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Celebrating the Great American Quilt
They speak of family, history and beauty. Is it any wonder quilts transcend design styles?
The PBS series Why Quilts Matter gives fascinating insight into the history, art and politics of that most American of crafts, the hand-sewn quilt. The series premise is that “nothing is more central to the history of women than the quilt. It was an avenue of personal expression, a sly medium of social and political opinion, and a building block of financial security.”
Unlike any other object, quilts are both looked down upon as lowly “women’s work” and revered as great art. “They can communicate both intimate memories and great societal truths,” PBS says. “They are woven into the histories and psyches of our mothers, our sisters, ourselves.”
All of which helps explain why I pursue old quilts with the avarice of a mosquito in a nudist colony. Humor me while we talk about some excellent reasons to add a quilt to your interior — no matter what your style.
Unlike any other object, quilts are both looked down upon as lowly “women’s work” and revered as great art. “They can communicate both intimate memories and great societal truths,” PBS says. “They are woven into the histories and psyches of our mothers, our sisters, ourselves.”
All of which helps explain why I pursue old quilts with the avarice of a mosquito in a nudist colony. Humor me while we talk about some excellent reasons to add a quilt to your interior — no matter what your style.
Quilts are a quintessential American art form. They tell stories and convey information, both political and social. And they’re no longer confined just to beds, although they are wonderfully inviting there. This stunning quilt is the focal point of this room and is a feast for the eyes and the mind.
When you look at a quilt, think of the woman or women who spent hours and days cutting and sewing. Imagine the conversations that took place. Maybe the quilters were making a statement about what was important to them in the only manner available to them.
Using a quilt as a tablecloth allows you to touch it, trace the stitches and study it up close. But if it is a vintage piece, you might want to add a glass top if you are actually going to eat on it.
Using a quilt as a tablecloth allows you to touch it, trace the stitches and study it up close. But if it is a vintage piece, you might want to add a glass top if you are actually going to eat on it.
Don’t think that a quilt requires a country-style interior. The energy and warmth it exudes makes one appropriate for any style of decor. Don’t you love how this crazy quilt enlivens this room?
A quilt is an almost unmatched way to add color, pattern, story and comfort to your rooms. I am a complete sucker for yellow and white, so it’s no surprise that I completely love what this quilt does for this room. Please make certain your family and guests feel welcome to cuddle up in the quilts you have out.
Quilts like this one are so spectacularly graphic! The mix of colors, the sweep of the pattern and the widely varying scale of the design elements combine to make a compelling statement in this bedroom. The unexpected and seemingly uncoordinated blue and white shams are fabulous.
One of the really wonderful things about quilts — new and old — is that they often have a contrasting (or unrelated) back side. My stars and bars quilt, for example, has large stars on one side, and wide bars made from two tiny geometric patterns on the other side.
I can’t tell if the quilt on this bed is two sided, and whether the endearing stripes at the end of the bed are the back side or simply a different quilt. Either way this demonstrates the great versatility of a two-sided quilt, and the lovely way quilt patterns can work together without any regard for matching.
I can’t tell if the quilt on this bed is two sided, and whether the endearing stripes at the end of the bed are the back side or simply a different quilt. Either way this demonstrates the great versatility of a two-sided quilt, and the lovely way quilt patterns can work together without any regard for matching.
How enticing this room is, with its random and unmatched quilts and beds. It makes me want to sleep in one for a couple of hours, then try another, and so on until I have enjoyed them all.
Can’t help myself. This tree house with its spectacular quilt and accompanying lace calls out to me. How very cool.
Modern quilts are such a child-friendly way to decorate kids’ beds. They are warm, ensconcing, colorful and snuggle inducing, and they come in an almost infinite range of colors. If you are hesitant about secondhand bedding, check out Pottery Barn Kids.
Simply throwing a quilt over the arm of a chair makes a statement about comfort and welcome. On a chilly evening, your family and guests will thank you.
I fell in love with this brilliant yellow and red stars and bars quilt (shown here covering our sofa cushions) at the Brimfield Antique Show in Massachusetts more than three decades ago. My husband, Mike, took one look at the set of my jaw, pulled out his credit card, and just like that it was mine. It has cuddled our sons and their kiddos; it has protected our sofa from pets and spills; and it has never ceased to give me joy when I look at it. The years and the use have taken their toll, and it is slowly but surely falling to pieces. But it’s a historical piece that has become part of our family history, and it will be allowed to die a happy (if lingering) death as one of our most cherished possessions.
There can never be too many quilts. Displaying extras in an open cabinet like this protects them while giving a tempting glimpse of their pattern and color.
If an entire quilt is too much for you, consider baby steps, like these charming pillows made from either quilt fragments or quilt fabrics. But watch out: Quilts have a way of worming their way into your heart.
What a spectacular, primitive and quixotic quilt this is! Can you imagine anything more appealing for that space, or anything more likely to engender conversation?
Back to my personal quilts: We recently found this hand-sewn quilt from the 1930s at a country Christmas barn sale. It is perfect for the holiday season, and gives our stars and bars quilt a rest.
Do you have a family, vintage or storied quilt? Please share it with us in the Comments!
More: Pattern Scout: Cozy Up to Patchwork
Do you have a family, vintage or storied quilt? Please share it with us in the Comments!
More: Pattern Scout: Cozy Up to Patchwork