Weigley family; geometric coverlet; double-cloth; c. 1846; Pennsylvania
date: label: Date made
content: c.1846
notes: label: Description
content: According to the donor, a man named Wegley or Wigley wove this red, white, and blue, geometric double-cloth coverlet for a Mrs. Umbarger in Berlin, Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1846. Mrs. Umbarger had the coverlet woven for her son, Perry Umbarger (b. 1834). Clarita Anderson’s research revealed that there was a family of weavers in Somerset County active during the timeframe named, Weigley, and it is these men, John and his sons, Lewis (1810-1885) and Seth, who were the likely weavers of this coverlet. This pattern depicted here is most commonly known as “Sorrel Blossom” but the accession file also suggested “Lover’s Chain” and “Potato Blossom” as alternative names. Many of these pattern names have changed over time and place. Many German-American weaving pattern books never name the geometric block-weaving patterns at all, but simply number them. This coverlet has two sets of warp and weft made from 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun wool and cotton yarns. There are self-fringes on three sides of the coverlet. The coverlet measures 80 inches by 69 inches and is constructed from two panels.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Coverlets
label: See more items in
content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. William Dunlap Sargent
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T10096
label: catalog number
content: T10096.000
label: accession number
content: 060464
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, geometric
label: Object Name
content: coverlet
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: double cloth (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: red, blue, white (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: wool, cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: geometric (overall style)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 80 in x 68 in; 203.2 cm x 172.72 cm