Quilts and America's folklore

[homesteadmamma]

These were found in a wonderful book I'm reading right now titled America's Glorious Quilts by Dennis Duke and Deborah Harding.

Here are some superstitions to quilting way back when!!!

*If a girl shakes a new quilt out the front door, the first man who enters will be her husband.
*If an unmarried girl puts in the last stitch of the quilting, she will be an old maid.
*If the thread breaks, it will bring bad fortune.
*Lone Star quilts can be bad luck in certain circumstances (although so many are extant that it is hard to believe that many people took these precautions seriously.) A person who starts a Lone Star quilt will never live to finish it; if a single girl makes ones, she will never marry.
*"Shaking the Cat" meant that a cat would be placed on a finished quilt and several girls (usually four) would grasp the edges and shake it; when the cat jumped out, the girl closest to it would be next to marry.
*Never beging a quilt on Friday.
*Never quilt on Sunday.
*Tulips in patterns symbolize love; pineapples indicate hospitality; a pomegranate symbolizes abundance; and rings and hearts symbolize love
*Quilts should incorporate a deliberate flaw, such as mismatched colors or a pattern that is askew, as a reminder that only God can make a perfect object. (This one is still a belief to this day.)
*If a child, especially a boy, sleeps beneath a quilt displaying a pattern called Wandering Foot, he will leave home, never to return. (Later the name of the pattern was changed to Turkey Tracks.)
*Sleep under a new quilt and your dreams will come true!

Also did you know that traditionally, girls had to complete 12 quilts by the time she was engaged and a grand party was held to announce the girls wedding and the tops would be quilted by friends. The superstition for this was that if the girl began working on the Bridal quilt before she became officially engaged, she would never marry.

This is an absolute wonderful book with some stunning quilts, some dating back to 1840. There is one quilt in there that is a Pieced and Appliqued Centennial quilt, dating back to 1876. It is made up of nine cotton hankerchief squares printed with patriotic and historical motifs. It is awesome!!

If you can get your hands on this book, its well worth the price. Even if you can't purchase it, you might be able to find it at your public library. Its a wonderful testament to quilting and how long its been around and the wonderful work that was done in quilting years ago and all by hand!!! (This book may not be published anymore. It was done in 1987.)

[frugalmel]

Sounds like a wonderful book. I love history and especially history of quilting and women who made them! Thanks for sharing.

[Missy]

Sounds like a great book, i'll keep my eyes out for it