In 1975, as Dawn Hunt began her basic training as a new military officer in Chilliwack, B.C., her mother thought it would be a great idea for the girls to create a friendship quilt, so she sent out enough white blocks for Hunt's entire platoon to create a design.
"I was in a completely female platoon and many of us were the first females to go through in some of the career paths that had just opened to women. I knew there was no way that everyone in my platoon would be interested in this," recalls Hunt, who had discovered a passion for the creative arts as a teenager.
Instead, she persuaded each girl to sketch a design on a block. When Hunt was back at Queen's University studying engineering, she embroidered the blocks in her free time, but didn't put them together until she took her first quilting course in 1981.
It was really in 1994, however, when she and her husband moved from Ottawa to Alabama for a year, that Hunt began to explore the nuances of quilting. She took a leave of absence from the military and played at what she loved.
"I was lucky, because right in my neighbourhood was a quilt shop, so I had a wonderful year of quilting," Hunt says. "Now, if I don't quilt, then I feel like something is missing from my day."
In 2002, just before Hunt entered her basic-training quilt in an exhibit, she had it appraised for insurance purposes, and an idea began to jell.
"I thought to myself: 'I could do this; I could be an appraiser,' " she says.
When it came time to retire from the military, Hunt knew her second career had to incorporate her creativity and passion for quilting. In 2005, she achieved certification as a quilt appraiser, one of only five in Canada.
"In many ways, it was a natural fit," says Hunt, who also holds a master's degree in civil engineering. "I understood quilts, I understood construction and estimating, and as I was involved with environmental cleanup as an engineer, I spent a great deal of time with real estate appraisers. I was familiar with appraising."
The training is extensive; in fact, appraisers must have an exhaustive knowledge base.
You have to be able to identify and recognize quilts throughout time, be able to date the fabric and recognize the techniques, materials and style being used, plus be able to pinpoint a circa time or date.
But why should quilts be appraised?
Many insurance companies look upon quilts as if they are bedding -- a consumable household item. They won't recognize the true value and the cost to re-create and replace them.
Hunt says the average contemporary queen-size quilt appraises at around $1,000. She stresses that this number is not the fair market value of the quilt, which may be greater or less than the appraised value; it represents the value of what the quilt would cost to replace -- materials, time, labour, etc.
But appraising a quilt is also about something more intrinsic than insurance value, Hunt adds.
"Women don't tend to value their work. It is important for their own personal satisfaction and edification to know that there is value in their time and effort."
-- Canwest News Service
Caring for treasured quilts
-- Sunlight and humidity will cause the fabric to deteriorate. If you are using the quilt on your bed, close the blinds during the day.
-- Store quilts in environmentally friendly plastic containers that don't off-gas.
-- If you must store your quilt in a cedar or other wood chest, do not allow the quilt to touch the wood, as the oils will leach out and discolour the fabric.
-- Refold the quilt periodically, as the creases will lead to deterioration.
-- Wrap your quilt in acid-free paper or a clean cotton sheet when storing.
-- Source: Quilt Canada
For more information, visit canadianquilter.com
