CONMM2 19th Century Old Order Amish Streak of Lightning Quilt

c.1885
65 x 65 inches
Big Valley, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
$9,500

Finding an early Amish quilt is quite a rarity. This graphically wonderful and captivating Streak of Lightning Amish quilt is almost 150 years old. Made from wool challis fabrics, some of the finest fabrics available. We can see the color fabrics the Old Order Amish adults were using at that time: all dark or muted colors of black, burgundy, pumpkin color, royal purple and a brownish/orange shade wool challis. The backing is a very costly and earlier wool challis fabric. Amish were allowed to use printed fabrics on the back of their quilts, but NEVER on the front...Those fabrics must be solid..no prints as solid clothing fabrics were and are a symbol of the "Plain People".

This quilt is comprised of 36 9-inch blocks with 1/2" to 3/4" Logs, a 5-1/4" border made up of two strips. The inner burgundy strip measures 2-1/2" in width. The outer strip in black measures 2-3/4" in width. The outside edge is turned over from the front to the back, finishing this quilt. Many Nineteenth century black fabrics were fugitive. By this I mean that the color would fade to a lighter black. 150 years ago chances are that all blacks in this quilt were the same shade.

As with all Amish quilts created from this time onwards, the pieces are machine pieced with all quilting done by hand. Even in the 1880's, it appears that Amish women had treadle sewing machines. The outer border is quilted in a 1" crosshatch diagonal grid with perfectly executed even quilting stitches. The way this pattern was pieced is called Foundation piecing. The Logs are stitched to a backing using a quilting stitch. As a result most of the quilting in the blocks is not seen.

Please call for more information. This quilt is ready to be sent, with free shipping, for your approval.

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