18th century patchwork quilts, pieced counterpanes, and related bed coverings
This page includes 18th century patchwork quilts as well as counterpanes, bed covers, and similar textiles with piecework and/or patchwork. A separate page on wholecloth quilts is available elsewhere on this site. Several quilts are inditialed and/or dated using the same sort of cross stitch as laundry marks.
Johnson defines patchwork as “Work made by ſewing ſmall pieces of different colours interchangeably together.”
Jonathan Swift references patchwork when Gulliver describes the clothing that the people of Lilliput construct for him:
When my Cloaths were finiſhed, which was done in my Houſe, (for the largeſt of theirs would not have been able to hold them) they looked like the Patch-work made by the Ladies in England, only that mine were all of a Colour.
In his Directions to Servants in General, Swift tells the Waiting-Maid that “Two Accidents have happened to leſſen the Comforts and Profits of your Employment; Firſt, that execrable Cuſtom got among Ladies, of … making [their old Cloaths] into Patch-work for Skreens, Stools, Cuſhions, and the like.” (Some of Swift’s sarcasm and humor may be lost on the modern reader; the second of these so-called accidents is the invention of small locked boxes for securing tea and sugar, forcing the maid to buy her own brown sugar and reuse tea leaves instead of stealing from her mistress.)
Additional 18th century references to patchwork quilts are at the bottom of this page.
Additional Resources
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America’s Earliest Quilts - The Quilt Index
Anonymous Needlework: Uncovering British Patchwork 1680-1820
An introduction to quilting and patchwork
Four Centuries of Quilts: The Colonial Williamsburg Collection
American Quilt Treasures: Historic Quilts from the International Quilt Study Center and Museum
Quilts, 1700-2010: hidden histories, untold stories
Quilts in a Material World: Selections from the Winterthur Collection
V&A T.201-1984, quilted patchwork bed cover of silks and velvets with embroidery in metal threads, England, c. 1690-1720
V&A T.615-1996, quilted patchwork bed cover created from a variety of silk velvets, satins, silver and silver-gilt tissues and other complex-weave silks, England, c. 1690-1720
Levens Hall, Kenworth has a quilt dated to 1708; I haven’t found a good picture of the quilt online, but there is a detail from it on this postcard and this photo
The 1718 Silk Patchwork Coverlet “one of the earliest known dated patchworks, and is constructed in the mosaic patchwork tradition of piecing over papers”; see also Tangible Culture, 1718 Replica Coverlet, Quilt Studies Issue 4/5, and The 1718 Coverlet: 69 quilt blocks from the oldest dated British patchwork coverlet
V&A 1475-1902, patchwork coverlet made up of a combination of plain- and complex-weave silks, with block-printed cotton patches over-printed with gold, England, early 18th century
Colonial Williamsburg 2005-1,A, quilt top, pieced silk and velvet with paper templates, Great Britain, c. 1700-1730
Silk patchwork fragment made up from square blocks that have been quartered into triangles, with a central star medallion and several smaller star shaped motifs, c. 1700-1760
McCord Stewart Museum M972.3.1, patchwork quilt in silk, cotton, and linen, 1726; see also An Early-Eighteenth-Century Pieced Quilt in Montreal
Mosaic silk patchwork coverlet including fabrics printed with references to George I, c. 1720-1750
V&A 242 to G-1908, patchwork bedhangings in a clamshell pattern made in England c. 1730-1750; “each of the [printed cotton, embroidered cotton, linen, and fustian] patches has been pieced over printed or plain linen, before being individually lined with linen”
Danvers Historical Society 1893.49.1, a patchwork firescreen made in Massachusetts c. 1730s-1750s
V&A T.117-1973, quilted patchwork bed cover made from early eighteenth century silk ribbons, c. 1740-1800
International Quilt Museum 2008.040.0145, framed-center quilt made in France c. 1750-1770
Mount Vernon W-1117, patchwork quilt in silk and wool, c. 1750-1800
V&A T.19-1987, Quilted patchwork bedcover of plain-weave and complex-weave silks, including ribbons from the 1720s-1740s, made in England c. 1760
Quilt made in South Carolina c. 1762-1763
MFA 43.177, pieced quilt with horizontal and vertical bands of pink and white silk plain weave, possibly upcycled from an earlier quilted petticoat, Massachusetts, c. 1760
Whitworth Art Gallery T.2012.7, pieced coverlet made of floral plate-printed textiles, England, c. 1775-1799
Mattapoisett Historic Society FCL 51, Massachusetts, 1775-1800
Dana Auctions Sep 19 2020, c. 1775-1800
Quilt of (c. 1725-1775) crewelwork, printed cottons, and wools, Connecticut, c. 1775-1800
Mount Vernon H-554, cotton and linen quilt, c. 1775-1815; “At a glance the quilt appears to be in the whole cloth style, but upon closer observation, you will notice that there are 2 fabrics. One fabric is denser and darker for the center field, and the other is a lighter and airier motif in the four borders.”
