Mennonite Wool Log Cabin Antique Quilt c. 1900

This folk art, antique wool Mennonite log cabin quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted, with a wonderful red plaid background. It measures 72" X 80" and is in very good condition, with a couple of tiny moth nibbles (hard to find), and no wear.There is quilting around the piecework and in grid and cable designs in the background, all at even 7-8 stitches to the inch.

The back of this vintage quilt is a rich wool houndstooth fabric, the hand stitched binding is rolled over from the front, and the batting is thin. The photos make the quilt look a bit washed out, when in fact, the colors are strong and rich.

The photos just don't do justice to this elegant turn of the century collector's antique quilt, it would make an excellent wall hanging!

Crazy Quilts

During the latter years of the nineteenth century the best know quilt style was the Crazy Quilt. Crazy quilts were handmade quilts made of abstract shapes that were sewn together. Usually the quilt maker then used embroidery to embellish the crazy quilt. First fancy stitches were sewn along the seams of the now considered antique quilt. Often the seamstress also added embroidered motifs on the crazy quilt that included flowers, birds, trees and figures to convey their thoughts and wishes. Sometimes part of a crazy quilt is haphazard while other parts are placed in a planned pattern. Crazy quilting was quite the fad during this period in America. Magazines encouraged women of this time to make crazies. Young women were particularly eager to make them. These quilts were seldom used as bed coverings. Instead crazy quilts were made smaller and without batting to be used as decorative throws.

Today, collectors of Folk Art anxiously seek out these truly unique crazy quilts. The intrigue comes a lot from the story the quilt is telling.

Antique Rooster Weathervane

This is a most fabulous, early, copper rooster weathervane with heavy metal directional letters. This antique weather vane was found many years ago at an antique store in Greenwood Missouri. The antique rooster weathervane has wonderful detail on the front and back. The directional letters are heavy and could be mounted on a post. They have the original turquoise paint which looks like it was painted over brass. The rod and piece holding arrow is very sturdy brass. The rooster has beautiful aged copper patina. Lovely example of American folk art. Note that roosters are a highly collectible form of folk art and my personal favorite!

American Folk Art

American Folk Art was art that was created by hand by untrained artists living in America. American folk art has a combination of pure naturalness and the utmost simplicity and is highly collectible today. The first real appreciation of American folk art began during the 1920s when artists, returning from World War I, began to search for what was American about American art. Since that time, art collectors and scholars have attempted to identify and classify American folk art, which at different times throughout history has been called naive art, tramp art, amateur art, artisan art, pioneer art, popular art, primitive art, and provincial art. Folk art falls into several broad categories based upon medium and type. Learn more about Folk Art and the most popular Folk Art categories which include: American Folk Art, Black Folk Art, Native American Folk Art, Country Folk Art, and Mexican Folk Art.

I personally find American Folk art to be the most amazing of all the Folk Arts. People working the fields in early America, sewing the American flag, making their own clothing, carving wooden utensils, and painting or drawing what they actually see around them during the early American years. Although, these artists had no formal training, American Folk Art is extremely artistic and very beautiful.