quiltersmuse.com Blog

In a blog post on June 5, 2009, titled “Lecture Leaves Questions,” I addressed some of the topics with which I took issue, in a presentation by Cheryl Savageau, who gave a talk about quilting sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

One of the specific points I mentioned was the speaker’s allusion to the “first Amish quilt ever made.” She stated that she has a photo of it.

In part, I said the following:

The lecturer said that she has a photo of the first known Amish quilt in faded reds and purples, created sometime between 1865 and 1940.

Today, some new light was shed on this topic when I was contacted by Jonathan Holstein. He is a well-known quilt art scholar, and an Amish quilt collector. His pivotal display of quilts at the Whitney Quilt Museum in 1971 is credited with fueling the flame of the current quilt passion that has swept the country ever since.

He reveals this information in his note:

I enjoyed reading your posting about Amish quilts, and noted your questions about a lecturer claiming “that she has a photo of the first known Amish quilt in faded reds and purples,” I think what is going on is that the very first Amish quilt Gail and I found we included in the 1971 Whitney Museum exhibition, and it was a Bars quilt in somewhat faded reds and purples. This was, as far as we know, the first Amish quilt shown publicly and identified as such, and that has been printed in a number of places. So perhaps the lecturer mistakenly thought this was the “first” Amish in a literal sense, which of course it was not. The earliest dated Amish quilt of which I am aware is s a whole cloth quilt dated 1849.
Jonathan Holstein

At last, a definitive answer! Thanks, Jonathan!

P.S. There are additional files about Amish Quilts on our main website.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Today, I stumbled upon some wonderful resources for those of you who love to see Amish Quilts and learn about them. Amish quilts are made by the Amish people of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Holmes County, Ohio; and Elkhart and LaGrange Counties in Indiana. By the way, the “A” in Amish is a soft sound like “ah” – just so you know how to pronounce the word correctly.

The first resource I found was a pdf that prints out to 13 pages, “The Collector’s Eye: Amish Quilts from the International Quilt Study Center Collections.” If you have a color printer, you are in for a treat! A great deal of history is provided for you, and major collectors such as Jonathan Holstein, Robert and Ardis James, and Henry Barber add their thoughts in this document.

At the present time, there is an exhibit of Amish quilts at the Textile Museum, 2320 “S” Street NW, Washington, DC, through September 2009. Their hours are 10 – 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; and 1-5 p.m on Sunday.

Yes, everyone loves Amish quilts. I remember when I was studying “History of Quilts,” the question arose as to whether the Amish made any Crazy Quilts. At first thought, the conclusion was “no.” Then, I happened to spot an Amish-made, Crazy Quilt with some orange colors, at the Vermont Quilt Festival, in a special display that year of the Espirit Collection, curated by Julie Silber. In quilt history, one can never say, “never,” with any confidence.

I hope that you enjoy these links. To see more Amish quilts, visit the Quilt Index/American Alliance for the Quilt website, or the International Quilt Study Center’s website.

Here are three novels that were recently celebrated in a newscast seen online. They depict Amish life as told by someone who has studied it intently. Cindy Woodsmall, author, states that the prayer caps of the Amish women mean more to them, perhaps, than wedding rings. Below are links to three of the five books she has written about Amish Life.

Best wishes, as always,

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

We rose early this morning, stopped for a quick breakfast, and then hit the turnpike for a long ride up to northern New Hampshire. The day was grand and we needed our sunglasses. Along the way, I spotted several wild turkeys, but today, there was no moose in sight, although we have seen them in bogs in that area. The reason for our journey was to attend a quilt lecture. It was with a bit of foreboding that we attended the lecture given by someone whose name I did not recognize but who was touted as a “quilt historian.”

The presenter arrived, only to find out that it would be impossible to give her power point program with photos of quilts. The library did not have the necessary equipment, and she had not brought her own. She brought in a few textiles and laid them off to the side, introducing herself as a knitter turned quilter, and a poet.