Mount Vernon H-587, linen and cotton patchwork quilt top, c. 1775-1825
DAR Museum 6521, calimanco star-in-the-window quilt, c. 1775-1825
Historic Deerfield F.649, wool quilt with a pale green center and a pink border, America, c. 1775-1800
Historic New England 1938.1422, striped twilled wool center with brown wool border, possibly Vermont or Connecticut, c. 1780-1840
National Museum of American History 1977.0101, pieced wool quilt, 1790-1810
Met 1975.2, a pieced and quilted coverlet made of small pieces of French and English printed cottons, Britain, late 18th century; see also A Quilt and Its Pieces
MFA 59.587, quilt made of copperplate prints in sepia on natural cotton, England, c. 1780-1800
MFA 49.414, pieced quilt with urns and borders, made in New York, late 18th century
Colonial Williamsburg 1986-259, pieced printed cotton strip quilt, America. c. 1780-1810
University of Rhode Island 771/Varnum House Q004, a late 18th century strip quilt
Wenham Museum 4979, an 18th century strip quilt
National Museum of American History 1995.0008, composed of alternating wide and narrow block printed stripes within a border, USA, c. 1790-1800
Late 18th century simple frame quilt, made from early printed furnishing cottons on both dark and light grounds, c. 1780-1810
Winterthur 1969.0568, appliquéd and embroidered quilt made in Ireland in 1782
DAR Museum 60.56, appliqué quilt in printed blue linen on an off-white linen ground, USA (possibly Maryland), 1783
Wadsworth Atheneum 1967.75, Anna Tuels paper template-pieced quilt in various worsteds, silk, and printed cotton, New England, 1785
V&A T.20-1938, small bedcover (or cushion cover?) in patchwork and embroidery, dated 1786
Rachel Mackey quilt, Pennsylvania, 1787
Kerry Taylor Auctions Apr 1 2008, a patchworked panel in block prints and roller prints with a central portrait of Anne Brunton in the role of Horatia
McCord Stewart Museum M969.15.147, a quilt block made in the United States in 1789
DAR Museum 2015.16, framed center medallion quilt, USA (possibly Philadelphia), c. 1790
DAR Museum 91.325, pieced wool quilt top of inlaid patchwork construction, edge-to-edge piecing without hems (“According to family history, fabrics were tailoring scraps from Revolutionary War uniforms. Some of the wool used has been indentified as those used in military uniforms, but some date to the 1790s.”), Maryland c. 1790
Kerry Taylor Auctions Dec 12 2006, a patchwork coverlet made of wool patches probably taken from coats, with a large double-headed eagle on an armorial shield in the center, 18th century
American History Museum 190856, pieced and crewel-embroidered quilt, Maine, c. 1790-1795
Paine House quilt, Rhode Island, c. 1790-1800
Colonial Williamsburg 2006-158,1, appliquéd and pieced quilt with framed center medallion, Virginia, c. 1790-1800
V&A T.45-1914, patchwork and appliqué cover in wool and silk, made in Prague c. 1790, with panels that “depict a variety of engaging imagery including military, symbolic, allegorical, commemorative and everyday scenes, alongside floral decorations. The design celebrates everyday activities and pleasures alongside scenes of military and cultural achievements.”
Spencer Museum 1980.0019, Mrs. Wilson's Heirloom quilt, “Circle in center with 13 figures surrounded by haystacks; surrounded by small, vari-colored/patterned diamonds. Border of circles with figures around the diamonds. Band of vari-colored/patterned triangles near the edge of the quilt. White trim around the edges … Each character in the center and border is portrayed in a type of three-dimensional stump work known as a "dressed picture," figures cut from paper and clad in fabric,” England, 1790-1810
Brooklyn Museum 41.285, pictorial quilt c. 1795; “This spirited quilt illustrates life in England or Ireland in the late eighteenth century. Using a combination of cotton printed fabrics and embroidery, the unknown quilter created mirrored scenes of village and country life on the outer border, and showed elaborately dressed couples engaged in conversation or dancing along the inner ring. The multiple borders and stylized floral cartouches are common elements in quilts from this region and time period, but the vignettes offer the maker’s own perspective on the world.”
