Honeycomb

Object NameQuilt

Date1881

OriginUnited States

MediumCotton

Dimensions52 × 84 in. (132.1 × 213.4 cm)

ClassificationsTextiles and Apparel

Credit LineGift of Marian Will. In the Farm House Museum Collection, Farm House Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object number85.7.1

Status

Not on view

Collections

Textiles and Jewelry

CultureAmerican

Label TextQuilting--the art of stitching two layers of cloth together with batting in between for warmth--may have originated as long ago as Ancient Egypt, and was brought to Western Europe through the cultural exchange of the medieval crusades. Quilting was introduced to the New World with the onset of European colonization in the 16th century. Until the advancements of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, the price of cloth made quilting largely the domain of the wealthy. The Industrial Revolution made colorful, printed fabrics readily available to a larger population, and the popularity of quilting grew throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Signature and crazy quilts became particularly popular in the Victorian era, as did fruit, flower, and nature motifs. The Farm House Museum's collection of quilts boasts a diverse assortment of patterns, including Honeycomb, Diamond, Irish Chain, and Crazy.

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