About Colonial Crafts

Colonial crafts have been romanticized by our longing for the past and our zeal in recreating the quaint decor of our ancestors. Colonial crafts were actually the work of industrious women striving to provide their families with the necessities of life.

Misconceptions

Images of women sitting docilely by the fire sewing a quilt by hand or creating a rag rug from multicolored pieces of fabric while the family gathers around basking in the love of being together isn't an accurate image of life in colonial times. Cheerful God-fearing women lovingly dipping candles and hanging them to dry probably never really happened, at least not in the way we may envision.

The Facts

The quilts were made by light of day and weren't elaborately designed with a rainbow of colors. Women pieced together entire sheets of plain fabric enclosing a heavier fabric between two layers to create a quilt to serve as warmth in the cold winter nights.
Rugs, although considered exquisitely beautiful today, served to cover the rough floor boards and prevent splinters. These rugs were woven from sections of worn out clothing or blankets and were often faded remnants that had outlived their original purpose.
Candle making was smelly and distasteful job that usually occurred in the fall after butchering time. Suet was saved from freshly butchered farm animals and rendered by heating to remove the fat. Those who were fortunate enough to have cows and sheep were able to make candles from the fat. The poorest people, however, were forced to use the fat from pigs, which resulted in inferior candles that produced more smoke and a foul smell when burned.

Benefits

The industrious work of colonial women made it possible for families to live in relative comfort with hand sewn quilts to warm them during the cold times, a padded floor to prevent splinters or improve the appearance of the home, and candles to light the home during the long dark nights of winter. Without their hard work, families would have undoubtedly suffered greater hardships in our early years.

Evolution

Colonial quilts have evolved from simple bed coverings to elaborately ornate designs created more for decor than for warmth. The original star designs and multilayer borders, developed by colonial women when printed fabric became more readily available, have influenced quilt making and are now coveted designs.
The original rag rugs made from worn out scraps to meet the practical needs of colonial families has inspired generations to create rugs with the same basic techniques featuring new fabrics and exquisite designs.
Candle making has inspired generations and has been improved to use multicolored waxes and a variety of scents, but hand dipped candles, although not made from the original animal fat, are still a coveted item that reminds us of our hard-working ancestors.

Significance

Colonial crafts today, although far from authentic, serve to connect us to the roots of our nation. Unfortunately, they often serve to solidify an image of life in colonial times that is less than accurate, allowing us to overlook the struggles and hardships our ancestors actually faced.