Description:
Wholecloth quilt with a vibrant red, plain weave (tammy) wool face fabric. Known as a tammy in the 18th century, it would have originally been glazed through the application of heat, pressure, and possibly the addition of a gum. The face fabric is made up of two selvage widths of the red wool. It is quilted in red (probably worsted) thread in an overall chevron pattern. The quilt is backed with a tan twill-woven, cotton and linen fabic (heavily stained) with whole widths butted together and whip or overcast stitched together; and white wool batting. The wool batting is undyed. Wholecloth, wool quilts, named for their use of whole widths of fabric to construct the tops, were a common type of bedcovering made and used in New England during the 18th century. Quilts such as this example not only provided warmth, but also displayed the skill of the woman or women who stitched the pattern. Derived from England, New England wholecloth quilting patterns developed their own unique designs by the middle of the century, and appear much more frequently than imported versions. The wool face was probably originally glazed. Either linen or worsted thread was often used for quilting. Although out of fashion by about 1800, these kinds of quilts were made and used well into the 19th century, when their quilting patterns became more simplified and geometric.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Cotton; Linen; Wool Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.328 |