I am very sure that this lady is a nice person and that she means well. She described her first quilt ever made as one based on the “Anglo-European” tradition, and said she’d made a Dresden Plate design (”shaped like a plate, you know, and with different colors.”) The words “Anglo-European” tradition had me wondering because of the imprecision of the statement. I recalled the “wholecloth quilt” tradition of early English textiles, and made a mental note to re-check when the earliest English and Dutch pieced quilts were made.

The lecturer stated that she has a photo of the first known Amish quilt in faded reds and purples, created sometime between 1865 and 1940. Again, I question how anyone would know “who” made the very first Amish quilt. As an Indiana Amish quilt expert has stated, it would be prideful to brag about having made the first Amish quilt. That fact would not be something discussed.

Update on June 14, 2009: I have been trying to find out further information about this purported “first Amish quilt.” My query to the speaker yielded no response. Inquiries of my colleagues in quilt history circles reaped one answer from a scholar who has studied Amish quilts extensively – she has never heard of such a thing. Will keep my mind and my eyes open for more information.

Moving along, she stated that yellow was a forbidden color. I am told that this is not widely the case, and if the color were forbidden, the Bishop of an area would be the one to decide. She further stated that Amish women came to use the color yellow in their quilts because a peddler hid some of the yellow fabric into a fabric packet. I am not sure where she learned that story, but it sounds a lot like a myth, although a very “nice story.” There are a lot of myths surrounding quilting, as you know.

There was mention of “squash seed” quilting. The term I have always heard has been “pumpkin seed” quilting and I saw quite a lot of that in pre-1950 Amish quilts, from the two valleys, (one of them being Lehigh Valley and the other ??), in an exhibit in Intercourse, Pennsylvania when we visited a while ago. Similarly, the mention of “square within a square” is a misnomer and a mathematical impossibility, according to another friend who taught high school mathematics for many years. The term, “diamond within a square” has a better ring.

In my opinion, it is important to mention Jonathan Holstein and his exhibit at the Whitney Museum, in any mention of Amish quilting. That exhibit was a pivotal point in the way quilts were viewed, and when they first came to be considered as “art” (to a broad audience) in the twentieth century.

An interesting point is one of terminology. If one makes a mistake in quilting, one should think of “possibility,” as in what do I do now? I enjoyed that remark. As quilters, we all need to be flexible. I remember when I cut two long borders, for a twin size quilt, just 1/4″ too short. What to do? I added a 3/4″ strip to one end of each one, adding a meaningful statement (to me) in German, in Calligraphy. So, her statement resonated. Conversely, the statement that many new quilt patterns probably originated with African-Americans did not seem to ring true.

The most interesting part of the lecture was a recount of the genocide/ethnic cleansing that was U.S. policy toward Native Americans during the 1800s, particularly the Lakotas. The presenter did a very nice job in explaining the situation and how the quilt traditions of the Lakotas is partially-based on symbolism.

All in all, I love to hear anyone talk about quilts, but all through the lecture, I found myself biting my tongue and wishing that I could elaborate, clarify, or add to the discussion. Yet, today, someone else was the “expert,” and I knew that no one there knew me from a hole in the ground and would not realize that I might have additional information. So, as usual, I share what I know, on my website and blog, in the hope of clarifying statements made.

By the way, if you are not Amish, you cannot make an Amish quilt, just as I cannot make Hmong needlework, or an African-American quilt. I can make a quilt, in any style I choose, but I would call the result, “in the Amish style,” etc. Small distinction, but one worth noting.

I loved seeing her quilt tops and one small Amish style quilt and it is always fun to hear what people say about their own design and color choices. This lady is multi-talented, writing poetry and playing the piano … and knitting. As a general statement, let me say that it is one thing to like to quilt, and it is quite another to know quilt history well, and not just facts, but to be able to interpret data collected and do some critical thinking about all that is associated with quilt history, including history!

Tonight, I am thankful to the Humanities Council of New Hampshire for sponsoring the program. I try to be as precise as possible whenever I speak about textiles and quilts as I feel that they are “worth” getting “it” right. There is far too much misinformation being passed around. So, for the record, I have stated my views here for anyone who has had the staying power to read this far. I will be busy tracking down answers to some of the research questions this lecture generated. Many thanks to Cheryl Savageau.

