The Development of American Folk and Amish Quilts (part 2)

 

However, during the mid to late 1800s, the Amish began taking to the art of quilting and eventually making it into their own style.  Because the quilt was a useful and necessary item, many Amish quilters believed that it was okay to use the colored and patterned fabrics while making the quilts because it didn’t take anymore time to make it more beautiful, while still remaining useful.  As a result, the Amish began developing their own designs and methods for producing their attractive and intricate patterns.  Simple geometric designs pieced together with tiny, equally spaced stitches quickly became the Amish quilter’s signature style.  The earliest Amish quilts used basic squares, triangles, or rectangles using solid, muted colors.  These Amish quilts eventually developed into more intricate designs that used brighter and bolder colors.  Popular designs amongst Amish quilters were often inspired by nature, such as flowers, leaves, grapevines, stars, circles, or a mixture of a variety of these Amish styles. 

 

Over the years, different patterns and styles have become popular within certain Amish community throughout the country.  These differing styles would often reflect the strictness levels of the Amish communities they came from.  Darker, muted, less intricate designs were more common in conservative Amish communities, whereas brighter, lighter, more complex designs were more common in liberal Amish communities.  Many Amish quilts are so distinctive in style that you can tell exactly which Amish region or community it comes from based on the colors, designs, or styles.

 

An Amish quilt is a very specific type of quilt with a unique look to it that is usually made completely by hand by Amish women.  Amish quilts are known for their geometrical designs and deep, dark colors.  The older styles of Amish quilting usually only used large solid colored fabrics that were arranged in a bold geometric pattern.  They were often designed on a black or dark colored background with limited color changes.  Depending on the location of the Amish quilting community, particular color palates were often used based on the availability of fabrics and the beliefs of the Amish community itself.  The Amish generally used fine wool rather than cotton fabrics and were made from very few pieces in a large, central design that would have a border around the entire quilt.

 

Today, these strict Amish quilting rules have become much more lenient so as to appeal to the general public in order to sell them for profit.  A variety of different patterned fabrics and brighter colors can be found on many of the modern Amish quilts.  Popular trends and fashions are more commonly followed now so as to adapt to the changing styles and tastes of the non-Amish community.  However, the basic Amish methods and design styles still remain popular.  Amish quilt blocks are often made by individual Amish quilters and then stitched together on huge quilting frames by multiple quilters during an Amish quilting bee.  Owning a handmade Amish quilt brings back the feelings of tradition and old fashioned values that the Amish people still live and breathe today.

The Development of American Folk and Amish Quilts (part 1)