Notes on Quilt History
Colonial times to about 1850’s
Barbara Brackman, a noted quilt historian, writes in Clues in the Calico that about 15 date-inscribed quilts exist that are attributed to American makers in the 1700’s. Nine of eleven of these quilts have a central design focus. Techniques were more limited than in the 1800’s. Quilts were made by or for the affluent and fabric was rare.
In the Colonial Revival of the early 20th century, making quilts became popular again. It was thought to hearken back to the days of quilting by the fireside in simpler times. However, few quilts were made during actual Colonial days in the United States.
In pre-industrial America, the home was the center of industry. All activities centered on the home and the family. There was not much quilt making for practical purposes then.
A survey of household inventories in Maryland reveals that only 10% of the population owned a quilt in 1710. By 1825, 63% of the population owned a quilt. It is notable that 82% of all quilts were owned by men with slaves.
The surviving quilts from this era tend to be fancy quilts, made with expensive materials from England and perhaps India, by the well to do. Remaining examples of quilts of this period include broderie perse, whole cloth, and Tree of Life quilts made by more well-to-do people. Broderie perse is the art of fussy-cutting designs from chintz, such as peacocks, birds and trees, and appliquéing them to the ground fabric. Whole cloth quilts were typically made of wool, linen and silk. The bedding during this time period for most other people was made of hand woven fabrics.
The main source of fabric for the Colonies was England. In fact, patriotic fabric was made for the Colonies by England and France! According to one quilt history book, in 1710 some 91,000 yards of fabric was imported to American Colonies. By 1825, some 3 million yards of fabric was imported.
The means of mass production was a guarded secret by England. It wasn’t until a man visited England and memorized the methods for making a power loom that young America was finally able to make fabric that was cheaper and therefore more widely available. Of course the other reason for it becoming widely available was the evolution of transportation systems that carried fabric across this new country.
All colors of dye were available by 1750, although there were problems with color steadfastness. Many natural sources were cultivated, especially indigo in the South. Other common dyes of the period included madder for red, fustic and quercitron for yellow, and logwood for black. Eventually synthetic dyes replaced these natural dyes. A “mordant” is the substance that causes the dye to bind to the fabric. “Mordre” in French means “to bite.” Some mordants used were vinegar, salt, lye, alum, chrome sumac and oak. Colors would vary depending on the mordant and how the make-up of the pot—such as brass or iron—interacted with it.
The first westward migration occurred in the 1810’s with people moving over the Appalachians into Ohio, Missouri, and the Mississippi River basin. From 10- to 25% of America lived west by 1845. Gold called them with the annexation of California in 1848. Even earlier than that, it became a political theme to encourage people to migrate and settle in the west. Leaders were fearful that there wouldn’t be sufficient room in the East and wanted to settle their new territories after the Louisiana Purchase.
Quilts made the journey West, too. Quilts were used to wrap household goods, pad their seats on their wagons, make sod huts more homelike, and to bury the dead.
In the 19th century a significant trend which shaped the lives of women was the rise of a “cult of domesticity” in which women’s roles and behaviors became more narrowly defined. Needlework skills were an important component of the education of girls and young women.
As fabric became more widely available, the “block” quilt began to appear. Other trends of quilting in the 19th century included Red and Green quilts, Baltimore Album quilts, and presentation or album quilts made for ministers, community leaders or fund raisers.
As block designs and patterns were created they moved about the country also. It is not possible to attach a regional identify to patterns because of this. The movement of people out west made the construction of whole cloth and medallion style quilts impractical. Blocks made of smaller pieces were more feasible and indicative of more fabric available. Early block patterns included wild geese, nine patches, single square designs such as Irish Chain, Ohio Star, LeMoyne Star and Lone Star.
Written by Maureen Gavaghan Craig © 2008
See Quilt History Resources for references.
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