Amish Quilts on view at Constructed Color in Spring 2009
05 Jan '09
4 min read
Quilt-makers from each of these distinct Amish groups join the quilt layers?front, inner padding and back?together with intricate stitched designs. These designs include cables, fans, feathered wreaths, roses and other flowers, and are often used in conjunction with one another. The quilting adds both pattern and textural effects to the overall aesthetic.
Amish groups began migrating to North America in the mid-18th century to escape the religious persecution and economic hardships of Europe. The Amish espoused a strict separation of church and state, practiced voluntary adult baptism rather than infant baptism, and refused to participate in the military, as it ran counter to their view of Christ's teachings of nonviolence.
All of the quilts in the exhibition are drawn from collections held by the International Quilt Study Center & Museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: the Jonathan Holstein Collection, featuring quilts from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; the Ardis and Robert James Collection and the Sara Miller Collection, focusing on quilts from midwestern communities; and the Henry and Jill Barber Collection, featuring quilts from Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.