History:
The small squares of this patchwork quilt are made from the scraps of many different fabrics – some remnants, worn-out clothing, feed sacks, and old blankets. The small squares were likely pieced like a string quilt; small pieces of paper would be cut from old magazines or newspapers then used as pattern pieces to create the squares. Creation of quilts like this depended on the economical use of leftover pieces. The very lining of this quilt is old blankets. This quilt, like many others in the Foxfire collection, was truly a recycled piece; nothing ever went to waste! Quilts such as this and the patchwork quilt are a contrast to our modern consumer attitude toward clothing as a disposable good.
Harriet Echols stressed that quilts should be made from scraps, not new materials:
Description:
A patchwork quilt with ties (no quilting). The quilt is comprised of small squares, between 2.5-3″ wide. All squares are made from a variety of fabrics, primarily feed sack cloth and wool scraps. The feed sack prints are mostly in light pastels with floral patterns. The wool scraps range from brown suiting to red and green tartan. Some gingham and dotted prints are present as well. The quilt has binding on three sides (binding forms part of backing). The backing and binding of quilt is off-white cotton. The backing is made of two large pieces of same fabric. The ties are repeated at nearly every corner of each square and are done in pink or pink and white thread. The stitching throughout quilt is done by hand. The lining of quilt visible in some areas, appears to be a cotton or linen sheet, making the quilt lightweight.
