The Truth Behind the Quaker History of QuiltmakingThe Quaker history is pretty interesting. They migrated to the New World in 1656. They were also known as the Religious Society of Friends. The Quaker lifestyle was simple and plain. The men wore black, broad brimmed hats, and collarless coats. The women wore long dresses with full skirts, white shawls and bonnets that framed their faces. The children looked exactly like the adults. The Quakers believed in the “Inner Light” in everyone and women were allowed to become ministers and have a say in their communities. They participated in movements to free the slaves, delivered messages to other communities and later held women’s rights conventions. Because of the “Friends” we have a system where an item for sale has a listed price, no bargaining for the item, the Quakers believed this kept men honest. The Quakers believed in educating their children and created basis the education system that exists today. The young girls quilting projects were to sew patchwork for quilted bedcovers. These young girls were supervised by the older women. Their quilting is still able to be seen today. There is one owned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This quilt has been linked to Quaker Elizabeth Coates Paschal (1702-1767). This quilt is striking since it features a heavily quilted, green quilt with vines and highly stylized flowers and botanical motifs. This quilt was made in 1761. 
The upper and middle class English Quaker women recycled their petticoats and also used new luxurious and expensive silks in bright jewel tones and brightly colored cottons. Their ornamental quilting was exquisite. Their quilting projects involved the removing of the waistband of their petticoats, sewing up any pockets and using the wonderful fabric to create their quilts. The Quaker quilts typically of 18th Century America were whole cloth silk fronts, and undyed wool batting, and typically cotton backing. Silk thread was used to quilt the designs. Some of the quilts were pieced with the aid of paper templates, cut out letters, newspapers and copybooks. They were basted together and whipstitched together to form a block or a mosaic. The papers were removed before the front of the quilt was joined to the filling and the backing. Surprisingly, records indicate that quilts were purchased during this time. Some paid as much a 2 pounds for an imported quilt (this is quite a considerable sum) or for quilting services. Who said there was no such thing as quilting stores? There are advertisements in the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Gazette of August 2, 1739 offering many services, one of them being “quilting” done by Joseph Stockdale. Later, professionally made English quilts were readily available to the residents of Philadelphia. The Gazette carried announcements of “quilts and cotton counterpains as good and cheap from Europe”. Quilting stores had come to the New World. Certainly not as wonderful as they are today. To Return to History of Quilting - Click Here Thanks for the use of the photo: |
