Darnestown Quilt Dealer Has 'Eye' for Quilts

Stella Rubin, a Darnestown quilt dealer, will be one of many quilt and textile dealers who will display their wares next month on the grounds of the Sully Historic Site in Chantilly, VA.

The 38th Annual Sully Quilt and Textile Show brings out thousands of quilt lovers each year. Antique and vintage quilts, new quilts and even quilt-themed jewelry will be for sale.

Rubin, author of Treasure or Not: How To Compare and Value American Quilts, has been selling quilts at the show on and off for more than 30 years. This is the only local show she participates in, one that she especially enjoys as she has an opportunity to show off her new acquisitions to local clients, she said.

This year the show is being held on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The theme, patriotic quilts, honors those who lost their lives on that late summer day.

“I have always been attracted to patriotic quilts and folk art and search all year for interesting patriotic textiles,” Rubin said.

“I specifically look for those that have a beautiful or exceptional design, and of course the condition has to be very good. People who buy quilts want to be able to show them off on a bed or a wall so condition is important.”

The close proximity to the nation's capital, an area surrounded by so much history, means that patriotic textiles are always popular, she said.

Rubin noted that the most frequent question she's asked is where does she find the quilts that she sells. The secret to her success may lie in her answer.

“For every hundred quilts I find, I may buy one," she said. There were a lot of quilts made in the past, and many are in poor condition. The quilt that dazzles is few and far between.”

Rubin is known for her eye for good design. She has honed it over the years by examining thousands of quilts. Her opinion is sought by collectors and museum curators alike; and her reputation for offering the best means that private sellers often call her first when disposing of their quilted heirlooms.

Her contacts and reputation are extensive. It is not unusual for Rubin to ship a quilt to Australia, Japan, Hollywood, or New York.

This past spring the American Folk Art Museum in New York City made a big splash when they mounted an exhibition of one collectior's quilts—more than 600 red and white quilts. Rubin admits to being responsible for obtaining some of these quilts for the collector. Her hand, or should I say eye, can be found in quilt collections all over the country.

Rubin will offer a large selection of quilts for sale ranging in price from a few hundred dollars to more than $2,000 at the Sully Quilt and Textile Show, Sunday, Sept. 11, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit her website at www.stellarubinantiques.com.