America's Quilting History

In her book, "West Virginia Quilts and Quiltmakers", author Fawn Valentine has a wonderful way of viewing quilts. She writes, "Learning about the quiltmaker's personal history adds dimension, deepening our understanding of the quilt. By combining the two, artifact and biography, situating both within a general historical context, we find in the quilt a window to the past." ^p37

You don't have to be from West Virginia to find this book fascinating. In the process of telling about West Virginia quilts and quiltmakers writer Fawn Valentine, also tells us a great deal about the quiltmaking history of America. The difference in this book from many others is the detail she offers.

If you enjoy knowing exactly how a quilt has been made you will find that Valentine has carefully described each pictured quilt including details of the quilting and even exactly how the binding was done. We know what has been done by machine and what by hand. These details are often hard to discern in even the excellent photos of the quilts shown in this book. An interesting find was an Ohio Star quilt made in1869. It was all done by hand except that the border was sewn on by machine. Valentine points out that this gives some support for the theory that borders of plain panels framing a quilt may have come about with the availability of the sewing machine.

I was especially intrigued with the cultural differences Valentine described in her book. West Virginians included people of German, Irish, Welsh, English, Polish, African and Italian descent as well as others. One of these variations is found in the different ways quilters of German descent quilted their quilts compared to quilters from the British Isles. Those with a German heritage usually treated each section of the patchwork quilt individually in terms of the quilt pattern used. For example the border may have been quilted with a vine like pattern, open spaces with a circular feather and the other areas with a grid or an outline of features in the patchwork. Meanwhile British descendents tended to quilt in a pattern that was independent of any patchwork design. For example the entire quilt might have been quilted with a fan or diamond pattern from edge to edge.

Most exciting is the discovery of a quilt brought to West Virginia from Ireland. It has the same block pattern as the single Irish Chain Quilts we make today but the blocks are set on point creating square chains instead of diamond. This indicates that the Irish Chain Quilt pattern may well have come from Ireland rather than being developed in America as many have believed up until now. Although family history tells us this quilt was brought from Ireland we have even further evidence that the quilt was made in Ireland as Irish linen thread was used for the quilting. Even more indicative is the fact that the quilting pattern was unknown in this country and was popular in Ireland.

Although much of what Valentine wrote about in this book can apply to quilters outside of the state we also learn of practices that are particularly associated with West Virginia Quilters. One example is their enthusiasm for crazy quilts well beyond the time they were popular across America. Valentine suggests that the immigrants from Italy and Eastern Europe were drawn to crazy quilts as sewing them together was quite simple and these quilts gave them a palette for their beautiful embroidery, an important part of their culture.

The above tidbits of history are just a small sampling of the many fascinating things you will learn reading this book. It's certainly a 'not to be missed' state history book.

© 2004 Anne Johnson (Do not reproduce any material from this site without permission.)

The quilt shown on the left is used with permission from Ohio University Press. It was made about 1897 based on a torn paper design done by an elderly Polish man. The result is a beautiful and unique quilt.

The above quilt on the right is also used with permission from the Ohio University Press. It consists of Irish Chain like quilt blocks set on point. Click here to see the details of fabric and quilting.