Basket of Flowers Whitework Quilt1810–182097 1/2 × 90"Cotton with cotton fringeGift of Cyril Irwin Nelson in devoted memory of his Grandmother Eleanor Irwin (Chase) Holden and of his mother Elise (Hastings) Macy Nelson2005.4.10wholecloth1535261942P1.1992.002Artist unidentifiedTextilesThe American Folk Art Museum believes this work to be in the public domain. United StatesPennsylvaniaTextilesTEXTILEThe American taste for whitework evolved in part from intricately stuffed and corded all-white quilts, petticoats, and waistcoats made in Provence since at least the seventeenth century. Often called Marseilles work after the French port through which such textiles were exported, woven goods that simulated the hand-quilted examples were available in England by the 1770s. The popularity of imported woven Marseilles coverlets and yardage inspired American women to make hand-quilted or embroidered bedcovers that mimicked the loomed examples. The terms “whitework” and “quilts in imitation of Marseilles” were used in America to distinguish handmade whiteworks from woven.
Early whiteworks were often associated with an urban elite. Requiring intensive hand work and vast amounts of imported cotton and thread, they demonstrated refinement and wealth. The widening circles of participation in this trend through the early decades of the nineteenth century are tied to the decreasing cost and increasing availability of cotton yarn, thread, and cloth.
This whitework features exquisite stuffing and cording. In this technique, a narrow channel of consistent width was stitched through two layers of fabric. A thick cord was threaded through the channel using a large needle sometimes known as a bodkin. When combined with stuff work, cording was often restrained to delicate elements such as tendrils and stems.
Stacy C. Hollander, "Basket of Flowers Whitework Quilt," exhibition label for White on White (and a little gray).Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2006.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.
To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.orgwhole clothP1.1992.00218101820 2005 4 1 TEXTILEThe American taste for whitework evolved in part from intricately stuffed and corded all-white quilts, petticoats, and waistcoats made in Provence since at least the seventeenth century. Often called Marseilles work after the French port through which such textiles were exported, woven goods that simulated the hand-quilted examples were available in England by the 1770s. The popularity of imported woven Marseilles coverlets and yardage inspired American women to make hand-quilted or embroidered bedcovers that mimicked the loomed examples. The terms “whitework” and “quilts in imitation of Marseilles” were used in America to distinguish handmade whiteworks from woven.
Early whiteworks were often associated with an urban elite. Requiring intensive hand work and vast amounts of imported cotton and thread, they demonstrated refinement and wealth. The widening circles of participation in this trend through the early decades of the nineteenth century are tied to the decreasing cost and increasing availability of cotton yarn, thread, and cloth.
This whitework features exquisite stuffing and cording. In this technique, a narrow channel of consistent width was stitched through two layers of fabric. A thick cord was threaded through the channel using a large needle sometimes known as a bodkin. When combined with stuff work, cording was often restrained to delicate elements such as tendrils and stems.
Stacy C. Hollander, "Basket of Flowers Whitework Quilt," exhibition label for White on White (and a little gray).Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2006.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.
To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.orgwhole cloth