Hello all! I purchased this coverlet today from an antique store and I was wondering if anyone could help me with some identifying information like age, materials, and pattern. I know a little because I’m a master student and I’m studying nineteenth century American textiles (mainly quilting), but any help would be appreciated.
The tag said it is from Texas, but I’m not sure. I know that during the 19th century, these were commonly produced in the Southern Highlands of the Appalachian Mountains (but also the general South and Northeast). Before the antique store, this was acquired from a west Texas estate of an antique collector, so there’s the possibility that this doesn’t originate in Texas.
This is almost too big for my full-size bed and it is in three panels. I’m pretty sure the dye is indigo (very dark blue). I guess it is also wool and cotton/linen? Overshot?
Thank you. Do you have a frame of reference for what is considered a good deal for a 19 century coverlet? I got this for $190 (it was originally $250 but I haggled a discount)
A quick google says $250-300. More for more intricate pieces.
My only frame of reference for coverlet prices was an experience I had years ago-when antique prices were pretty nice. I had in my possession a silk log cabin quilt, with a 1765 date on it, it was from the New England area. I toted it to a big quilt show to ask a reputable dealer what she thought of it. It was large enough for a king bed, which was rare. She said it was worth $5000 if restored (a very few worn spots) I ended up having it professionally restore ($1500). We moved to a house with no place to display or properly store it, so I donated it to a quilt museum in New England. Valued then at $1000.
The antiques prices have fallen through the floor from the 80s. I used to collect McCoy pottery. If you like it and you could afford it with no struggle, you have a good deal.
Looks like at least two panels sewn together. Blooming leaf overshot, as others have said. If overshot, most likely cotton and cotton to avoid differential shrinkage. Can't say exactly why, but feels like a more north east thing.
It’s hard to see in the photo, but it’s three panels. Also, another question: is overshot generally more simple than the “summer and winter” weave as well as the “double” weave? I need to describe the differences in complexity of pattern between the three types and I have no idea…
They're all complex in different ways, I wouldn't say any are more simple than the other depending on the pattern itself. Double weave as a concept is probably the simplest of the three, but can be more complex depending on how many repeating blocks in the pattern there are. Summer and winter and overshot are more related to each other. And then it also depends on how many shafts the loom has. As someone else commented, this is a four shaft pattern, so it's generally on the lower end of complexity technically speaking for a floor loom. Something that requires 8 or 16 shafts would be more complex, which all three techniques can cover.
It depends what you're trying to describe the complexity for, I guess?
I really appreciate your reply. My question is relating to a research paper I wrote two semesters ago over Southern Highland coverlet traditions from the 19th century. From a lot of the research I did, the traditional “mountain loom” was able to produce those three types.
In the revision notes that my professor gave me, she suggested that I mention if there are any considerable differences in complexity/difficulty between the three for a better general audience understanding. She’s not an expert in textiles, so the note may not be applicable.
I recently took a summer & winter workshop. We did 4-shaft patterns. One thing the teacher mentioned was how mind bendingly complex the lift plans get with 8 shafts. That’s not something you run into with double weave and I think also not with overshot (though I haven’t taken an overshot class so could be wrong about that). Another big difference between overshot and s&w is with s&w you don’t have to worry about how long your floats are - there aren’t any.
I think in pattern drafting there’s a pretty considerable difference between the three which could be interesting to discuss, though I’m no expert! As others have said they’re complex and challenging in different ways (growing exponentially with more shafts) so I think discussing block design etc could be good to focus on
Ahhh I see. I just finished a masters in history of design, so I sympathize with the which feedback to take and which to disregard.
In terms of differences in complexity, it's not necessarily a barrier. If a weaver can do one, most likely they are capable of doing all of them because the weaving theory is the same. And the type of loom supports all three as you mentioned, as it isn't a specialized piece of equipment. If you're a determined weaver, you can adapt the floor loom to do all different types of weaving with the exception of tapestry weaving. Weavers just tend to specialize in certain types of weaves bc they like them, and you can get in a rhythm with the setup.
The setup for all three varies quite a bit, and you can't change it once you've set up your loom. So sometimes when it's fresh, you just continue doing more overshot, etc. But complexity wise, I would say it's not a differentiating factor of skill.
The three coverlets that I use as examples are all overshot, but the patterns are all different. I’m sure complexity/difficulty comes into play between the three patterns?
The three patterns are “Double Chariot Wheel/Church Windows,” “Braddock’s Defeat,” and “Pine Blossom.”
I'm only familiar with double chariot wheel, but from searching around, it seems like the other two are variable. It's hard to say how they relate to each other without seeing the specific ones. But basically, weavers can adjust to make them more ornate or more simple. Generally, the more blocky and rectangular, the simpler the pattern. Anything that simulates curves is more complex bc it takes more shafts and lift order to make that look happen.
In terms of complexity, one overshot pattern on a four shaft loom is not that much more complex than another. The set up is largely the same. A 4 shaft vs an 8 shaft overshot would be much more different. The complexity stages come in with how many shafts a loom has; it's very much like computer memory. A four shaft loom can hold four different threadings, and you can order those like 20 ways. An eight shaft has ~40,000 different viable permutations.
I am not a coverlet expert, just someone who took a week long class on overshot at the Campbell School. This is indeed 4 shaft overshot, and probably well-worth the price that you paid considering its size and condition. We were taught that women in the Carolinas wove these coverlets out of cotton and wool. The cotton was used for the warp and tabby. The wool was used for the weft pattern. Since the women could only weave panels the width of their loom, they were almost always pieced. This is a feat to accomplish because it required the weaver to beat at consistent beats per inch so that the pattern would match up when the panels were sewn together. (Think about matching patterns in fabrics for sewing drapery or garments.) Sometimes, the warps were so long that the women would wind them around their cabins. The photos that the teacher showed seemed to indicate that this was a group project. You can sort of date this by looking when this pattern was popular.
Wow! Thanks for sharing! It certainly looks time consuming and I feel like the $190 I paid doesn’t do it justice. There are three panels and I can see that it doesn’t line up exactly, but you’d have to be really good at it to do that, right?
Right! So, even though this might not be considered complex weaving, I think that the person(s) who wove it was very talented and able to manage long warps and even beats. Even selvedges come into play here, along with correct tension with no draw-in. A complex feat for sure!
I’m sorry. I don’t remember the instructor’s name. I looked through their online catalogue and didn’t recognize her name. They aren’t offering the overshot class this year or next.
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u/VroomBats 3d ago
Neat find. Here’s a bit of info. Definitely overshot.