textile art

Crazy quilt, Lydia Hooley King

From their introduction in the 1870s to their decline in popularity in the 1920s, crazy quilts were all the rage in the United States. Non-Amish quilt makers frequently assembled irregularly shaped fragments of silk, velvet, and luxury fabrics—even personal mementos—into showpieces that were further embellished with embroidery, tassels, and trimmings.

Conservative by comparison, Amish crazy quilts were made from solid-colored materials and without excessive ornamentation. The decorative stitches and scalloped border place this example outside the Amish norm.

European & American Art