Description:
Wholecloth pink, glazed plain weave wool (tammy) quilt with an overall, quilting design in matching pink thread (now faded) with diagonal lines, a double row of fish scales on four sides, meandering foliate pattern, and modified scales in the center; cream-colored cotton or linen, netted fringe on three sides, which may have been added later; an off-white, linen (warp) and cotton (weft) backing that may also be imported, or woven domestically; and wool or cotton batting. In the 18th century, a plain weave wool with glaze was referred to as a tammy; a twill weave wool with glaze, a shalloon; a 4:1 broken twill weave (aka the shortest float satin weave), a calamanco; and a plain weave wool with no glaze was referred to as a camblet. These terms are found in Norwich, England, sample books. Wholecloth quilts were a common type of bedcovering made and used in New England in the 18th century. In addition to providing warmth, these objects displayed the skill of the woman or women who stitched them. Although derived from England, New England wholecloth quilts developed their own styles of quilting patterns, and appear much more frequently than imported versions. Although out of fashion by about 1800, these kinds of quilts were made and used well into the 19th century. Linda Eaton, Director of collections and Senior Curator of textiles at the Winterthur Museum (May 14, 2011), notes wool glazing was probably not done in this country in the 18th century given current knowledge and that most evidence of glazed wool comes from England. Winterthur Museum has tested some glazed worsted fabrics, and the presence of an additonal substance such as gum has been detected in some samples suggesting that glazing may have occasionally required more than just heat and pressure of the press. While serving a decorative purpose, glazing might also have added some degree of protection for the face fabric against stains or soiling. Often, when the quilting thread was the same color as the face, the quilting could have been done from the reverse side to better see the stitches. This can be determined sometimes if the quilting stiches are slightly shorter on one side than on the other. Either linen or worsted thread was often used for quilting. Linen prefers a more aklaline environment, and when used with wool, tends to degrade; worsted thread with quilted wool textiles tends to last in good shape.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.286 |
