| From the earliest days of the American colonies, | | | | they did it, and why. These are the family heirlooms, |
| quilts were an important part of everyday life. They | | | | often quilts made for a specific person, possibly given |
| kept the family warm, sometimes covered the dinner | | | | as gifts, and then passed down through generations. |
| table, and occasionally flew high as banners. Now | | | | As keepers of history, quilts are a story-telling |
| those same functional and beautiful antique quilts are | | | | medium. They were often created to honor |
| highly prized by modern collectors. | | | | someone's place in a community, to celebrate a |
| The Most Common Antique Quilts | | | | wedding or a new home, and to mark special days. |
| Among the countless quilts tucked away in chests, | | | | Quilts were also used to make political or social |
| antique stores, and museums, there are a few | | | | statements. One of the best modern examples can |
| particular types that are most common. The | | | | be found in the AIDS Quilt, a project founded in 1987 |
| "Appliqué" quilt, most popular between 1775 | | | | that brings together the families of those who have |
| and 1885, consisted of pieces of fabric design that | | | | passed away from the complications of AIDS. |
| were quilted onto a large, solid color-block. The | | | | What is Valuable...and How to Tell |
| "Trapunto" quilt was a popular kind of | | | | When you are seeking the perfect antique quilt, |
| appliqué quilt in which the designs were | | | | knowledge of quilting techniques and materials is the |
| stuffed with cotton to create a raised look and feel. | | | | key to getting the genuine article. Reproductions can |
| "Album" quilts were made up of small sections, each | | | | sometimes be convincing enough to fool seasoned |
| section sewn by someone different, and then put | | | | experts! To be certain you are getting a true antique |
| together to form one large quilt. "Patchwork" quilts | | | | quilt, keep the following points in mind. |
| were made of a distinct pattern, whether a square, a | | | | - What type of batting was used? The polyester |
| rectangle, or some other configuration. Though | | | | batting familiar to modern quilters is a relatively new |
| patchwork quilts were most common from 1775 to | | | | development; polyester wasn't popular until the |
| 1875, they have been embraced by quilters of all | | | | 1960s. Antique quilts will usually contain wool or |
| time periods. | | | | cotton, and they will sometimes have silk batting. |
| "Crazy" quilts, popular from 1870 to 1890 (and well | | | | Another common practice was to use old, ragged |
| into the 1930's and '40's, especially in rural areas of | | | | quilts as batting in new ones. |
| Appalachia and the South), were made with anything | | | | - Consider the thread. Before thread was cheap and |
| a quilter could find that looked appropriate in their | | | | readily available, many women used the heavy |
| work, including bits of worn family clothing. They | | | | cotton threads from feed sacks to sew their quilts |
| seemed to have no rhyme or reason, other than in | | | | together. On an appliqué quilt, is white thread |
| the mind of the person who created them. In part | | | | used throughout? Matching threads in appliqué |
| because of this, Crazy quilts are often believed to | | | | quilts is more of a modern standard. |
| have been created more of necessity and household | | | | - Look carefully at the stitching. The stitches should |
| utility rather than a particular sense of design or | | | | be small, evenly spaced, and very regular throughout |
| pattern. Because of their personal nature, Crazy quilts | | | | the quilt. Most true antique quilts were made to be |
| often have great sentimental value. | | | | beautiful as well as functional, and the tight stitching |
| From Household Chore to Works of Art | | | | insured that the quilt would not fall apart after years |
| As the American cotton industry began to evolve in | | | | of use. |
| the early 1800s, so did the creation of quilts. Before | | | | - Examine the condition of the cloth. The fabric of an |
| the time of the sewing machine, quilts were stitched | | | | old quilt will likely be very soft and possibly worn thin |
| by hand. Quilts created from 1800 to 1825 often | | | | in places. Newer quilts might look pristine for decades, |
| show impressive levels of craftsmanship, with tiny | | | | but true antique quilts were probably well-loved and |
| stitches that were meant to last through years of | | | | used regularly. |
| use. By 1850, practically every household in the | | | | - Consider the size of the bed. Bed configurations |
| United States had a quilter in their midst, and the | | | | have changed over the years. A quilt large enough |
| needlework skill varied from the neat, distinct, and | | | | for a modern king bed, for instance, was not the aim |
| careful hand-stitching of experienced quilters to the | | | | of a quilter in the early 1800s. |
| uneven and less-attractive stitches of untutored | | | | - What dyes were used? Dyes in the early 19th |
| amateurs. | | | | century were made by boiling plants on the stove, |
| In the years after the Civil War, the industrial | | | | usually in iron pots, in order to extract their color. |
| revolution found a foothold, popularizing mechanized | | | | Most of these colors were rather drab, and consisted |
| tools, and helping the sewing machine to become a | | | | of earthy colors, such as slate or light greens. Aniline |
| household staple. Gradually, the fine stitching of quilts | | | | dyes were popular around the time of the Civil War, |
| became a much rarer craft, in favor of pieces that | | | | and started out quite vivid, but faded over time. |
| could be created faster, with less attention to detail. | | | | So whether you collect antique quilts with an eye for |
| Quilts wouldn't be considered functional pieces of art | | | | design, an interest in the heritage they represent, or |
| until the late 20th century, when quilting saw an | | | | simply as a means of investment, it is very important |
| intense revival that continues to this day. | | | | to choose an antique dealer who has a good |
| Family and Community Heirlooms | | | | reputation. Serious antique dealers will go the extra |
| Some of the world's most beautiful quilts never find | | | | mile to secure the provenance, or the known history |
| their way to a museum wall or even to an appraiser. | | | | of the quilt, so far as they can trace it. And a |
| They reside on the beds of family members who can | | | | reputable dealer can be the difference between a |
| tell you which ancestor stitched them together, when | | | | wall full of treasures and a chest full of reproductions. |