America's Quilting History

You are invited to become a quilt detective. Have you ever wondered about that old quilt that has been passed down in your family for so long no one knows who make it or when? Do you love poking around antique shops, musing about the quilted treasures you find? Barbara Brackman makes an adventure of discovering the period and style of these old quilts.

We all think of certain quilt patterns as being typical of this period or that. But we also know the same patterns continued to be used over the years. We may be aware that Crazy Quilting was the rage in the Victorian era but there are many of us that are crazy about making them even today. Stitches, applique methods and other techniques can help us along but again the same techniques were probably used in later years. This is why the most telling clues are to be found in the calico or other fabrics used to make the quilt. Thus you will find yourself exploring the evolution of textiles, dying methods and print. A slight difference in color can be a valuable clue. No longer will you notice only well preserved quilts; ragged quilts and unfinished blocks will be just as intriguing as you look carefully at each bit of fabric and wonder when it was made.

Dating a quilt is not an exact science. Even if there is a date on the quilt you can't always be sure if it is the date the quilt was made; perhaps it is the birth date of the person being honored by the quilt. The fabric you see on a quilt might have been stored in a trunk for a generation or more before it was used in a quilt. Brackman's guidance simply gives you the tools for making an educated guess. Not that dating quilts is purely an analytical process. As you began to recognize fabrics, patterns and techniques you notice subtle clues and find that you have an intuitive sense about how old a quilt might be.

Clues in the Calico is a fun book for the amateur quilt sleuth who simply wants to learn more about quilts of the past. It is a necessity for antique dealers and collectors or anyone possessed by the lure of quilts and the women who quilted them throughout American history.

© 2001 Anne Johnson (Do not reproduce any material from this site without permission from the author.)

To purchase this book go to "Clues in the Calico".
To browse through quilt history books go to the "Quilted History Bookstore".

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