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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 sometimes even old feedsacks, quilts have both a functional and social significance. Groups of women often gathered to create quilts together, and the finished result was sometimes given as a gift for a special occasion (like a wedding) or as a symbol of friendship. Quilts can also document a family’s history as the pieces sewn together can come from baby blankets, old clothes, etc.
Antique quilts are typically categorized by style (broad classification) and pattern (of the individual blocks). Some notable styles include central motif, log cabin, album, circ...
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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by 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]
The Quilts of Winterthur
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]
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]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
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
This University of Nebraska-Lincoln affiliated site showcases a spectacular collection of more than 3,500 quilts fr… [read review or visit site]
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]
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]
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
This blog combines American primitive folk art, vintage vernacular photography, outsider art, and other interesting… [read review or visit site]
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
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
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
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
Wee Forest Folk 1985 M-125 Quilting Bea One Of A Kind Plant And Quilt Mint
Rare Indigo Blue & White Cats Cradle Quilt Dates Apr.1910~1920's Stunning
Mint Antique Handsewn Applique Quilt 84x77 Vtg Quilt 8-9 Spi Rare Pattern 
Estate Antique Navy Blue & White Irish Chain Hand Made Quilt84 X 84 Mint Cond.
Spectacular Hand Stitched Antique Blossom Quilt
Cathedral Windows Quilt Vintage! Beautiful!
Vintage Hand Quilted Patchwork "wedding Ring" Quilt/great Condition/84 X 66"
Lavender & White Appliqued Southern Belle Quilt Double Borders Stunning Near Pri
Large Gorgeous Double Irish Chain Turkey Red Antique Hand Sewn Quilt 77.5" X 85"
Old Vintage Grandmothers Garden Hand Made Hand Stitched Pieced Quilt Very Neat
Antique Vintage Quilt Feed Sack Hand Quilted Dresden Plate Signed Date1881' Read
Vintage Hand Quilted Patchwork Quilt 88"x70" Multi Colors Double Wedding Rings
Beautiful Vintage Hand Stitched Feedsack Quilt 72x87 Estate Find
Hand Sewn Antique Applique Quilt - Red Flowers Green Leaves And Stems, Coverlet
Antique Hand Made Yo Yo Quilt Amazing 6.5ft X 6.5 Ft.double Full
Amish Broken Star Bed Quilt New Handquilt Pieced Lg Scalloped Unique Sale Price
Vintage Progress Appliqued Quilt Kit " The Rose " #1398
Antique Show Stopper Applique Album Pennsylvania Hand Done Quilt Must See
Antique/vintage Patchwork Quilt 1912 (75x86)
Antique 1920's/30's Compass Quilt Top Hand Stitched 74" X 99" & 3 Xtra Blocks
Antique Blazing Star Or Kansas Sunflower Quilt Top Red Yellow Green
Antique 1930's Red & White Quilt Sawtooth Star Pattern Cotton Hand Quilted
Beautiful Vintage Quilt Handmade Wedding Ring Pattern Feedsack 86 X 76
Vintage Handmade Sunbonnet Sue Quilt- Hand Quilted- 62 X 72"
Antique Dresden Plate Quilt W/ Undulating Fan Border, Exc Cond
Antique Quilts Green,red,yellow And White,72" X 82" 
Rare And Stunning "the Hen And Her Chicks" Quilt." Never Used Or Washed. 
Vintage Antique Quilts
1800's ? Whole Cloth Quilt Boutis French? Tattered Hand-quilted Cutter? Shabby
Vintage Completed Grandma's Flower Garden Quilt 1940's Hand Stitched Homemade 
Super Antique Pieced Patchwork Quilt With Fabulous Hand Quilting
Brand New Colored Hand Made Quilt Queen Size 90z84 Inches Very Beautiful 
Iconic Festival Of Britain & 1960's Unfinished Patchwork Quilt Approx 2mx184cm
Antique~vintage 1930's Handmade Trip Around The World Completed Quilt 80" X 82"
Vtg Hand Stitched Nine Patch Style Design Quilt Top Unfinished Scallop Edges 
Beautiful Bright White Vintage Cross Stitch, Hand Stitched Quilt. 94 X 101
Nice Brand New Colorful Queen Size 90x84 Hand Made Quilt 
Niceee Brand New Colorful Queen Size 90x84 Hand Made Quilt 
Very Pretty Brand New Colorful Queen Size 90x84 Hand Made Quilt 
Vintage Morning Glory Applique Quilt Clean And Crisp
Vintage Hand Made Quilt Lone Star Texas Star Very Nice Quilting Pattern Great C.
