Object Story: Amish Bar Pattern Quilt

The Amish have a long tradition of religious practices based on a strict interpretation of the Bible. They believe they should separate themselves from things of the world that would separate them from God. Any evidence of fanciness is seen as evidence of pride, which is not allowed. Amish ways of life follow traditional practices and do not include things like electricity or machinery that might make work easier to complete, although there are differences among different sects. Their customs value tradition, community, industry, and craft. All of their clothing and possessions are to be very plain without excessive decoration. Being separate from the sin of “worldliness” (or modern society) is part of their spiritual tenets and way of life.

Many Amish people immigrated to the United States in the early eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They initially settled in areas in and around Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and later to parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Nebraska.

Quilt making was not a tradition in Amish communities when they first arrived and settled in the United States. They were more likely to have blankets, woven coverlets, and featherbeds to keep warm. In the late nineteenth century there was a disagreement throughout Amish communities around what traditions and interpretations of their way of life should be preserved and which might change and adapt to the world around them.  After this time, certain sects of Amish women began making quilts. These quilts were not like those of their nearest “English neighbors” (as they called them), but rather had a distinct style that set them apart and still upheld their values. 

Believing that overly fancy or ornate styles were symbolic of greed and pride, the simple Amish style quilt was focused on geometric patterns and a limited set of colors. The earliest Amish quilts were made of large pieces of solid color fabric (either cotton or wool). This early twentieth century “Bar Pattern” quilt in the Fielding Collection is a classic Amish style that is most typical of Pennsylvania Amish. The shapes are big and the overall composition is simple and austere. 

Questions for Discussion

• What are some of the unique characteristics of this object? 
• What makes it different from the other objects like it? 
• What might this quilt remind you of from your own life? How are they similar or different? 
• Quilt making marked a change for Amish women. Discuss how Amish women incorporated quilt making into their own traditions. How did they maintain their values? How do Amish quilts differ from others you might see?  Consider things like the overall pattern, colors, and types of materials.
• Many Amish women expanded their quilting activities to sell to tourists in the twentieth century. How might this practice compare with the Haudenosaunee women who made items for tourists in the nineteenth century near Niagara Falls?