Fragments from a broderie perse quilt made in Pennsylvania and dated 1767
Colonial Williamsburg 1978-23, appliquéd, pieced, and embroidered framed center medallion quilt, Virginia, c. 1790
Cowper and Newton Museum OLNCM.2657, an appliqué coverlet in cotton and linen, with knotting along the edges of the figures, England, 1790; see also Cowper’s Counterpane and Patchwork and Plum Cake; described in a poem as a Patch-work Counterpane
Tree of Life coverlet with Indian chintz figures cut out and appliquéd to linen, made in Ireland c. 1780-1799
Late 18th century quilts featuring appliqués (especially center medallions like Cooper Hewitt 1995-50-30 & Met 2005.284 or larger textiles like Philadelphia Art Museum 1930-100-1/2011-101-1) from John Hewson’s printed panels include American Folk Art Museum 2006.5.1, Philadelphia Art Museum 1934-16-1, Smithsonian American Art Museum 1998.149.2, and possibly Winterthur 2010.0018; see also The Man of Many Vases: John Hewson and Chintz Panels in Quilts.
Kunstmuseum Den Haag 0271242, a doll’s patchwork quilt in triangle-shaped pieces of cotton, with a white linen lining, c. 1785-1814
National Museum of American History 1985.0771, a child’s triangle-pieced quilt made in Scotland or America, c. 1790-1800
Premier Auction Galleries Jan 31 2016, an 18th century hand-stitched infant quilt with raw cotton interior
V&A T.417-1971, quilted patchwork bed cover or coverlet of printed cotton and linen, England, 1801
National Museum of American History 28810, framed center pieced quilt made of clothing and furnishing fabrics, probably from the family’s dry goods business, Connecticut, c. 1790-1810
International Quilt Museum 2007.034.0001, appliqued chintz quilt in a Tree of Life design, c. 1790-1810
National Museum of American History 281767, Le Moyne star pieced quilt, USA, c. 1790-1810
Mount Vernon W-365, Penn Treaty quilt, Virginia, c. 1790-1802
National Museum of American History 211584
Historic New England 1941.1450, “central panel ten rows two-colored glazed wool blocks each divided by four equal triangles; opposing triangles same color,” 1790-1820 Henry Ford 2013.29.1, chintz appliqué quilt made in Pennsylvania, 1793 Pieced and appliqued quilt made in Virginia (now West Virginia) in 1795 National Museum of American History 1981.0007, quilt with piecing and reverse appliqué in brown and tan block-printed cottons, 1795 MESDA 3271, “utilizes twelve woodblock printed cotton patterns. The quilt is characterized as a "hit or miss" patchwork using small squares cut to a uniform size and shape and are pieced in an all over pattern,” Maryland, 1796 V&A T.102-1938, coverlet made from a wide range of block-printed cottons of the 1780s and 1790s, England, 1797 V&A T.76-1925, patchwork quilt with hexagon-shaped patches, England, c. 1770-1799 International Quilt Museum 2008.040.0140, paper pieced hexagon quilt, 1796 National Trust 254771, a patchwork bedspread using hexagonal templates, 18th century Winterthur 1957.0048, pieced quilt made in Maine, c. 1795-1805, using newspapers dating to 1788, 1789, and 1790 Hampshire Cultural Trust HMCMS:C2007.85, “Patchwork quilt, coverlet, shiny glazed cottons, chintzes and dark ground cotton prints, in octagonal and pentagonal shapes with plain cream ground, pieced to form a patchwork of regular flower beds in an early 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' design,” c. 1790-1815
Spencer Museum 1928.0914, check-patterned quilt with brown and cream chintz blocks, United States, c. 1790-1825 Historic New England 1929.1765, “blocks on points divided by 4" green plaid sashing; intersections of red blocks on point. Originally purple wool, now faded to blue-grey,” possibly Massachusetts, 1790-1840 (I'm leaning more towards 19th century on this one, though)
Additional references to 18th century patchwork and patchwork quilts
“1 Bed, bolster, 2 pillows bedstead cord hide 1 blanket, a patch work Quilt, Curtains, vallins & Cotton Sheets ” (Probate inventory of James McKindo, York County, Virginia, 1731)