Antique Fan Quilt 1930s Feedsacks Calicoes Dots ~ 85x76 Hand Pieced & Hand Sewn
Vintage 1970s Multi-colored Cotton Handmade Twin-size Tulips Quilt, Excellent!!
White Bay Gardenia Classic Country Tradition Irish Chain Vibrant Vintage Quilt
Vintage Hand Quilted Patchwork Quilt Dresden Plate Fan 89"x73" Multi Colors
Vintage Machine Stitched Patch Work Flower Pink Border
Vintage Quilt Flower Garden All Hand Sewn Quilted 89"x 76"
Vintage Italian Velvet Bedspread Wallhanging Mat Rug New Unused
Vintage Quilt Tops Unfinished Plus Quilt Squares
Vintage Hand Quilted And Fnished Quilt Very Nice Condition Bright And Cheery!
Bold Ca 1920 Patriotic Red-white-blue Basket Quilt, Hand Quilted At 6 Spi
Vintage Hand Made Quilt Double Wedding Ring Pattern
Vtg Hand Sewn Quilt Hand Crosstitched Sampler Quilt 106x95 Tiny Stitching 
Antique/vintage Old Star Pattern Quilt Hand Stitch Early/mid Century Red 92"
Beautiful 86" X 76" Hand Appliqued & Quilted Quilt-embroidery In Flowers
Antique Appalachian Hand Sewn Quilt - Feed Sack Fabrics 1903-1905
Vintage Hand Made Cross Stitch 82" By 94" Quilt
Antique Hand Sewn Quilt
Vintage Hand Quilted Quilt
Vintage Hand Stitched Spool Quilt 68" By 75" 
Recent News: Quilts
Source: Google News
DeHart: St. Michael's Cathederal to celebrate its centennial
Kelowna Capital News, May 22ndThere will be something for everyone, including buskers, home-baked goods, refreshments, free hot-dogs, coffee, crafts, games, face-painting, heritage tours of the church, antique quilts, along with weaving and spinning demonstrations. What a great...Read more
St. Charles County's entertainment calendar for May 22
STLtoday.com, May 21stAn Antique Quilts Exhibit is on display through June 15 at The Frenchtown Heritage Museum, 1121 N. Second St. The exhibit will take you through the age of the handmade quilt making ranging from the late 1800s to modern times. Hours are noon-3 p.m...Read more
Summer fun for producers honors agriculture today, yesterday
Prairie Star, May 21stJulie Croglio, chief of interpretation at the Grant-Kohrs Ranch said that in addition to their resident cowboys, blacksmiths and chuck wagon drivers they will also have experts on preserving food the old-fashioned way, leather repair, a display of...Read more
Last documentation session for vintage Cumberland County quilts set
Patriot-News, May 21stThe goal of the project is to gather information, images and stories of vintage quilts, quilt makers and quilt making to preserve the local legacy of quilting in the county. The documentation is a two-part process: documenting vintage quilts and...Read more
Spring Taste of Block Island kicks off the season
Block Island Times, May 20thSpring Taste of Block Island kicks off the season. Starts May 31. By Lars Trodson | May 20, 2013. Photo by: Kari Curtis Historical Society Executive Director Pam Gasner shows off an antique quilt and dress that will be on display during the taste of...Read more
Quilts Along the Trail Store opens next weekend
Osakis Review, May 16thDisplays and exhibits feature antique and vintage quilts as well as modern and contemporary patterns in a variety of quilted items. The QAT Store will be open Wednesdays-Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through September 14, and Fridays and...Read more
PC Public Library District turns 75
LaSalle News Tribune, May 11thCondit Library will present a program on the antique quilt which has been preserved in the library since the World War I era. It was crafted by over 100 women in the Putnam area as a show of support Mary Jane Serafini, a well-known long arm quilter...Read more
Millfest Quilt Show Features Antique Quilts from Author Linda Hubalek's Collection
PR Web (press release), April 25thThe antique quilt display will be featured in the Swedish Pavilion during Millfest weekend. These quilts, made from 1830s through the 1950s, were made by Linda Hubalek's ancestors. The quilt show is sponsored by the McPherson Quilt Guild. Hubalek kicks...Read more