From 4,679 miles away, it’s clear that Christopher Wilson-Tate’s adores textiles.That’s the distance between Dallas, home of Moda, and London, where Christopher buys and sells quilts through his shop, the Antique Textiles Company. Though the difference in time zones precluded a phone interview, his heartfelt feelings are evident even in email. Soon Moda fans will have a chance to share his enthusiasm as he introduces his first line, Regency Blues, at Quilt Market next month.
Christopher’s appreciation for textiles started early. “I do not sew or quilt and didn’t grow up with textiles, but from an early age my eye was always drawn to designs and colour everywhere, whether in nature, plants, architecture, art, etc.,” he says. Christopher purchased and sold his first quilt from a flea market when he was not quite 16 years old in his hometown of Tyneside/Newcastle upon Tyne in the northeast of England. Over the last 38 years he’s sold around 15,000 quilts and his private collection numbers around 700: he bought 300 of them in the north of England when he was between the ages of 18 and 25. “I have examples of just about every type of quilt, including many stunning examples of 18th and 19th century quilts,” he says, adding that some will be featured in an upcoming book.
Christopher’s quilt adventures started as a way to make a few pounds—he’d buy quilts and resell them to local antique dealers. When he started spotting those same quilts in magazines such as House and Garden, he realized they were being resold in London. So at age “17 and 10 months,” he loaded up his car and drove to London, where he’d made appointments with those same magazines. When he was not quite 19 he opened his first shop in Newcastle upon Tyne. To keep it full of the quilts, shawls, linens, and antique furniture his customers wanted, he drove 6,000 to 8,000 miles monthly, visiting farmhouses, shops, flea markets, and other locales to find them. Once a week he also drove to London—a 600-mile round trip—to sell textiles. “It was hard work, but I loved it,” he says. He kept the shop until he was 34, when he went to work for a property management company. A couple of years later, he opened his own company and then nine years ago he opened the Antique Textiles Company in Hampstead, London.

Technology has changed the business—Christopher now finds sellers and buyers through Facebook—but the thrill of acquiring quilts has not. He describes the “almost religious experience” of meeting a seller recently whose words affected him so deeply that he was moved to tears. He also remembers driving down a farm track as night fell to a large farmhouse where he met a family who opened an old oak chest. “Just one amazing late 18th-century quilt and 19th century patchwork and embroidered quilt after another came out of that chest,” he says. “I was shocked and nearly tearful, but in a nice way.” Christopher takes pride in always paying a fair price to sellers and this was no exception. He kept four of those quilts for his own collection.
Another constant in the business are the relationships he’s made through his work. “The joy of meeting so many nice people keeps me excited about this work,” he says. “Plus all the opportunities that have happened in this past year Moda—after meeting Cheryl and Lissa in London, I knew instantly they were the kind of people I wanted to work with. I have a huge archive of antique quilts and fabrics, which will hopefully lead to many successful fabric ranges in the coming years. It’s very exciting.”
And very exciting for those of us who will get to create with the beautiful fabrics of Regency Blues! You can learn more about Christoper and the Antique Textiles Company by visiting his Facebook page.
Love his collection of quilts. Surrounded by beauty.
Thank you Sue, I am very excited
AMAZING! Thanks for sharing these beautiful quilts!
Thank you
Oooh, wonderful!
Thank you
Love the new blues and creams . I am not a fan of blue most of the time but I would love to sew with the Regency Blue collection.
Thank you Flicsha, Regency Blues is so beautiful
Lovely story and fabrics. I’m a little surprised that the quilt collection doesn’t look to me how I imagine “British” quilts to look. I guess I’ve been incorrectly stereotyping.
Hello Lisa the photos of my Store in London are showing a combination of Antique British and American Quilts, although Regency Blues are designs from Antique British Quilts in my private collection most dating from circa 1780 to 1820
Can’t wait to acquire the fabrics. Christopher’s quilt collection is so inspiring. I look forward to what else will be coming in the future.
Hello Maria Hope you are well and good, I am so excited about this new beginnings and working with Moda and their team who are just brilliant
Christopher, I am so excited for you and looking forward to those luscious fabrics. Congratulations!
Thank you Carolyn they look so beautiful cant wait for everyone to see them
Ah…a kindred soul who loves fabrics as much as I do.
Thank you Cheryl
I’ve followed you on FB for some time and am thrilled to learn you are designing for Moda. I’m a self proclaimed Moda snob and they are so lucky to have you. Quilts with stories are what I do and love.
Thank you Linda, I hope it is goofing to be a great future for all of us for many years to come, Moda are just the best ever to work with and to get to know, it is a like a big happy family and I am so excited to meet everyone else next week at Houston
There is something so special about vintage/antique quilts. You can feel the love and care put in each and every one. I look forward to your fabric designs. What a beautiful collection you have.
Thank you Vicki
I was so excited to see Regency Blues because have been looking for fabric to make a blue and cream quilt. This collection will be absolutely perfect! I also love antique quilts and admire your collection.
Thank you Maribeth, Regency Blues is a fab collection, I am so very happy with it
He would have to be a wonderful man, surrounded by all this beauty. This new collection is going to be hard to resist. Now that I am 70, I am thinking I need to sew all that I have and not buy anything new. But, thinking can change…
Thank you Regency Blues is a very unique range, you might be tempted!
It was a delight to get a sneak peek at these fabrics when we visited your shop in August. Collie and I wish you the best with this new venture. Hope you create some other wonderful fabric lines based on antique English fabrics. Cheers, Martha
Thank you so much Martha and Collie, it is very exciting and looking forward to the future
Welcome to the world of designing fabric! Your Regency Blues are beautiful.Many hugs from Tana Mueller of Western Denim & Dirt
Thank you Tana, once you can see the whole range it is so wonderful and I hope you will like it even more
Thank you for sharing your history and quilts. I look forward to your book and new fabrics. One day I will get to your lovely shop. Sheilah
Thank you Sheilah look forward to meeting you one day
Love Regency Blues. Can hardly wait to see them in our shops.
Thank you Carol
W.O.W.!!! My head exploded . . . I’m looking forward to seeing his first line and can’t wait for his book featuring his antique quilts. What a boon for Moda! Thank you for sharing his story. Allison C Bayer, Plano, Texas USA
Thank you Allison, it is very exciting and Moda are just fab to work with
This is fantastic! So happy for you, Christopher. Can’t wait to get some of these fabrics!! Jamie V in MT
Thank you Jamie
This is the most exciting news I’ve heard in the quilting industry for a long, long time! The sneak preview of this line is gorgeous. What beautiful inspiration pieces you have. I can hardly wait.
Thank you Moda for continuing to care about our craft’s glorious history!
Thank you Jan so much. The fabrics are just so beautiful and amazing quality, surpassed all my expectations and Moda have been just been brilliant to work with
What a lovely combination of blues and creams…I look forward to seeing these fabrics in person. My planned red and cream quilt project may be transformed into a blue and cream quilt…or perhaps I’ll do one of each. As Mr. Wilson-Tate’s stunning collection proves…one can’t have too many beautiful quilts.
Thank you Gina, yes one cant have too many quilts Haha
Regency Blues? Be still my heart!
Thank you Karen
Wonderful article, Confratulations Christopher, best of luck with the new range of fabrics, just gorgeous
Thank you Pam
This looks like a fabulous collection. Looking forward to seeing it next week.
Thank you
I love blues and creams, so exciting! Congratulations on your new adventure! I’m already a fan! Best of luck!