Several pictures often come to mind when someone mentions the Amish community. Mainly horse and buggies, rustic living, barn raising, quilting bees and country crafts. The Amish quilt and craft enterprise has become very popular with the "English" world in the past few decades. Central Pennsylvania alone does a ton of tourist business thanks to the Amish population. More and more Amish, particularly the women, have embraced this trade as a popular way to socialize and earn extra income.
The funny thing is, while people assume Amish quilts have been around forever, the Amish were actually very late to quilting. Long after their English neighbors began piecing quilts together, the Amish were still clinging to the German tradition of feather beds and coverlets. It wasn't until the mid to late 1800s that Amish quilts began to crop up.
Amish communities were formed so they could maintain their own cultural beliefs and live away from the temptations of the modern world. Therefore quilting was just a little too newfangled for them when it first came about. However, it isn't that the Amish don't change - they just change very slowly over time. They deliberate for years if necessary over decisions, weighing the harm or benefit it may have to their community. Eventually however, quilting caught on with the Amish.
Compared to other quilting styles, the Amish quilt remains relatively plain. While there are few Amish quilts that date back before 1870, around that time, quilting among the Amish suddenly became popular. The first Amish quilts were made of one solid color, usually a darker, plain color like blue, brown or black. Over the years however, even Amish quilts evolved.
The Amish community is slow to change, and changes must be approved by the leaders of the community. That's most likely why it took years and years for the Amish quilt to evolve past one solid color. Eventually some very basic piecing and colors were added, such as a diamond border in the middle of the quilt. While reds and other colors began being used, they were still very muted colors, though within the quilts they showcased a plain and natural beauty.
In the outside world, different quilting styles quickly evolved, getting more and more eye catching. As usually, the Amish quilt style changed slowly and incrementally. They do embrace the tamer patterns such as Sunshine and Shadow and the Nine Patch. The Amish do not practice typical art skills like painting or drawing, so quilting was a great way to show the creativity and skill at work within the community.
Amish quilting also became a way for the womenfolk to get together to visit and socialize, and often many hands would help piece a quilt together. These quilting bees became a way for the women to "catch up" with one another once their household chores were finished. It has also turned into a large enterprise and tourist attraction as well.
Despite the "plainer" aspects of the Amish quilt, it is till an amazingly beautiful form of creative expression. The intricate details come in the actual stitching and sewing together of the pieces. A store bought quilt just can't compare to the simplistic beauty and workmanship of an authentic Amish quilt patterns. - 14915
The funny thing is, while people assume Amish quilts have been around forever, the Amish were actually very late to quilting. Long after their English neighbors began piecing quilts together, the Amish were still clinging to the German tradition of feather beds and coverlets. It wasn't until the mid to late 1800s that Amish quilts began to crop up.
Amish communities were formed so they could maintain their own cultural beliefs and live away from the temptations of the modern world. Therefore quilting was just a little too newfangled for them when it first came about. However, it isn't that the Amish don't change - they just change very slowly over time. They deliberate for years if necessary over decisions, weighing the harm or benefit it may have to their community. Eventually however, quilting caught on with the Amish.
Compared to other quilting styles, the Amish quilt remains relatively plain. While there are few Amish quilts that date back before 1870, around that time, quilting among the Amish suddenly became popular. The first Amish quilts were made of one solid color, usually a darker, plain color like blue, brown or black. Over the years however, even Amish quilts evolved.
The Amish community is slow to change, and changes must be approved by the leaders of the community. That's most likely why it took years and years for the Amish quilt to evolve past one solid color. Eventually some very basic piecing and colors were added, such as a diamond border in the middle of the quilt. While reds and other colors began being used, they were still very muted colors, though within the quilts they showcased a plain and natural beauty.
In the outside world, different quilting styles quickly evolved, getting more and more eye catching. As usually, the Amish quilt style changed slowly and incrementally. They do embrace the tamer patterns such as Sunshine and Shadow and the Nine Patch. The Amish do not practice typical art skills like painting or drawing, so quilting was a great way to show the creativity and skill at work within the community.
Amish quilting also became a way for the womenfolk to get together to visit and socialize, and often many hands would help piece a quilt together. These quilting bees became a way for the women to "catch up" with one another once their household chores were finished. It has also turned into a large enterprise and tourist attraction as well.
Despite the "plainer" aspects of the Amish quilt, it is till an amazingly beautiful form of creative expression. The intricate details come in the actual stitching and sewing together of the pieces. A store bought quilt just can't compare to the simplistic beauty and workmanship of an authentic Amish quilt patterns. - 14915
About the Author:
About the author: Deborah Lichtie works as an ecommerce consultant for several sites such as Amish Quilt as well as a freelance content and copywriter. She has a particular interest in history and especially Amish culture, as well as different types of craft creation, including stamping, wood carving and quilting. In her spare time she sells amish quilts on her website and via ebay.
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