To see a file of beautiful Amish and Mennonite Quilts from Indiana, please visit our website.

Peace and Good Wishes,

Patricia Cummings in the “Live Free or Die” state of New Hampshire
Quilter’s Muse Publications

While we are on the subject of Amish Quilts, I’d like to call your attention to a file of quilts provided by Judy Morton, quilter extraordinaire of Indiana, and collector of Southern Indiana Amish Quilts. She graciously provided all of the photos shown on our website of this kind of quilt. These quilts are best viewed using Internet Explorer browser.

Anyone who knows Amish Quilts will tell you that they are made differently in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, the three major areas of the United States where the Amish live.

Of course, the most valuable Amish Quilts date from a time before they were “discovered” by the tourist trade. 1950 seems a good cut off date for that. Jonathan Holstein and his (late) wife, Gail van der Hoof collected many Pennsylvania Amish quilts and enjoyed the aesthetic result of hanging them vertically. Some reminded Holstein, who had an art background, of Mondrian paintings. Their landmark exhibit at the Whitney Museum was not the first show to hang quilts on a wall. However, it is the one most often noted as a change in perspective for more viewers: an utter transformation from bed quilt to wall art. Jonathan Holstein could be called the grandfather of the modern art quilts movement.

When we visited Pennsylvania in 1999, it was disappointing to see so many poorly-made quilts for sale. I am told that I did not know where “to go.” The tourist shops have quilts that are hastily-made for the trade and truly indicative of the fine stitches normally associated with fine Amish quilting. As noted at the end of my website article about the Hmong people, many refugees from southeast Asia were taught to do quilting by the Mennonites, and much of the work that is marketed neglects to mention that the quilts were not quilted totally by Amish or Mennonite women, but by Hmong women (who certainly have a cultural tradition of doing fine needlework!). For the purists, the resulting works are neither Amish nor Mennonite, but Hmong, a secret because Amish quilts are not labeled as to who made them (their cultural tradition).

At any rate, that is a small summary of Amish Quilts. The previous blog mentions a book by Darwin D. Bearley that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about Ohio Amish Quilts.

A search on my website will bring up other Amish files, with photos. Use the word search function within the text of the front page.

Until Later,

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Above, you see a portion of the book cover for Darwin D. Bearley’s book about Ohio Amish Quilts.

The first and only book devoted exclusively to the quilts of the Ohio Amish is the Darwin D. Bearley Collection: Antique Ohio Amish Quilts.

This volume represents a thirty-year collection beautifully-photographed and printed in three languages, English, French, and German. Originally printed as a catalog for two exhibitions in Europe, in 2006, both sponsored by Bernina Sewing Machine Co., the book includes an introduction by quilt scholar, Jonathan Holstein, and an essay by Darwin D. Bearley about his collection.

This hard cover book measures 10″ X 13″ and contains 160 pages that show 138 unique Antique Ohio Amish Quilts. Included in the mix are 50 Crib Quilts and the only two nineteenth century Ohio Amish Sampler Quilts known to exist.

Darwin Bearley of Akron, Ohio has collected these quilts over a period of 30 years. Many of them have been exhibited in museums and quilt shows throughout the United States and Europe. A few of the quilts have been published in books by other authors, and in magazine articles and calendars for the last three decades.

The photography, color, and design of the book represent the best print quality that is available today.

This book is not available in bookstores, as it does not have an ISBN number. However, it does have a LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG NUMBER: 2007369080. The book is available directly from the author for $45.00 plus shipping. Contact: DDBSTUFF@aol.com. Darwin will even autograph the book, upon request.

Darwin D. Bearley
PO Box 22228
Akron, OH 44302

This is a courtesy advertisement, not a paid one. I have no affiliation with this book or the party who is selling it. This announcement is a service for you, the reader, brought to you by Quilter’s Muse Publications.