New (Very Old) Quilt

Whole Cloth Quilt, unknown maker, c. 1790, New England

Look what just arrived! Recently I discovered Live Auctioneers, a web site that facilitates live internet bidding on auctions taking place across the country. This quilt was part of a decorative arts auction held at Pook & Pook in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was made in New England over 220 years ago, and is all wool.

The early American whole cloth quilting tradition has its roots in the western European traditions, particularly the whole cloth quilts made in Great Britain and France. Many of these quilts are made with a glazed "calamanco" wool, most often seen in deep blue. This quilt is an earthy reddish brown color and is made of a worsted wool material that is sometimes called linsey-woolsey. I was pleasantly surprised by the color. The picture accompanying the auction didn't show how rich the color is in person.

Lush, decorative quilting is what makes this quilt sing. The four-pointed star shapes running down the center are made of hearts - click the picture to enlarge it - and the quilt is covered with wavy feather vines, paisley shapes that resemble hearts and butterflies, and elegant parallel line fill.

You can't imagine how pleased I was when I opened the box and saw how great it is. It's always a little risky bidding on things you can't see first in person, but I had a good feeling about this one. To see another interesting early example of a whole cloth quilt, check out my February Quilt of the Month.