PROJECTS & IDEAS | DECORATING

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Traditions Remembered

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Colonists in a New World

I have plied my needle these fifty years and by my goodwill would never have it out of my hands. A woman’s letter to the London Spectator, 1700

Quilt name: Burgoyne Surrounded
Michigan, c. 1880

European colonists brought with them skills that have influenced today’s quilting designs. Whole cloth quilts, filled with hearts, flowers, and feathers, showcased a lady’s fine handwork. As Americans became more affluent, they appliquéd chintz cutouts onto plain backgrounds, developing them into pieced and appliquéd medallion-style quilts that are still popular. Quiltmakers named their new blocks to commemorate important events. They reflect women’s desires to honor a famous person or to make strong political statements.

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Traditions Remembered
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