History of the Amish Quilt (part 1)
The origin of the Amish quilt has a long and interesting
history that can gives us a better understanding of the Amish people
themselves. The Amish, as most people know, shun modern society in order to
live a simpler life focused on god and family. As the fast-paced world carries
on around them, the Amish choose to live quietly and peacefully off the land
with little to no help from the outside world. What this means is no
electricity, no phones, no automobiles, and as little contact with the world
that goes on around them as possible. Anything to do with the outside world is
shunned by the Amish, including art.
Art, for the sake of art, is looked down upon by the Amish
people because it serves no real purpose. However, the art of Amish quilting
was able to develop within the Amish community because the quilt itself served a
purpose, so adding decorative elements to it was considered acceptable. The
art of Amish quilting, however, didn’t become a tradition in Amish homes until
the late 1800s. Originally brought to America by British Quakers, the idea of
quilting did not catch on quickly within the Amish communities. At the time,
the Amish used simple coverings for their beds, much like their neighboring
Mennonites and Pennsylvania Germans. While quilting caught on with these other
groups, the Amish originally rejected the idea of quilting for art and didn’t
take on the practice until it was no longer considered fashionable by the local
Mennonites and Germans.
Once the Amish did beginning quilting, they slowly began to
make it their own with Amish inspired patterns that were unique and simple, yet
beautiful. Between 1850 and 1870, the Amish of Pennsylvania began developing
their signature quilt designs from simple one color whole cloth quilts to
piecing together colored pieces of cloth into a variety of patterns. The
earliest Amish designs were basic squares and rectangles, which slowly evolved
into more colorful and bold patterns, such as Amish style baskets, flowers, and
grapevines. These patterns began to develop slowly over time, first showing up
in just the corners and the borders and eventually working their way to the
centers and focal points of the Amish quilts. You can easily tell how old an
Amish quilt is simply by how prominent the designs are within it. The less the
embellishments, the older the Amish quilt.
Many of the Amish quilters of the time worked on their
quilts alone during the cold winter months, but then got together with the other
Amish quilters of the town to form Quilting Bees in the spring and summer
months. These quilting gatherings gave the Amish women the opportunity to
catch up on all the town news while finishing the assembly of their specially
designed Amish quilts. Initially Amish quilts were crafted for dowry purposes
or to be presented to important people as gifts. Eventually the Amish began
selling their Amish quilts for profit.
History of the Amish Quilt (part 2)
