There is a tradition in Appalachia of self-sufficiency that often manifests itself in handmade, everyday items being things of beauty in themselves. Utilitarian objects, like baskets, quilts and furniture that have that little decorative touch and mark of personal pride, make the transition from being a tool to becoming a piece of folk art.

At the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park, we’re proud to have a number of objects in our collection that represent this regional tradition.

A good example of folk art is the humble quilt. Quilts used as bed covers have been around since at least the Middle Ages in Europe, and the tradition came over with the colonists to this country in the 17th century. Whether made from pieces of worn clothing stitched together in a simple pattern or appliqued into a work of art, quilts are always an expression of their maker’s creativity.

The quilt collection at the museum includes dozens of regionally made quilts dating from the 18th century to the 21st.

A classic pattern, our “Flying Geese” quilt is one of the oldest in the collection. It was quilted by Delilah Fair Frances Sargent Gibbs (1852 – 1934), who was born in Harlan County, Kentucky, and moved to Appalachia, Virginia, right around the corner from the museum. It is easy to see where the pattern gets its name, and the varying fabric scraps make for a visually appealing quilt.

Although early records refer to this quilt as a "Sunflower Quilt,” the pattern is actually a Dresden Plate design featuring a plain white center with 19 print pieces per "plate.” The "crosses" of purple print fabric and the plates are appliqued onto the quilt’s foundation, and the entire piece is hand-sewn and hand-quilted in a diamond pattern. We don’t know who the quilter was, but according to research, the fabrics used appear to be from the 1920-1930 era.

Another classic pattern is this Jerusalem Cherry quilt, comprised of 20 blocks alternating between an appliqued motif and a "blank" block. The tan fabric used for the "cherries" was most likely originally red, like the thread, which has faded over the years. The 25 hearts are quilted, but only one is encased within two quilted circles; these hearts may indicate that this quilt was a bride's quilt. An appliqued vine runs along the the top of the quilt. Darthula White Wood of Scott County, Virginia, created this elaborate quilt in 1879 and it was donated to the museum by her granddaughter.

The last quilt from our collection that we’ll look at today is this “crazy” quilt from the late 19th century, which is made up of a variety of different-shaped, patterned and solid fabrics all hand-pieced, including velvets, ribbon, silks and satins. The quilt also has intricate piece edge embroidery stitching and includes embroidered figures and initials throughout. One of the more interesting features is the inclusion of the campaign ribbon from the 1888 Benjamin Harrison/Levi Morton presidential campaign.

The 2005 Quilt Documentation Project, conducted by Sue Adams-Ramsey of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, is the basis for much of what we know about our quilts; all the information discussed in this blog has been taken from that research. In addition, many of the quilts in the museum’s collection are featured in the book, “Quilts of Virginia, 1607-1899,” which we offer for sale in our gift shop.

Come to our Quilt Show

If you’re a fan of quilts like us, the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park celebrates this fascinating craft during our annual springtime Stitch in Time Quilt Show, which displays quilts from the community as well as from our collection from April through the end of May.