Snellbaker

      Thank you so much for featuring my red embroidered quilt in your blog posting. You know I read all the time and was out of town last week for a funeral just got back home yesterday. I was catching up on your blog and saw the quilt and thought wow I had one just like that and realized it was mine. It is now off to its new home to be loved.

    28. Collette

      The orange and blue quilt? Perfect for the Gettysburg College Bullets!

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