History of Amish Quilts

The Amish quilt began around the 1870's, due to their religious beliefs to remain isolated from today's world of happiness and conveniences, quilting was at first a temptation the Amish girls resisted. After realizing the practical utilization of the quilt, they finally became a regular section of the Amish lifestyle.

The very first Amish quilts were quite plain with a solid dark colored material, a lot such as the clothes they wore. However, their gift for the complex designs is what made their quilts renowned. After much discussion, in the Amish community, over several years the Amish girls slowly made the change to their patterns as well as colors. This conclusion, like all the Amish determinations, had to be accepted by the Amish Community. Now there's more individual input signal to the way the quilts are made and what designs are used to produce the exceptional and lovely colored hand stitched quilts that we see and love now.

Even though the external world does not comprehend the Amish community, it's the center of Amish existence. Buddies, as well as family, work jointly on jobs for the whole community. Such as bringing in the crops, constructing a barn, this is usually called a frolic. Girls will assemble at a preferred dwelling to do canning vegetables, fruits, and jellies. Typically one girl will piece a quilt together, but it's not unusual to get several girls around the quilting frame to help stitch the quilt together; this is usually known as a quilting bee or quilting circle. This enables the girls to do something they love and to catch up on all that's occurring locally.

The Amish believe a lady 's capability to produce and hand stitch a quilt is a present from God that ought to be utilized to its fullest ability. Lots of the young girls are educated to begin quilting by the age of four years old. This aids to clarify the reason why they supply such skilled stitching in the Amish quilts.




Nowadays, many consider the exceptional quilt patterns a work of art. A growing number of families need their very own Amish quilt, not only because of its practical use but for its artistic worth. Amish quilts are frequently utilized as a bit of wall décor, wedding gifts, an arrival of a child and they make fantastic fundraisers.The expression Amish Quilt is utilized to refer to a quilt with all the mixture of conventional Amish quilt block patterns, and made by an Amish or a Mennonite quilter. The reason behind this is since the Amish and Mennonites share similar ethnic customs. They lived alongside each other since immigrating to the USA. Their history of quilting, as well as their routines, are the same.

Reason Why Amish Quilt

People and all beings do what they can to survive and to perpetuate.  The earliest New World settlers needed to keep warm – so quilt making on these shores began in the early 1700’s. Any materials, burlap sacks, anything, that could be used was used.

It makes sense that the act of quilt making (an activity with a pay off) gave the handmade patchwork quilt maker a purpose, comfort and pleasure.  Once people’s lives became a bit more secure, quilt making (still very basic) gradually morphed into a creative activity.  For the Amish, this was one of the few such activities allowed: It had a purpose, therefore, harmony. No matter how strictly you go about your life, it’s human to at least enjoy and give meaning to the task at hand.  It is not unexpected that the Amish, who live simply in harmony with nature, the land, the seasons and the rising and setting of the sun, would apply themselves to this activity and that this activity would reflect their lifestyle.

Their first quilts were wholecloth quilts, but they could never waste pieces of fabric, so, simple pieced quilts were made . . . It is very clear that the best quilts made by the Amish reflect a spirit and force: from nature, family and faith in their beliefs. While the forms and shapes are simple: the harmony – the voice of two fabrics brought together in a quilt ring clear and shining.

Over a short period of time, quilt making which began as a necessity has become a tradition that is now found in the permanent collections of major museums. Because it is highly appreciated and in demand, part of the Amish economy is based on the sale of their quilts. So the original reason for quilt making, survival, remains intact.