Should I Insure My Quilts? Open Line Friday

September 13, 2019
Quilt Notebook, Aurifil Thread
Should I Insure My Quilts?
Good Morning, Quilters!

Should I insure my quilts? That is an important question and one we should discuss on Open Line Friday!

I talked to my insurance agent and will share the answers…

But we would LOVE to hear YOUR experience on this topic!

A Conversation with American Family Insurance Agent

Recently, a reader of LKQ wrote to me and asked, “Should I insure my quilts?”  It is not something I have thought about…but, after spending hours on my Boxes and Vines quilt–I realized how important this question is! I would be crushed if this quilt was damaged in any way…

I made a call to my agent, Pamela Petersen.   She was happy to discuss the topic with me–and I recommend that you call your agent and talk to them about your policy!

Appraised and Scheduled

Basically, she said the best way to insure valuable pieces of art is to have them appraised and specifically documented or “scheduled”.

It is best to purchase a “Replacement Cost” policy.

Documenting Your Quilts

You can document your quilts yourself.  This saves the expense of appraisals.

Be sure to include photos, a list of materials, the cost of the materials and an estimate of the amount of time spent on the quilt.

Of course, save the documents where they are safe from fire and water!

Most insurance companies will work with you to create a fair estimate for the quilt.

Do You Have a Quilting Business?

If you quilt professionally, your homeowner’s insurance may not cover your client’s quilts.  You will need a separate business insurance account.

Is Shipping Quilts Covered?

Homeowner’s insurance does not cover shipped quilts!   It is best to purchase shipping insurance directly from the post office, UPS, or Fed Ex.

YOUR Quilts:  Destroyed or Stolen

What about YOU?

Have you ever had a quilt destroyed or stolen?

Was your quilt covered by insurance?

Do you have your quilts appraised?

We’d LOVE to hear!

Your cautious quilter!

Lori

PPS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only.  Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to Lori Kennedy Quilts.  For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com.  Thanks!

For more step-by-step tutorials and skill building exercises, check out my books:

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22 comments

  • I have heard that it can be difficult to be reimbursed for shipping a quilt that is lost, damaged or stolen. But I think it may depend on the shipper? I’ve “heard” that if a quilt that has been purchased, and is insured through shipping it will be covered 100%. But if it is a gift and not paid for by the recipient that the only reimbursement is the cost of the materials. I hope I’m wrong, or things have been changed since then but I don’t know.

  • It’s such a strange way of thinking, and it’s hard to wrap my head around it,

    • Marta

      Hello, I am intrigued by your statement. Can you explain to me which part of the discussion seems strange? I’d like to understand, thank you.

  • Jean Bellefeuille

    Just out of curiosity I kept track of my time on two queen sized quilts. I averaged 2 hours per square foot to make the quilt from cutting through quilting. Not sure I counted binding the quilt and certainly didn’t count shopping for fabric. lol

  • Angie Terry

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and research on this! It is certainly eye opening. I hope you don’t mind that I shared it with the STLMQG.

  • LAURIE

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/594827063258079606/ Here is one possible cost sheet

  • LAURIE

    Thanks, Lori for going over that. My homeowners ins is supposed to cover mine hanging somewhere else.. I hope I wont need to find out.

  • There is a quilt cost sheet that I think you could find on Pinterest and other places which details the general cost of time and materials for a certain size quilt. I wonder if that could be used along with pictures a guideline?

  • I don’t make Heirloom quality quilts. I would have a hard time keeping track of the time spent making them. I stop for phone calls, snacks, go mail a letter, dust, do dishes, etc. Mostly I watch TV, and sometimes just stop sewing so I can hear dialog. If my back or neck starts hurting, I take a break. My ripper gets a workout, too, for the “oopsies”. Does that count as making a quilt?

  • Marta

    I am so glad to read this information. My quilts have not been good enough for me to ever
    consider insurance or appraisal. However, I have been working on one since Feb that was commissioned by a business owner. It is very large for me..88 X 88 inches and very detailed. I am beginning the hand quilting. i have been keeping records on expenses but I soon quit keeping hours spent… no one would believe how many ! LOL. This subject today prompts me to keep better records, arrange for an appraisal and look into insurance.The
    new owner has other quilts he has “collected” over several years. I will discuss insurance with him. It would be wonderful to have an appraisal included with the provenance paper
    I always provide a new owner. And we have a nationally certified (right word?) appraiser
    in our town. She travels to many out of town/state shows for her work. Thank you every one for this discussion. (I think it is still Friday in some time zones..LOL)

  • Bette

    My guild hosted a quilt appraiser as a speaker at one of our meetings and her remarks about insurance were a real eye opener for all of us.

  • Jeanne Uffmann

    I recently had a storm “blow out” my sewing room. This has been a real eye opener for me and the insurance adjuster. Once the dust settles my insurance agent and I are going to have a sit down on what I need to cover and replace my supplies/quilts/machines etc

  • cyndy parry

    And isn’t this interesting….when you talk “replacement value” to your agent about a house, they talk about the cost of reconstructing it not just materials. I wonder why this would not be the case for quilts. It is a conversation I will have with my agent just to make sure we are both on the same page. FYI – my labor intensive quilts have been appraised but I have not put the paperwork in the safe deposit box yet … still I know the two appraisers who did them so they would have copies.

  • DebMac

    Your best bet is to talk with your insurance agent about your specific needs. We sent children to music camps with expen$ive instruments and were able to purchase an addition to our policy to cover the instruments. I don’t insure my quilts as most have been given away but have started documenting fabric stash via photos and keeping lists of patterns. I cross stitch also so have a fair amount invested in my hobbies. You can store information in a safe as above or online in the “cloud”.

  • Brenda Perry

    A queen-sized quilt I made for my son was stolen when my home was burglarized several years ago. The insurance agent did an on-line search and offered me a very low amount. (I can’t exactly remember but it was $20- $30). The only way I could get “replacement value” was to purchase the supplies needed to make the replacement quilt. That turned out to be about $200. And yes, Vickage is right, no reimbursement for the time, effort, sweat and tears put into making the quilt. It was very disheartening to learn what replacement value means to an insurance agent.

  • Sally Alexander Acomb

    I have had several of my labor intensive quilts appraised. While the appraisals were surprisingly high, I know I would never be able to replicate them. I do document and the appraisals are in a fireproof and waterproof safe.

  • Sandy

    I think that certain things in life are irreplaceable and no amount of money can compensate for the loss. In life we have to gently hold things and let them go in due time/circumstances. Most of the quilts that I make are given away. So when I start making a quilt for a certain person, I have the entire time to become accustomed to letting it go when finished. Ultimately, we all will have to part with all material blessings!

  • Vickage

    I had a friend who had several quilts destroyed in a fire. Her insurance agent told her that she was only entitled to the cost of the materials that went into the quilt, not the labor costs required to make it. Yikes! If making a quilt was as simple as buying fabric, everyone would do it.

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