About Colonial Quilts

Much of what you may have come to believe about Colonial Quilts simply isn't true. The image of Colonial women nestled peacefully before the fire stitching elaborately beautiful quilts from fabric scraps has been fabricated by well-meaning individuals due to the few surviving quilts from Colonial times.

Misconceptions

It is a common misconception that Colonial women spent long hours before the fire lovingly joining scraps of cloth left over from other sewing projects. This belief arises in part from the mistaken notion that surviving quilts from the Colonial times are actually representative of common household quilts designed to bring warmth and comfort to the family. They aren't. The quilts that have survived for generations are much more likely to be the handiwork of the wealthy who could afford to hire others to complete household chores, and to purchase expensive imported fabrics, while using leisure time to work on needle work and quilting.

The Facts

Women in Colonial days faced many hardships and their lives were far from idyllic.These amazing women did all the spinning, weaving, cooking, cleaning and caring for their large families. Basic household chores occupied the majority of their time. Little time was available at the end of the day for creative pursuits like quilting. Even if there were time at the end of the day, there was little artificial lighting and it is doubtful the light from the fire or candlelight would produce the quality of light needed to piece together tiny sections of a quilt. Women cut and sewed clothing to optimize the use of the fabric and fabric scraps from clothing were minimal. Printed fabric was not commonly available until much later due to the expense of imported fabric. Surviving quilts are likely to be quilts that were sewn for special occasions or used on display by wealthy families and not a representation of the actual quilts used on beds during Colonial times.

Function

Colonial women did make quilts to serve as bed covers, just not the exquisite beauties we associate with Colonial times. Most often these quilts were pieced together in whole sheets of fabric. The front and back were likely plain with a filling of heavier coarse material inside to provide warmth. When time allowed, women often cut flower shapes from small sections of imported print fabric and appliqued these designs to the cover by turning under a small 1/8 to 1/4 inch seam and stitching in place. These quilts were functional quilts designed to provide warmth and comfort during the cold winter months.

Type

As printed fabric became more readily available, those who could afford it created borders from decorative prints. These multiple row borders surrounded a central image, often a star motif, hourglass block, or the saw tooth block. Occasionally, entire quilts were designed from squares of fabric pieced together usually to create a star pattern.
As clothing wore out, tiny scraps of fabric were saved and used in quilting projects. These were probably the beginnings of "crazy quilts" in America because tiny scraps could be joined in a random pattern to create a cover for the quilt. Crazy quilts reached their peak in the 1880s.

Evolution

What was once work that required painstaking stitching to create a warm, protective covering for the bed, quilts gradually evolved to an art form, creating beautifully decorative bed covers designed more to show off the artistry of the quilter than for actual warmth. Many modern star motifs, saw tooth blocks, applique designs and multiple borders on quilts were inspired by the work of Colonial women and survive as a testament to their hard work and creativity.