History of the Amish Quilt (part 2)
Around the 1970s, the beauty of the Amish quilt became a
must-have item for fashionable, young city folk. Amish quilts were suddenly
being appreciated as works of art due to their similarities to the "pop art" styles
of the time. This created an interesting problem for the Amish people due to
their intense desire for separation from the modern world. As more people wanted
to own one of the handmade Amish works of art, the Amish would often find that
their own Amish quilts were being stolen right off their own clothes lines.
As a result, the Amish began making their quilts for the
purpose of selling them at the local markets. While they greatly enjoy their
privacy and solitude, the Amish people seemed to find a nice balance between
their desire to live a separate and simpler life, yet still benefit through
commerce by selling their handmade Amish wares to the modern buyers who desired
their work. This balance between simplicity and consumerism has changed Amish
quilt making in a variety of ways. In order to attract the eye of a visiting
outside, the Amish women began departing from the traditional Amish quilt
patterns for more updated colors and styles. Brighter colors, unique patterns,
and more elaborate techniques have developed in the Amish quilting world in an
effort to attract more customers by offering more updated styles.
The attraction to these beautiful Amish quilts has always
been rooted in the desire to look back at our history and to appreciate all the
handmade and traditional things of the past. While the Amish quilt makers
retain their relative solitary existence, they have greatly impacted the way
the world views quilt making. So too, in a subtle way, has the world impacted
the way the Amish make their quilts. The current trends and fashions from
around the world have impacted the different Amish styles and patterns that the
Amish quilter makes. While the old Amish traditions of hand sewing and
creating each piece still remain the cornerstone of the Amish quilt, its
partnership with the world as a whole has somehow made the relationships
between the Amish and the modern communities closer rather than farther apart.
While the simplicity, variety, colors, and designs may have
changed over the past hundred of so years, the basic workmanship and subtleness
of the Amish quilt still remains the same today. Amish quilts are so rich and
full of life, yet have a history and sentimentality to them that makes you want
to treasure one for years to come and eventually pass it on to a loved one near
and dear to your heart. An Amish quilt is the essence of what it means to be
an American today. It expresses the hard work and determination that all
Americans, Amish and non-Amish alike, have shown throughout history.
History of the Amish Quilt (part 2)
