| It's not unusual to have a collection of
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| | necessary for every child: neatness,
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| antique quilts. But doll quilts?
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| | attentiveness, patience, perseverance,
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| Yes, doll quilts. While charming in
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| | and acceptance of routine and repetition.
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| their own right, they are difficult to
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| | Girls in upper class families also
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| find because during the period they were
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| | learned to do needlework, although they
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| made, they were considered unimportant
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| | used finer materials and more intricate
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| and insignificant.
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| | designs. It's not unusual to find crazy
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| Many were made from leftovers and got
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| | quilts using velvets, wools and silks
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| hard use from the little girls who owned
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| | that were made by children in upper class
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| them. Quilts made by young girls are
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| | families.
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| likely to reflect their lack of refined
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| | Unlike children today, children in the
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| skills in hand stitching.
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| | 1800s had little other than their
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| Girls in the early nineteenth century
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| | imagination to play with. Only the upper
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| were trained from the time they were very
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| | class could afford to purchase dolls
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| young in what was thought to be their
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| | imported from Europe, so children created
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| life's work. Since a young girl would
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| | dolls from sticks, hankies, corncobs, or
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| likely be stitching all of the clothing,
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| | whatever else they could find.
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| linens and bedding for her home, before
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| | It wasn't surprising that girls would
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| sewing machines, hand sewing was an
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| | want to create something just like they
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| important skill to learn.
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| | had for their dolls. Often, the girls
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| It seemed natural, then, that doll quilts
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| | would take pieces left from worn out
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| would be the perfect practice piece. Not
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| | quilts and make them into quilts for
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| only were they small, but a girl could
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| | their dolls.
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| start with something simple, like strips,
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| | Sometimes, they would replicate a bed
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| and then work up to making a nine patch,
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| | size quilt using smaller pieces, to be
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| and even sewing curves.
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| | sure to re-create the pattern of the bed
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| Beyond that, if she chose, a young girl
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| | size quilt top. Other times, they would
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| could piece a more complex design, using
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| | use patches left over from bed size
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| triangles as well as squares in her doll
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| | quilts to make their doll quilts, even
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| quilt.
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| | though the quilt top design would be
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| Both girls and boys were taught to sew by
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| | lost.
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| their mothers, often before they learned
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| | Most of these quilts are pieced, not
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| how to read. A very small child might
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| | appliqué, and some have been made from
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| begin sewing using an unknotted thread,
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| | children's handkerchiefs printed with
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| and then gain even more practice by
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| | holiday or religious themes.
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| counting threads on a scrap of fabric.
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| | Due to labor saving devices, and smaller
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| It was not uncommon for girls to be
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| | families, twentieth century mothers had
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| expected to complete a nine-patch by the
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| | more time to include creative components
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| time she was nine years old. Amazingly,
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| | in their doll quilts - nursery rhymes,
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| some mid-nineteenth century diaries
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| | animals, and even pastel colors.
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| record quilt tops being finished by girls
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| | Quilts today are made in all different
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| as young as five.
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| | sizes, each for a different purpose.
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| One quilter, Edith Bell Sims, says she
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| | Even though they are the size of a king
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| began a quilt at age three, with her
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| | size bed quilt, some large quilts have
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| mother cutting the fabric, marked the
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| | never seen the top of a bed.
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| sewing lines, and pinning the pieces
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| | It's not unusual for a small quilt to be
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| together. Edith then stitched the patches
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| | made to be a wall hanging, with no
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| - initially by hand and later on her new
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| | intention for it to be used as a doll
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| treadle sewing machine. Edith finished
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| | quilt. I wonder if maybe some of those
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| her quilt top by the time she was six.
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| | tiny quilts from the nineteenth century
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| Sewing was (and probably still should be)
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| | hung on a wall, and were never placed on
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| believed to inspire virtues deemed
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| | a doll bed.
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