“a quilt made of cloth patchwork” (Trial of Samuel Chester, October 14, 1741)
“4 Blankets 26/ 1 Silk Patch Work Quilt 21/6” (Probate inventory of Sarah Green, York County, Virginia, 1759)
STOLEN Yeſterday out of the Houſe of Mr. BULLOCK, Corn-Chandler, in High-ſtreet, St. Giles’s, one Cotton Patch Work Quilt of various Colours lined with Check” (The Public Advertiser, May 9, 1766)
“To 1 Silk Patch Work Quilt 35/. 1 Chintz Do 15/.” (Probate inventory of Sabina Trueman Marshall, Charles County, Maryland, 1768)
“It having been repreſented to the King, that, ſome time ſince the Month of December laſt, there have been Stolen out of the Appartments of James Jefferies, Eſq; and Lady Fitzroy, in his Majesſty’s Palace at Hampton Court … Linen Patch-work Curtains to the Bed; a ſtuffed Cuſhion for a Window, covered with Patch-work, the ſame as the Bed; … a Patch-work Counterpane, not quite finiſhed making, the Caſe for the Bolſter being open; a ſmall Curtain, Patch-work, for the Night Cheſt” (The Derby Mercury, May 10, 1771)
“TWENTY SHILLINGS REWARD: ON Saturday evening, the 20th inſt. (January) ſome villains entered the houſe of the ſubſcriber, in Front-ſtreet near the Drawbridge, whilſt the family were up, and carried off the following articles, viz. one large patch work bed quilt” (Poulson’s American Daily Advertiser, January 29, 1776)
“Philad. Jan. 25, 1777 WAS FOUND, a few days ago, in the houſe of Eleanor Fitzgerald in this city … a patchwork counterpane” (The Pennsylvania Evening Post, February 4, 1777)
“STOLEN out of the Houſe of Mrs. Fenton’s, Baker, in Mary-le-bone Street, Golden Square … a bed Quilt, one Side dark ſtriped Cotton, the other Patch-work” (The Public Advertiser, July 21, 1778)
“WAS STOLEN Laſt night, from the ſubcriber, living at Mr. John Stillwagon’s, THE following articles, viz. … one patch work counterpane” (Poulson’s American Daily Advertiser, March 9, 1779)
“1 small silk Coverlid (patched work's not finished).” (Probate inventory of Thomas Boyce of Kent County, Maryland, 1779; see Silk Bedcoverings in the Early Chesapeake Region: Interpreting Documentary Evidence)
“NEW EMBROIDERY in Cloth or Patch-Work. MISS HUDSON, who was employ’d by the Queen in embroidering a State-Bed … Of whom may be had Paintings with materials for embroidery, alſo Patterns for chairs, carpets, and ſcreens, in the new Patch-work” (The Bath Journal, December 20, 1779)
“To be SEEN, At the Houſe of DANIEL GOODMAN, in Arch-ſtreet, between Second and Third ſtreets, Some very curious and genteel SILK PATCH-WORK conſiſting of a Bed Spread, Toilet, and Six Chair Covers. Price One Shilling each Perſon.” (The Pennsylvania Gazette, October 30, 1782)
“What property have you lost? A sheet, an old quilt … What do you know them by? - My wife made this out of a bit of patchwork, and these sheets I bought.” (Trial of Samuel Wallis, February 26, 1783)
“The word itſelf, Harlequin, is only a contraction or corruption of Varia Lacinia, a coat made up of patches, in the manner of a patchwork-quilt.” (The Public Advertiser, February 3, 1786; see also Palais Galliera GAL1920.1.1791 and Germanisches Nationalmuseum T1925/T1926 for 18th century harlequin costumes)
“The beſt chamber was much in the ſame ſtyle with the parlour. The bed was green harrateen, the window curtains white linen. On the bed was very pretty patchwork quilt; which, as well as other things in the houſe, had been Mrs. Simplins’s mother’s, who died a little after Mr. Brown.” (The Two Farmers: An Exemplary Tale, 1787)
“one quilt, value 2 s. … Can you swear to it: what marks are there on the quilt? - Different patch-work about it; (the quilt deposed to;) this is mine.” (Trial of Maria Green, April 24, 1790)
“a patch-work quilt, value 3 s.” (Trial of Cecilia Humble, July 7, 1790)
“MARY OWEN was indicted for stealing, on the 7th of June, half a yard of silk, value 2 s. 6 d. twenty remnants of cotton, value 5 s. a piece of binding, value 6 d. the property of Richard Hudson and William Corney.
RICHARD HUDSON sworn.
