Quilt Appraisals is an essential service offered at the Quilt Plano Show, giving quilters and collectors a clearer understanding of the value of their quilts. Whether you’ve just finished a new piece or you care for a treasured heirloom, a professional appraisal helps ensure your quilt is properly valued—especially for insurance and documentation purposes.

When you bring your quilt to the Quilt Plano Show, you’ll receive an accurate valuation from a certified appraiser with over 28 years of experience in quilted textiles who understands and takes into account artistry, technique, materials, condition, and even the historical context of patterns and construction.

A professional appraisal can help you in several important waysA professional appraisal can help you in several important waysA professional appraisal can help you in several important ways:

• Establishing replacement value for insurance
• Purchasing a Fine Arts Floater policy
• Determining fair market value for selling
• Documenting value for donation, gift, or estate purposes (including IRS requirements)
• Meeting requirements for galleries, shows, or venues
• Ensuring proper coverage during shipping or transit
• Adding meaningful documentation to a quilt as a gift

Short answer? Yes—more than most people realize.

Many quilt owners assume their homeowner’s insurance will fully cover their quilt. But without a written appraisal, insurance companies often classify quilts as basic “bed coverings”—which means reimbursement may only reflect the cost of a blanket, not the true value of your work.

And your quilt is more than a blanket an appraisal from a certified quilt appraiser.

It represents hours (sometimes years) of craftsmanship, carefully chosen fabrics, design decisions, and often a deeply personal or historical story. An appraisal ensures that value is recognized and protected.

It’s also worth thinking about where quilts travel today. They’re shipped to shows, displayed in galleries, and entrusted to venues and organizations. Along the way, they can be lost, damaged, or even stolen. Increasingly, show organizers, galleries, and shippers require appraisals to ensure quilts are properly insured while in their care.

Whether you’re a maker, collector, exhibitor, or dealer, having your quilt appraised is a practical step that helps protect something truly meaningful.

Your quilt is more than fabric and stitches—it’s time, skill, and often cherished memories.

An insurance appraisal determines what it would cost to replace your quilt (or quilted garment) with one of similar quality and craftsmanship. Whether it’s a vintage 1920s Double Wedding Ring or a newly finished piece, this appraisal ensures its value is clearly documented and recognized

If you’re considering selling your quilt, a fair market appraisal gives you a realistic sense of what it could bring in today’s market.

This value reflects what a willing buyer and seller might agree upon, based on current trends in antique and contemporary quilts across auctions, galleries, and private sales. While it’s not a guaranteed sale price, it provides a helpful, informed starting point.

Planning to donate a quilt?

A tax donation appraisal provides the documentation required by the IRS to establish its value. It’s useful not only for charitable giving, but also for estate planning and family records

Beyond paperwork and policies, an appraisal offers peace of mind.

From unexpected events like fires and floods to the simple risks of travel and display, having a written appraisal ensures your quilt is properly valued and protected when it matters most.

The Quilt Show Appraisals service at the Quilt Plano Show is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to better understand—and safeguard—the worth of their quilt. Be sure to schedule your appointment early to take full advantage of this opportunity.