Update: We have a winner of an autographed copy of “The Angel of Forest Hill” and of the Amish-made quilt. Congrats to Donna K of North Carolina! And to all of you . . . thank you so much for participating. I wish I had time to respond to every post, both here on my… Read more »
In the past, Amish quilters used only scraps of material left over from other sewing projects or worn out clothing to create their quilts. For this reason, the colors of the quilts matched the clothes they wore: dark, earthy tones such as green, mauve, blue, and purple. But Amish quilts have changed over the years. Now, it is common for an Amish woman to shop for fabrics specifically for quilts. They will use bright colors and patterns and create eye-catching arrangements.
Traditional Amish quilting was very practical. Originally, the Amish would only quilt with scraps left over from other sewing projects, such as clothing. For this reason the quilts would often be made of the colors they would wear: blue, green, burgundy, purple, and black. The Amish have one particular quilting tradition that I think is very special. Often, mothers will save scraps from when they made clothes for their children through the years until the child/children are married or are expecting a child of their own.
It’s a pretty well-known fact that the Amish are excellent quilters. But when you stop to think about it, that fact seems a little bit odd, doesn’t it? The Amish are a people who emphasize living plain, and yet they create these extravagant, gorgeous quilts. Why is this?
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