Quilts: Their Story and How to Make ThemWebster, Marie D. (Marie Daugherty)
History
Quilts: Their Story and How to Make Them
Webster, Marie D. (Marie Daugherty)
Coverlets; Quilting; Quilts
In Massachusetts in the early colonial days quilted garments,
especially petticoats, were in general use. It is a curious
circumstance that we owe this bit of information largely to the
description of runaway slaves. The Boston _News Letter_ of October,
1707, contains an advertisement describing an Indian woman who ran
away, clad in the best garments she could purloin from her mistress's
wardrobe: "A tall Lusty Carolina Indian Woman, named Keziah Wampun
Had on a striped red, blue and white Home-spun Jacket and a Red one, a
Black and quilted White Silk Crape Petticoat, a White Shift and also a
blue with her, and a mixt Blue and White Linsey Woolsey Apron." In
1728 the _News Letter_ published an advertisement of a runaway Indian
servant who, wearied by the round of domestic drudgery, adorned
herself in borrowed finery and fled: "She wore off a Narrow Stript
pinck cherredary Gown turned up with a little floured red and white
Callico. A Stript Home-spun quilted petticoat, a plain muslin Apron, a
suit of plain Pinners and a red and white flowered knot, also a pair
of green stone earrings, with white cotton stockings and leather
heel'd wooden shoes."
A few items in a list of articles ordered from England for a New
England bride, Miss Judith Sewall, who was married in 1720, give some
idea of what was considered as a suitable wedding outfit during that
period. The bride belonged to a rich family and no doubt had
furnishings much more extensive than usual: "A Duzen of good Black
Walnut Chairs, A Duzen Cane Chairs, and a great chair for a chamber,
all black Walnut. One Duzen large Pewter Plates, new fashion, a Duzen
Ivory-hafted knives and forks. Four Duzen small glass salt cellars,
Curtains and Vallens for a Bed with Counterpane, Head Cloth, and
Tester made of good yellow watered camlet with Trimming. Send also of
the same camlet and trimming as may be enough to make cushions for the
chamber chairs. A good fine larger Chintz quilt, well made." This list
also includes such items as kitchen utensils, warming pans, brass
fenders, tongs, and shovels, and "four pairs of large Brass
candlesticks."
As the resources of the new country were developed, the women were
given some respite from their spinning, weaving, and garment making.
Much of their hard-won leisure was spent piecing quilts. In the
rigorous climate of bleak New England there was great need of warm
clothing and bedding, and the spare moments of the housekeeper were
largely occupied in increasing her supply. To make the great amount of
bedding necessary in the unheated sleeping rooms, every scrap and
remnant of woollen material left from the manufacture of garments was
saved. To supplement these, the best parts of worn-out garments were
carefully cut out, and made into quilt pieces.
[Illustration: FEATHER STAR WITH APPLIQUE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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