| When you think of Amish people, you think
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| | Only solid colored fabric was used but
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| of horse-drawn buggies, plain clothes,
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| | with more varied colors. Amish quilts
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| barn raisings, farms and quilts. However,
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| | were made of wool or cotton, as popular
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| the Amish came rather late to the quilt
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| | silks were considered too worldly.
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| making. Long after their neighbors were
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| | Most people assume that Amish quilts were
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| piecing quilts the Amish still used the
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| | done completely by hand but this was not
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| old German featherbeds and coverlets.
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| | the case. Many Amish quilts were pieced
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| There was a good reason for this. Amish
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| | using a treadle sewing machine but the
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| communities were formed so that the
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| | beautiful quilting was always done by
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| members could remain apart from the
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| | hand.
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| temptations of the modern world. At this
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| | Although most piecing was done at home,
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| time, quilts were considered something
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| | when the top was ready to be quilted it
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| new and modern. But what is considered
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| | was often an occasion for women to gather
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| 'modern' changes over the years.
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| | around the quilting frame. This sense of
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| The Amish do gradually make changes as
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| | community and the importance of complying
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| well, but often a few decades later.
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| | with community standards had a great
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| Amish quilt making is a good example of
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| | influence on Amish quilting.
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| this. Very few quilts are known to have
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| | Changes in how quilts were made occurred
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| been made by the Amish before the 1870s.
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| | slowly and only with community approval.
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| Then over 15 years quilting became quite
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| | Interestingly, this also brought about a
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| common. It is now considered commonplace
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| | good deal of variety from community to
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| and expected in the Amish community.
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| | community as each community had its own,
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| As we follow the evolution of their quilt
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| | often unwritten guidelines as to how
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| making we find that the Amish always used
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| | things should be done. Pink or white
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| conservative styles compared to what was
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| | fabric may have been considered
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| popular in quilting at any given time.
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| | unacceptable in a more conservative area,
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| The first Amish quilts were made in one
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| | while drab browns may have been thought
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| solid color, of brown, blue, rust or
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| | dull and old-fashioned in a more liberal
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| black. Often worsted wools were used, and
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| | one. A quilt made in one community might
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| though the fabric was plain, the quilting
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| | be put away or sold when the family moved
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| done to hold the layers together was
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| | to another one.
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| intricate and decorative. Swirling
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| | In the early twentieth century new
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| feathers, curves and grids were typical
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| | brighter colors became available. During
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| quilting patterns. So even though they
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| | World War II natural fiber was hard to
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| had adopted the quilting process, they
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| | come by and the Amish had to turn to the
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| still did not do the modern art of
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| | synthetics available. As most of the
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| colored swatches and patches.
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| | nation turned away from quilting,
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| Gradually some basic piecing and
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| | considering it old-fashioned and a waste
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| additional colors were added. For example
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| | of time, the Amish continued the
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| a quilt may have had a large diamond in
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| | tradition.
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| the middle of a dark fabric with only
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| | The unique art of Amish quilting might
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| wide border around it. Fabric colors
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| | have declined to utilitarian craft if it
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| evolved to include pumpkin, olive green
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| | were not for the discovery of Amish
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| and an occasional dark red. These new
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| | quilts by the general population. In
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| colors were still deep and solid.
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| | spite of so many buyers eager to purchase
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| As the general population moved on to
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| | them, quilts are still made by the Amish
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| elaborate Crazy quilts the Amish adopted
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| | for their own use. Women make quilts for
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| some of the more basic of the block
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| | weddings, babies, friends and
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| patterns. Nine patch, Around the World,
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| | fund-raisers.
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| and Sunshine and Shadow were popular.
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