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Quiltmaking and patchwork have been popular pastimes in the U.S. since the 1700s, and today quilts are highly collectible as works of folk art with historical significance (or just nice to look at). Antique quilts vary widely in design and materials, and can be hard to date definitively because they may have been assembled in phases from older quilts or blocks.

Made from a variety of materials, from elaborate fabrics to scraps of old clothing and som...

Antique quilts are typically categorized by style (broad classification) and pattern (of the individual blocks). Some notable styles include central motif, log cabin, album, circular, star, patriotic, thematic, representational, whole-cloth, charm, utility, signature, medallion, redwork, appliqué small block, applique 4-block, strippey, Colonial Revival, Amish and crazy quilts, among others.

Some notable patterns (of individual blocks) include Sunbonnet Sue, fan, log cabin, Rose of Sharon, 9-patch, Lone Star, Whig’s Defeat, Pot and Flowers, hole in the barn door, bowtie, and so on. There are some situations when the pattern (block) name was also used as the style name (this was common in the 20th century), such as Sunbonnet Sue, Grandmother’s Flower Garden, Dresden Plate and Double Wedding Ring.

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Interviews & Articles

The Beautiful Chaos of Improvisational Quilts

What would jazz look like if it had a physical presence? According to Sherry Ann Byrd, a celebrated quilt maker who posts on Show … [more]

The History of American Quiltmaking: An Interview with Merikay Waldvogel, Part One

I always wondered why I was so fascinated with the quilts. In the early 1980s, when I was the executive director of the Knoxville … [more]

Collecting American Quilts: An Interview With Merikay Waldvogel, Part Two

The beauty of quilts is you can live with them. You can sleep under them. I have a quilt library, too. I not only collect quilts, … [more]

An Interview with Winterthur Textiles Curator Linda Eaton

I started at Winterthur in the summer of 1991 as the head of the textile conservation lab. I morphed over to the curatorial side o… [more]

American Patchwork Quilts

The antique quilts which collectors admire today for their colorfulness and variety of design represent two of the oldest forms of… [more]

Guest Column: An Introduction to Identifying and Collecting Antique Quilts

Many antique quilt collectors think of themselves as caretakers of historical documents, made at the hands of the needlework siste… [more]

Homespun Beauty: Jim Linderman on Folk Art’s Authentic Appeal

My interest in 20th-century American self-taught art came about after I had gone through a million other things—from stamps to boo… [more]

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Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

The Quilt Index

The Quilt Index

This collaborative project provides a visual index of almost 2,000 antique quilts across multiple museums and colle… [read review or visit site]

International Quilt Study Center

International Quilt Study Center

This University of Nebraska affiliated site showcases a spectacular collection of over 1800 colorful quilts from th… [read review or visit site]

Antiquequiltdating.com

Antiquequiltdating.com

Though not an actual online dating site, the subject here is certainly love... of quilts. Kimberly Wulfert has put … [read review or visit site]

American Folk Art Museum

American Folk Art Museum

The American Folk Art Museum's website showcases current and past exhibitions along with their permanent collection… [read review or visit site]

LACMA Luxury Textiles

LACMA Luxury Textiles

Textile collectors shouldn't miss this microsite from the LA County Museum of Art, a great reference on European an… [read review or visit site]

Anonymous Works

Anonymous Works

This blog combines American primitive folk art, vintage vernacular photography, outsider art, and other interesting… [read review or visit site]

The Outsider Art Pages

The Outsider Art Pages

A modern look at folk and outsider art with a focus on what people are doing to keep these traditions alive. The si… [read review or visit site]

Folk Art in Bottles

Folk Art in Bottles

Whether you call them Bottle Whimseys, Whimsey Bottles, Puzzle Bottles, or Whimsies, this site showcases great folk… [read review or visit site]

Index of American Design

Index of American Design

The Index of American Design project (1935-1942) was an effort to catalog American decorative arts objects from the… [read review or visit site]

Stoveburner.com

Stoveburner.com

A stunning collection of 162 images of stoveburners, those corroded cast iron elements that power stoves, broilers,… [read review or visit site]



Clubs & Associations: Folk Art

Other Great Reference Sites: Folk Art

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Recent News: Quilts

Source: Google News

Treasures and tales abound at Textile Museum's annual 'yardage' sale
Toronto Star, May 23rd

She unearths some faded vintage quilt pieces from the bag. They are “churn dash” blocks, she says, likely from the 1920s, when women were thrifty and sewed not just for passion but out of necessity. Whoever made this everyday work of art put every...Read more

Covered up in quilts: Quilting fanatics eagerly await dazzling array coming to WCU
Waynesville Smoky Mountain News, May 23rd

Additionally, WCU has an art quilt exhibit at the Fine Arts Center and a vintage quilt exhibit at the Mountain Heritage Center. The quilt show is being held in conjunction with the North Carolina Quilters Guild Symposium. This year marks the farthest...Read more

1800s Days Festival is Saturday
Delmarva Now, May 23rd

All day happenings include tours of the academy's museums and restored classrooms, weaving demonstrations, displays of new and antique quilts, and demonstrations of other handcrafts. Entertainment offered throughout the day include a spelling bee,...Read more

Seashell is a tongue-twister and quilter's dream
Ponte Vedra Recorder, May 16th

Let me tell you of something I have a harder time visualizing: clam shells, an antique quilt pattern. Not only does it have a million curved pieces, but it is hard to look at a quilt that has these, as it is hard to spot the block, itself...Read more

Oakland Museum presents 'Rural Heritage' program
Nelson County Times, May 16th

Quilting techniques and antique quilts, beekeeping, storytelling, poetry, natural heritage, nature photography, and children's games from the late 19th and early 20th centuries will be highlighted. Presentations will be made by the Nelson Chapter of...Read more

Tanner Williams celebrates heritage (Jo Anne McKnight)
Press-Register - al.com (blog), May 14th

By Press-Register Correspondent View full sizeDarlene Lane of Kitty Hutty Farm exhibited a 150-year-old crazy quilt, part of her antique quilt collection, at the Surrender Oak Festival. (Jo Anne McKnight/Correspondent) The annual Tanner Williams...Read more

Quilters Tea will support Heritage Museum of OC
OCRegister, May 2nd

By RON GONZALES / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER SANTA ANA - The Quilters Tea, sponsored by the Victorian Tea Society and featuring a display and discussion of antique quilts and a silent auction, will be held beginning at 11 am on Saturday,...Read more

Parksville quilt show highlights history
Parksville Qualicum Beach News, May 1st

Eva Hansen of the Parksville Quilt House Quilters Guild and Buddy Williams from the Craig Heritage Park and Museum set up the display of antique quilts that will run through May. By Auren Ruvinsky - Parksville Qualicum Beach News District 69 is being...Read more

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