Moving from Warm and Cozy to Really Hot: Quilts

By Carole Buia

Another staple of down-home America is back in style. Quilts, now a $144 million industry, have been "modernized" with such new twists as scalloped edges and beading. While Americana designs reign, French, Tibetan and Japanese quilts are popular too. Some things don't change: the best are pricey. --C.B.

CHEAP

Wal-Mart and K Mart are among the stores banking on your nostalgia. Their bedspreads are perfect for college-dorm rooms and start at $30. For about $70 more, Macy's "quilt-in-a-bag" includes matching pillow shams and sheets.

NOT SO CHEAP

Pottery Barn's 20 full-size quilts start at $200; toddler quilts, at $79. Niche retailers like Anthropologie, where quilt sales are up 40% this year, offer new and vintage quilts, with prices ranging from $180 (for a new one) to $800 (for an antique).

PLAIN UNCHEAP

Quilts can be commissioned from artisans like Funquilts.com in Illinois or Denyse Schmidt dsquilts.com) based in Connecticut. Schmidt, who makes $4,800 quilts with the help of Amish crafters, once used a client's late husband's ties as patchwork.