American Quilts | Mingei International Museum
Log Cabin Quilt, Civil War Barn Raising, c. 1865, U.S.A., pieced and quilted wool. Collection Mingei International Museum, Gift of Pat L. Nickols; digitization made possible through the Quilter's Guild of Dallas, Quilt Accessibility Project: Photo by Tim Siegert.
Image: Log Cabin Quilt, Civil War Barn Raising, c. 1865, U.S.A., pieced and quilted wool. Collection Mingei International Museum, Gift of Pat L. Nickols; digitization made possible through the Quilter's Guild of Dallas, Quilt Accessibility Project: Photo by Tim Siegert.

Nearly 400 pieced and appliqued quilts exhibit colorful patterns, geometric designs, and regional variations.

Highlights

This quilt is asymmetrical with one large red design covering the white background. The design includes diagonal and curvilinear floral designs and shapes. Specifically, pineapples and pineapple leaves.

Pineapple Quilt

20th Century Hawaii

An interesting mix of cultures, these quilts employs applique to depict the local flora in one or two colors on an off-white or cream background.

Log Cabin Quilt, Civil War Barn Raising, c. 1865, U.S.A.

Log Cabin Quilt, Civil War Barn Raising

c. 1865 U.S.A.

Log Cabin quilt designs begin with a center square, then strips are sewn in sequence around the sides of the square, varying the values between light and dark.

This quilt is symmetrical with a white background and red trim. There are three designs vertically and three horizontally. The design is the same in every section. In the center of the design is a yellow sun with red sun rays. Behind the sun is a white circle inside a red square. Around the square are four large, red triangles with a saw tooth edge. These designs are separated, but create a circle. Separating the saw tooth pieces are horizontal and vertical lines of light blue think diamonds.

New York Beauty Quilt

c. 1845 U.S.A.

This quilt is made from little scraps of fabric, requiring expert sewing skills by its maker because of the many small stitches and the intricate saw tooth outlines.

This quilt is asymmetrical with multiple squares and rectangles that vary in size. The rectangles and squares are red, pink, white, light brown, blue and black. There is also a thick pink rectangle running horizontally across the middle of the quilt.

Child's Bed Quilt

1920s U.S.A.

Made for a child’s bed, this quilt is a variation on the Log Cabin pattern.

This coverlet is symmetrical with a dark blue background and red, light red and light blue motifs. The pattern includes a church, starbursts, florals, and curvilinear designs.

Jacquard Coverlet

1848 U.S.A.

This coverlet has two signature blocks, both reading “Wove in Logan Co. Ohio by I.M. 1848.”

This American quilt's color scheme is red and white. All the squares have a red outline and design in the center and the background is white. Vertically there are eight squares and horizontally there are ten squares. In the center there is one large square (the size of four square combined). Each square has a different design.

Red and White Quilt Top

1911 U.S.A.

Red and white has been a classic color scheme for American quilts since the 19th century.