Hand-Stitched American Folk Art Nine Patch Pattern Quilt

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The quilt exhibits characteristics of American folk art and likely dates to the late 19th century, though some fabrics may … Read more The quilt exhibits characteristics of American folk art and likely dates to the late 19th century, though some fabrics may be older. At the time quilts of this sort were often constructed from recycled fabrics, such as men's work shirts or old clothes.

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

Bed quilts and coverlets, appliquéd, pieced, embroidered, or woven, are some of the few handmade objects that were created by American women to express their artistry and skill. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, women of all social strata made quilts and coverlets. Although many of these were meant to be primarily utilitarian, they were often designed to be pleasing to the eye as well, and sometimes they were imbued with significance far beyond being simple covers for a bed.

During the heyday of quiltmaking in the nineteenth century, America’s increasingly mobile population was moving westward, settling in the wilderness. Easily portable, and certainly necessary, bedcovers might be some of the few decorative objects a woman had in her home. Bedcovers were often wedding gifts, or made by a young woman to take with her to her future husband’s house. If that new home was distant from friends and family, a bedcover became an important keepsake from her old life. Quilts were also made to celebrate the birth of a child, as gifts to thank important members of the community such as the local minister, and even sometimes in remembrance of the dead. See less