History of American Block Piecing

The early history of the American patchwork quilt is of the development of work that had been undertaken in Europe since the vogue for Spanish Bombast clothing in the mid sixteenth to early seventeenth centuries. Bombast style clothes were so heavily ornamented with jewels that it was necessary to have a number of layers of fabric to support them. These layers were quilted to hold them together.

The development of American block patchwork followed a logical sequence that mirrored the history of the first settlers in the New World (Gutcheon, 1973). For a variety of reasons the early immigrants had expected to find a warm temperate climate that would fulfil all their needs. Before the first spring more than half the colonists had died of pneumonia and starvation, having arrived ill-prepared and with insufficient supplies. From the native Indians they learned the basic skills necessary for their survival – how to build huts, what to do with corn and how to sprout beans, to eat enough greens to prevent scurvy during the winter (Gutcheon, 1973). All the hardships were endured and overcome, partly due to the nature of the first settlers and their reasons for leaving England. The English Puritans of the day wished to establish a community that would allow religious tolerance of their beliefs and allow them and their neighbours to lead the life they chose (Trevelyan, 1966).

To protect the monopoly of English trade a new Navigation Act was passed in 1651. This Act ‘prohibited the introduction into any territory of the Commonwealth of produce of any country in Asia, Africa or America, except in vessels owned by Englishmen or by the inhabitants of English colonies, and manned by crews of which more than one half were of English nationality’ (Trevelyan, 1966). In relation to the development of American patchwork the Navigation Act (1651) meant it was illegal for the colonists to buy textiles from any country other than England (Gutcheon, 1973). The Act also meant it was illegal for them to manufacture any textiles themselves.

Blankets, in the form they are made today, were not available until the nineteenth century (Fairfield, 1980). It is likely that the early settlers took the art of quilting to America from Britain and Europe. However, no mention of patchwork is made in contemporary literature and it is likely that the first quilts made by the colonists were made of wool or linen or a wool and linen mixture (linsey-woolsey). The early looms produced fabric of narrow widths so up to three were joined together to make a quilt top (Betterton, 1982). During the early years of colonisation the crazy quilt was invented as a form of warm bedcover. Clothing and bedding was used until it would no longer hold together. It was then made into clothing for the children and eventually cut up and sewn together as bedding. The quilts were stuffed with whatever material was available, including rags, dried leaves, letters and paper. These early quilts were very different from the silk and velvet crazy quilts of the Victorian era in England. They were utilitarian items hat today symbolise the hardship and poverty of the early settlers.

In time three colonies passed their own laws, in defiance of the Navigation Act (1651), which required each woman and child to spin a specified amount of flax each day (Gutcheon, 1973). Coverlets began to be filled with fleece and cottons began to be exported to America, and to England, by the East India Company. In response to this the import of cotton to England and the colonies was made illegal at the beginning of the eighteenth century and by 1729 it was illegal to wear cotton. By 1736 the laws were being so blatantly flouted that they had to be repealed. They were replaced by a new set of taxes imposed on the colonies, which meant that a length of fabric cost approximately four times what it did in England. In addition a tax had to be paid by anyone using a spinning wheel or loom at home.

The economic restrictions on the colonists meant that every scrap of fabric had a value and seams were essentially a luxury, hence the development of crazy quilts. However, where it was possible to lose a small amount of fabric women began to cut their scraps into shapes. It is likely that early patterns were those such as Bricks (example 1) or Hit and Miss (example 2) which do not require any symmetry in pattern or colour just an overall blend of many fabrics (Gutcheon, 1973).

Example 1 - Bricks	Example 2 - Hit & Miss

There was a further development at this time when women began to construct their quilts by making small separate units which were joined together to make the complete top. This method of working, which is now known by the term ‘quilt-as-you-go’ possibly developed as a convenient way of handling the very large quilts made by the early colonial women. The size of the quilts was dictated by the fact that families usually slept together in one room. The quilts had to cover the entire bed in which the parents and the younger children slept and the trundle beds, which were pulled out from under the bed at night, in which the older children slept.

Traditional American blocks all have distinctive names. Blocks were named after people, e.g. LeMoyne Star, which is named after the brothers who founded New Orleans. Other blocks were named after historical events, e.g. Rocky Road to Kansas, Whig Rose, Queen Charlotte’s Crown. Biblical names were also common, e.g. Golgotha, Crowned Cross, Hosanna. Equally popular were domestic names such as Sister’s Choice, Swing in the Corner, Grandmother’s Fan. It is possible to have the same block with different names, e.g. a block that was named Duck Foot in the Mud on Long Island was called Hand of friendship by the Quakers in Philadelphia and Bear’s Paw in Ohio (Gutcheon, 1973). The same block can also have different names according to the way it is pieced, e.g. the class Drunkard’s Path block becomes a number of other blocks, such as Millwheel or Illinois Rose, when the configuration of the piecing is changed. Interestingly each variation of Drunkard’s Path also has multiple names, e.g. Snake Trail, Falling Timbers, Diagonal Strips, Vine of Friendship, Chain are all the same variation (Cory, 1991).

After 1750 it becomes very difficult to chart the development of American block patchwork in a chronological order due to the tremendous migration across the country. However, it is important to note a couple of key facts that are important to quilt historians and which assist accurate dating of old quilts.

• Turkey Red dye became available in 1785. The colour produced was much brighter and deeper than earlier red dyes. In the 1820’s Turkey Red discharge prints became available (O’Connor & Fenwick-Smith, 1995).

