Alice McElwain, AQS Certified Quilt Appraiser, PAAQT member
Appraiser, Teacher, Speaker, Quilt Historian, Quilt Show Judge
About me
Qualifications
McElwain is an American Quilter’s Society Certified Quilt Appraiser. She also judges quilt shows and gives programs to quilt guilds, clubs and organizations. She is also a member of the Professional Association of Appraisers of Quilted Textiles (PAAQT ).
Is My Quilt Valuable?
A written appraisal is a protection against loss or damage. Is Grandmother's quilt worth anything? Is my newly made quilt valuable?
Protect Your Assets!
A quilted textile may be more valuable than you think! I offer appraisals for Insurance, Market Value and Donations.
APPRAISER QUALIFICATIONS
"I cannot count my day complete 'til needle, thread and fabric meet"
"I cannot count my day complete 'til needle, thread and fabric meet"
McElwain is also a member of the American Quilt Society as well as the American Quilt Study Group and continues to participate in continuing education for her profession. In addition, she is a quilt teacher since 1976, owned and operated a quilt shop in Southwest Kansas and participated in the Kansas Quilt Documentation in 1986. She was acknowledged in the book Kansas Quilts and Quilters, by Brackman, Chinn, Davis, Thompson, Hornback and Farley. McElwain has judged quilt competitions and shows since 1989 at fairs, quilt guilds and private venues. In 1992 her quilt, “Showing Homes” won Honorable Mention in the National Quilt Association Annual Small Guilds Quilt Show. Ragi Marino’s book Flying High features one of her mini-quilts and was accepted for the traveling exhibit and is now permanently housed at the Liberal Air Museum in Liberal, Kansas. Her quilt “Shrove Tuesday” was chosen for the cover of the Liberal Pancake Day program in 2006. The quilt also won first place in the Pancake Day quilt competition. Many of her quilts have won numerous awards, ribbons and honors. She continues to teach, lead quilt a local quilt study group, present programs, judge quilts, and appraise quilts. McElwain is also a member of M.O.K.A., a quilt study group of Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas.
"I cannot count my day complete 'til needle, thread and fabric meet"
"I cannot count my day complete 'til needle, thread and fabric meet"
"I cannot count my day complete 'til needle, thread and fabric meet"
Things that can affect value: Condition, Provenance, Rarity or Uniqueness.
I appraise for the following reasons:
A “Fair Market Value” is used to help determine a selling price for an item. In a fair market appraisal, an appraiser determines a value based upon the current market of similar items. This is the price at which a quilted item would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither under obligation to sell and both having reasonable knowledge of the item’s value.
An “Insurance Appraisal” provides information and an appraised value in case of a future loss. The insured value given a textile is based upon how much it would cost to replace it with another item of “like and kind”. In the case of antique quilts, this is replacement cost: in the case of contemporary quilts, this is reproduction cost or replacement cost. Discretionary factors such as provenance, awards, publications, previous sales records and the fame of the maker are also considered.
A “Donation/Estate Appraisal” is used to document a quilt’s value as required by the IRS or other tax agencies. It is based partly on the fair market value of the quilt at the time of donation. The written appraisal can then be used for donation, gift and estate tax purposes. IRS regulations have time limits from when an appraisal over a certain value must be performed in relation to the date of the donation. Estate appraisals provide fair market values of quilted textiles to help families determine how to divide property among family members in wills and trusts situations.
"I cannot count my day complete 'til needle, thread and fabric meet"
A quilt appraisal can be done for insurance replacement in the case of loss or damage. An appraisal can also be for Fair Market Value or an appraisal can be for Donation or Estate purposes. The purpose of an appraisal is indicated on the first page of the Appraisal Form The value conclusion expressed is based on her best judgment and opinion and is not a representation or warranty that the item will realize this value if ever offered for sale at auction or otherwise. The value expressed is based on current information on the date the appraisal was made. No opinion is expressed as to any past value or future value. McElwain uses current market values, information from personal databases, antique quilt dealers, auction house sales, formulas for compilation, and online auctions.
Contact me
Let me help protect your assets! Whether it is fire, flood, theft or damage both new and old quilts need to be appraised!
Contact Me
Appraisals by Appointment Only
I can come to you or we can set a time for you to come to me. 479-644-1813
Other Services
Appraisals, programs, workshops, quilt judging, at quilt shows and guilds.
Events
April 2025
QUILTFOLK Magazine Issue #34
April Issue -Arkansas
Event Details
April 2025
QUILTFOLK Magazine Issue #34
The April issue of this magazine featured Arkansas and quilt folk in the state. I'm honored to be part of this publication in the #34 issue...
April Issue -Arkansas
June 11-13, 2006
Quilt Appraisals
9:00
-
5:00
Springfield, Missouri
Event Details
June 11-13, 2006
Quilt Appraisals
Ozark Quilt Maker's Quilt Show, Springfield, Missouri
9:00
-
5:00
Springfield, Missouri
July 9, 2006
Founding Women in America
10:00 am
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
Event Details
July 9, 2006
Founding Women in America
America's story thrrough the history of America's founding women. Quilts that honor their contribution.
10:00 am
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
Calendar
Quilt Study
NW Arkansas Quilt Study Group.
A monthly quilt study, open to anyone that loves quilts and history. We meet the 3rd Monday of each month, except for November and December at the Rogers, AR Museum in Rogers, Arkansas, from 1-3 PM. We don't have dues, just lots of information and some fun. Come join us!