Dallas-based textile enthusiast Suzanne Hardebeck remembers fondly the first quilt she ever received: a gift bestowed upon her at age 4 by her grandmother. To the preschooler’s delight, a litter of beribboned kittens frolicked across a field of alabaster— the simple embroidery framed by checkerboard feed-sack material that, decades later, still bears the faint lettering Purina Chow. Although modest in its construction, the childhood treasure ultimately revealed the bridges to the past this traditional craft offers.
“I now regard quilts as art—all of them,” Suzanne maintains, pointing out that centuries ago, needlework served as the primary method of creative expression for most women. As she reached adulthood, acquiring coverlets blossomed into a serious pursuit. With her practiced eye, the appraiser and frequent lecturer can determine their provenance, as well as the economic circumstances and skill level of their makers.
