What is the number one needlework hobby in the country? That would be quilting. So it should be no surprise an event under way this weekend at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg is drawing quilters from all over the Northeast.

The Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza features the latest technology, quilting classes and hundreds of quilts on display.

For some collectors, antique quilts are a major investment.

"Particularly quilts that are coming in prior to the Second World War," said show organizer Peter Mancuso. "The classic American quilt that your grandmother made is now becoming something of a treasure."

But would you know how to tell a true antique from a knockoff? Pepper Cory, a quilt expert from North Carolina, said most of the phony quilts are being manufactured in the Far East. The stitching is usually the big giveaway.

"Generally, the knockoff quilts are hand-stitched, but they're badly hand-stitched," she said. "The stitches are very large, and they're loose and they don't have a pretty pattern in them."

Cory also said to count the stitches. The standard is six to eight inches per inch.

The fabric can be another indicator the quilt is a fake. Knockoffs are usually of poor quality, which results in a ruffling of the cloth when the quilt is washed. 

But Cory's best advice is to know your seller.

"I would always try to purchase a quilt from someone that you really trust, whether it's an antique dealer or someone who's made the quilt themselves," she said.

The show runs through Sunday at the Farm Show Complex. The doors open at 10 a.m. Admission is $12.

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