More about Quilting

Quilting has meant many things to many people over the centuries. It wasn't until just a few decades ago that quilts were fully recognized for their artistic merits by collectors and galleries. Previously, quilts were valued for their usefulness as warm bedcovers. Individuals, families, and communities certainly recognized and celebrated quilting as artistic. Many quilts hold extreme sentimental value for their owners, especially those that were passed down from generation to generation.

The creation of a quilt was often an arduous and time consuming task. All the fabric pieces needed to be cut and sewn together, and then the filling -- called the batting -- needed to be added and the entire quilt quilted (stitched in a pattern to hold it together). Different patterns required more or less labor, as did different quilting techniques.

Making a quilt was an excellent way for women to recycle materials. Old clothing and other fabrics were saved to be cut up into quilting pieces. It was an excellent way to save money by reusing what you already had. Susan McCord did this a great deal in many of her quilts. She was probably a very frugal person, perhaps by necessity. The batting in most of her quilts is a cotton batt, often with debris visible, which could have been purchased very inexpensively. The batt was also usually very thin, meaning that the quilts would not be very warm. This may indicate that they were used in warmer weather, perhaps as "summer quilts". The pieces of fabric in some of her quilts were often extremely small. By using such tiny pieces, she was able to maximize the amount of material she could use.

For many women, the task of putting together a quilt, or doing the quilting stitches, was too much to do alone. Quilting bees were organized days when women would gather in one place and help each other on one or more quilts. By helping each other, the work went faster. But the gatherings often meant much more. Rural farm women were often very isolated due to the distance between farms and the large responsibilities they held. Quilting bees were a chance for social interaction with each other.

What is interesting about Susan McCord, however, is that almost all of her quilts seem to have been solitary pursuits. Sewing stitches, like handwriting, tends to vary from person to person. By looking closely at the stitches in Susan's quilts, we can see when the stitches change hands. Most of the quilts seem to have only one person's stitches in them. She did have some help. The quilts called "Diamond Field," "Harrison Rose," and "Vine" appear to have stitches by at least two other hands. We do not know who helped her; it could be her daughters, members of her church, or other women in the community. The other seven quilts reveal only the work of Susan's hands. Susan's stitching technique shows a high level of skill. They are even and fine stitches, averaging about ten stitches per inch.

As the 19th century progressed, quilting trends changed. Towards the end of the century, with the increase of industrialization, it became easier to purchase fabrics, even fancy ones such as silks, for use in quilts. Patterns also changed, as crazy quilts became popular. Women's magazines began printing patterns for women to copy and use.

Susan McCord's quilts tend to be variations on popular quilt patterns. In one way or another she would adapt the patterns for her own quilts, making them even more unique. This one of a kind collection reveals the variety of quilting styles and techniques in the 19th century. It shows the individual talent and artistry of a farm wife from Indiana, shared first with her family and community, and now shared with us.