Identify & Date Quilts
A brief essay on dating antique quilts by Kris Driessen
A Short Introduction to Quilting in Europe by Lady Sarah Davies. Quilting is older than you think. Discover how it traveled from ancient Asia through medieval Europe long before American patchwork came along.
Arch Quilts: What they are and how to spot them
Arch quilts were imported from China in the 1980s and 90s — and now show up mislabeled as antiques. Learn how to identify them.
Early Use of Natural Dyes in Textiles
The History of the Cotton Gin and it’s Impact on Textiles
How to Identify and Date a Linsey-Woolsey Coverlet. Is that heavy blue-and-cream bedcover a quilt, a blanket, or linsey-woolsey? The weave, layers, yarns, and wear offer useful clues.
Old and newer textiles defined in the Oxford English dictionary. Compiled by Patrick Leech
The Smithsonian Quilt Controversy
In 1992, Smithsonian-licensed quilt reproductions made in China sparked a nationwide protest. Learn what happened and why it still matters to quilters today.
Top Ten Titles for Antique Quilt Study – A compilation of the favorite books from noted quilt historians
Telltale Textiles. Every quilt carries evidence of when and how it was made, if you know where to look. Telltale Textiles digs into these details one at a time, the kind of clues an average person can actually spot on their own quilt, no lab equipment required.