I live at No. 4, Broad-street, Carnaby-market, I keep an upholsterer’s shop and cabinet-maker; we have missed cottons and buckrams, and tapes and callico. On Tuesday morning last I heard the prisoner was to have a patch counterpane raffled for in the neighbourhood, and upon her not coming back to breakfast, I enquired after her, and understood there were not members enough to be procured; I saw the counterpane, and they were all my patterns of cotton, and I saw a child’s frock which was my property; I found all these things in her lodgings by a search warrant; I can swear to them all by the patterns, and to this piece of India silk in particular; it matches to a piece I have here, where it was cut off; the prisoner has worked for me a year and three quarters. The value of all the things I can swear positively to is thirty-nine shillings. William Corney is my partner.
JOHN BROWN sworn.
(Produced the counterpane.)
It was pawned with me for ten shillings, I did not take it in.
DOROTHY HOUSEMAN sworn.
I know the prisoner; she gave my little girl some little bits and shreds to make two counterpanes on, and I was to have one for making the other; she said they were the perquisites that were allowed on cutting out at Mr. Hudson’s and Corney’s shop.
Prosecutor. I allowed her none, I forbid her taking any bits.” (Trial of Mary Owen, June 8, 1791)
“His mind now reſembles a quilt I have ſeen at an inn, compoſed by the induſtrious landlady, in a ſort of work, which, I believe, the women call patch-work; triangular or ſquare ſhreds ſewn together to form a motley whole — here a little bit of chintz, ſurrounded by pieces of coarſe and tawdry cotton; there a piece of decca work, joined to a ſcrap of dowlas; in one place a remnant of the fine gown of the Lady of the manor; in the next, a relict of the bed-gown of her houſe-maid.” (Desmond: A Novel, 1792)
“Q. Do you know [Bellamy’s] wife was a quilter? – I don’t know, there was some such thing in the house as patch work.
Q. There was the appearance of needle work going forward? – There was.
Court to Hanson. Where were these needles laying? – In a box there was other clothes and some of this patch stuff in the box, it was a large clothes chest.” (Trial of John Jellison & Thomas Bellamy, February 19, 1794)
“3 Patch work [coverlets]” (Probate inventory of Richard Chichester, Fairfax County, Virginia, 1796)
“one patch-work bed quilt, value 10s.” (Trial of Sarah Morris, February 15, 1797)
“a cotton and linen quilt, called patch-work, value 1s.” (Trial of James Lowther & Mary Wood, July 12, 1797)
“Small ſlopings of printed linen joined together in patch-work might exerciſe the ingenuity of little girls, and would not look ugly in a poor child’s gown or cradle quilt; benevolence, and a kind diſpoſition, ſoon ſhow themſelves in the minds of children; let them as early as poſſiible be uſed to ſpare a little of their pocket money to alleviate the diſtreſſes of children of their own age.” (Lessons for Youth, selected for the use of schools, 1799)
“2 patch work quilts” (Probate inventory of Thomas Mason, Prince William County, Virginia, 1800)
“The proſecutor was a Mr. Edwards, who keeps a large manufactory for printing calicoes at Iſleworth. he ſaid that Alliſton was employed in his manufactory; that he had often miſſed quantities of his property, of which he believed he had loſt, at different times, to the value of 300l. The priſoner, when aſked if he had taken any, acknowledged he had taken away ſome bits which he found in the ware-room. The priſoner, Newman, kept an old linen ſhop: when ſhe was aſked concerning this calico, ſhe acknowledged having received ſome bits from the priſoner, who did not aſk any money for them. Nothing belonging to the proſecutor was found in her houſe; for ſhe had ſold thoſe bits to a Mrs. Davis, who uſed them in making patch-work. The piece of patch-work being produced in Court, the proſecutor ſwore, that two or three of the bits (not much larger than the palm of one’s hand) were his property. When aſked what was their value, he ſaid, that the taking of them was of the greateſt conſequence to him and his partners, becauſe they were bits of a new pattern, which might be imitated by other manufacturers by the time his manufacture ſhould be expoſed to fate … A poor woman living at Hounſlow was called on the part ofhte proſecutor. She ſaid that the priſoner, ſome time in the courſe of the ſummer, gave her a few ſmall bits of printed calico, which ſhe put into a piece of patchwork that ſhe was making. The priſoner gave them to her without aſking any thing, and ſaid they were toſſed about the manufactory, and were of no service.” (The Times, September 27, 1800; this case is also summarized in The Proceedings of the Old Bailey)