• If a seed free cotton filler is found within a quilt where the fabric dates from before 1792 the assumption can be made that the owner and/or maker of the quilt was sufficiently wealthy to have slaves who cleaned the cotton. Where a quilt is free of seeds and is dated between 1800 and 1840, when the cotton gin was perfected, it is likely that the maker lived in the south (Gutcheon, 1973)

• Prior to 1813 there were no reliable green dyes – made by mixing blue and yellow dyes the colour washed out leaving blue or yellow (Gutcheon, 1973). After this date there were some better dyes but they were still not completely satisfactory. A reliable dye was not found until 1895 when Alizarin Green was discovered (O’Connor & Fenwick-Smith, 1995)
• Patchwork became an increasingly important pastime during the early nineteenth century. From around 1830 patterns for quilt blocks were published regularly in an American magazine – Godey’s Lady’s Book (Betterton 1982)
• Quilts made after 1835 reflect the increased availability of cheap printed cotton dress fabrics. The numbers of colours in any one print became less but there were some striking colour combinations. In the 1940’s and 1850’s, based on Prussian Blue (O’Connor & Fenwick-Smith, 1995)
• After the 1850’s the affordability of fabrics meant that, perhaps for the first time, women began to buy fabrics specifically to make quilts (Martin, 1985). This meant that a block could be repeated in a planned colour scheme, resulting in a co-ordinated design.

Different traditions developed amongst different groups of people in America. Two are described here in order to give a further insight into the development of block piecing.

During the Protestant Reformation, appr9ximately 255 years ago, radical leaders became dissatisfied with the church in Switzerland. Persecuted because of their beliefs the group was eventually given the name Anabaptists (meaning rebaptisers). They fled throughout Europe and a group settled in Pennsylvania, America in the 1700’s. The group was known as Mennonite’s, after the name of one of the most prominent leaders of the Anabaptists – Meno Simons. Once settled in America the Mennonites referred to themselves as plain people and lived largely separate lives from their non-Mennonite neighbours. The Mennonites led a life bound by duty and self-denial. The striking patterns of the quilts they learned to make in America reveal an aspect of their lives that usually remained hidden from the rest of the world. Quilts made by Old Order Mennonites were made of brightly coloured solid fabrics, in bold combinations and used simple pieced designs. They were beautifully quilted with 8 – 10 stitches per inch.

In 1693 Mennonite Jacob Amman questioned the purity of the Mennonite church, believing it to have grown lax in enforcing discipline. He left the sect, together with many followers, and formed a new group which became known as the Amish. To escape persecution and death the group emigrated from Germany to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1727 lured by the promise of land and religious freedom. The Amish people continue to make quilts in bold geometric patterns such as Sunshine and Shadows and Diamond in a Square. They use solid colours in unusual; colour combinations (Seward, 1996). The balance of light, medium and dark tones within the quilt is very important and the images for quilting patterns are very symbolic. The Amish lead very strict lives without modern conveniences such as electricity, cars and buttons. However, they will use modern articles provided this does not contravene the strict code of their religion; hence they have used treadle sewing machines since 1860 to piece their quilts.

During the nineteenth century life styles began to change as conditions in America became easier. The Industrial Revolution in the latter part of the century is held to be responsible for a gradual decrease in hand sewing and craftwork (Goodman, 1973). Symbolism in quilts became very sophisticated (Gutcheon, 1973). Gradually the making of quilts changed from being a necessary task to a leisure pursuit. Many quilts were made to commemorate special events and/or as gifts. After 1875 all-white quilts became the vogue. Known as Marcella or Marseilles quilts these bedcoverings were mass produced on newly improved Jacquard looms to look like wholecloth quilts (Chainey, 1993). Those who could not make or afford a white quilt turned over their pieced quilts to show the white underside. At the same time the Victorian Crazy Quilt became very popular. Made of silks and velvets and heavily embroidered these quilts were a logical extension of all that had gone before but they did not lead to any dew developments in piecing. The Crazy Quilts were the complete antithesis of all the early quilts as they served no functional purpose, being in the main purely decorative. When machine made blankets and eiderdowns became widely available quilt making became unnecessary, to the extent that in some quarters knowing how to quilt was seen as a sign of poverty (Gutcheon, 1973).

During the years of the depression in America quilt making was revived but this was not long lived. The late 1960’s saw a reawakening of interest in quilts in a great many countries round the world. This renewed interest was on a number of fronts, both as respectable work and also as a leisure activity. The emphasis today is on good workmanship and innovative design and a number of new block designs have been developed and continue to be developed. However there has been a change in the use of the block. Today, in new designs, the block tends to be a method of construction rather than a named style of piecing.

Today’s quilt makers maintain many of the old traditions, whilst adopting modern techniques such as machine piecing and machine quilting (Clover, 1998). They are comfortable with the history of quilt making and see their work as coming from very strong roots, which give a sound basis for evolution.

Betterton, S (1982) Quilts and Coverlets. The American Museum in Britain

Chainey, B (1993) The Essentual Quilter. Devon. David & Charles

Clover, J (1998) European Art Quilts. Tilburg. Nederlands Textielmuseum

Cory, P (1991) Happy Trails. California. C & T Publishing

Fairfield, H (1980) Patchwork. London. Octopus Books Limited

Guerrier, K (1991) How to Design and Make Your Own Quilts. London. The Apple Press

Goodman, L (Ed) (1973) All About Patchwork. London. Marshall Cavendish Limited

Gutcheon, B (1973) The Perfect Patchwork Primer. Middlesex. Penguin Books

Martin, J (1985) Scrap Quilts. Colorado. Moon Over the Mountain

O’Connor, D & Fenwick-Smith, T (1995) in Quilters Guild of the British Isles Quilt Treasures. London. Deirdre MacDonald Books

Seward, L (1996) Patchwork, Quilting & Appliqué. London. Mitchell Beazley

Trevelyan, G. M. (1966) History of England. London. Longman Group Limited