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About Vintage and Antique Patchwork Quilts

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...

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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Show & Tell

Red Cross Signature Quilt - 1917 Dorcus S.S. Alzheimers Art Quilts at the Shelburne Museum quilt square pattern Owl  Bark Roy Arnold's Miniature Circus Parade at the Shelburne Museum Part II Roy Arnold's Miniature Circus Parade at the Shelburne Museum Part I

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Upcoming Events

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Interviews & Articles

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 New!

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]

An Interview With Tramp Art Collector Clifford Wallach

My first book, "Tramp Art, One Notch at a Time", was self-published in 1998. At the time we started to do the book, it was just as… [more]

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Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

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]

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]

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]

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

Top eBay Auctions

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Recent News: Quilts

Source: Google News

Arts calendar
The Spokesman Review, July 29th

Categories include hand-quilted, machine quilted, baby quilts, wall hangings, home décor items, large bed quilts, vintage antique quilts, modern fabric art...Read more

Our pick of Best Bets for July 30 - August 5
Cape Cod Times, July 28th

The show features exhibits of more than 200 quilts made by members, special exhibits by featured quilters, an antique and vintage quilt exhibit,...Read more

Bucks' County Visitor's center hosts 6th Annual Bucks County Quilt Show
Bucks Local News, July 28th

Her quilt collection grew over time into the hundreds and brought her to the decision to leave the corporate world. Six years ago, her passion materialized...Read more

Home and garden gurus, let's talk
Tulsa World, July 28th

Acquaintances put you on speed-dial because you can cure plants, hang a light fixture, and drop five cool ideas on how to display a quilt collection - all...Read more

County Lines for July 28, 2010
Daily News - Galveston County, July 27th

Cessna has loaned 43 of them to Galveston Historical Foundation for “Pieces of the Past: The Rebekah Cessna Quilt Collection,” at the 1861 US Custom House,...Read more

Travel briefs: July 25
Knoxville News Sentinel, July 24th

This city-wide event includes contemporary art quilt exhibits, traditional and antique quilts from private collections, and special quilt displays at...Read more

Success no trouble for Kansas quilt designer
Grand Junction Sentinel, July 24th

Using vintage fabrics, many from her antique quilt collection, as inspiration, she re-colors and re-invents small florals and geometric patterns in her new...Read more

Traveling quilt collection combines art and University of Michigan science
Media Newswire (press release), July 7th

A traveling art quilt collection, inspired by scientific photographs taken by University of Michigan researchers, travels to the National Institute of...Read more