Recently Acquired

Until the middle of the 20th century, many of the quilts created by the very poor were made from worn-out work clothes. Old shirts, pants, overalls and other pieces of used clothing were pieced into quilts – complete with wear, tears and stains. Quilts made from old, heavy denim clothes were hard to make. Just taking apart the pieces of clothing was in itself a daunting task. Yet the women making them transformed these torn-up work clothes into compelling visual puzzles. Those quilts still remaining are icons of survival. They are rare because they got used up until there was nothing left of them. I am pleased to be able to offer one of these quilts for sale on my site at this time.

This work-clothes quilt is from Kentucky, c. 1930. Denim, 80” x 71”, with noticeable printing remaining on the feedsack back. On the front, you can easily see the use of pieces of jeans and overalls, including pockets. The quilt is in used condition with some deterioration, bleach marks, and tears – but no excuses!!!

To read more about work-clothes quilts, I suggest you purchase Gee’s Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt, an exhibition catalogue. Beginning on p.67 there is a chapter titled “A History of the Work-Clothes Quilt” by Joanne Cubbs.

Your price is $4800