"Braddock's defeat" overshot coverlet; c. 1843; New York
date: label: Date made
content: ca. 1840
label: date made
content: ca. 1843
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: "Braddock's defeat" pattern variation; coverlet; overshot weave; c. 1840; possibly New York or New Jersey. Overshot' multi-harness coverlet in natural, tight-spun, 2-ply, s-twist, z-spun cotton warp and weft and loosely spun, 2-ply, s-twist, z-spun indigo-dyed blue and madder-dyed rust wool supplementary weft floats. The ground fabric is plain weave. The pattern consists of borders and a series of blocks and tables in various configurations occurring in a regular repetitive fashion, and this pattern is known as "Braddock's defeat". The coverlet was woven in one long piece, cut,, folded back on itself, and stitched up the middle. Excellent attention has been paid to make sure the patterns of both widths match perfectly when joined at the center seam. Matched seams are a trademark of Northern overshot coverlets. A machine woven binding has been attached by machine on all four sides.The pattern repeat is 13", and the thread count is 32 ends x 13 picks/inch. The center seam appears to be original with the same cotton warp/weft yarns being used to seam the two halves together. There has been some repair to the center of the seam in black thread, and the zig-zag stictch and presence of two distinct threads indicates this repair was done with a sewing machine. There are also some small holes which have been repaired with a pink, madder-dyed, homespun, single-ply yarn.
label: Description
content: Mrs. Carolyn Kait's maternal grandfather, John S. Mickle, a farmer who settled in Point Pleasant, NJ, listed a coverlet, likely this one, in his will. It was likely part of the wedding trusseau from his parent's marriage in 1843. Mr. Mickle's father John J, Mickel was born in New York in 1822 and served as a private in the Civil War with a New York unit only later moving to New Jersey with his wife and family. The coverlet is almost certainly made in New York state, and more research is needed to determine a county and possible weaver.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York
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 Col. & Mrs. H. Carl Kait
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1986.0162.01
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0162.01
label: accession number
content: 1986.0162
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, overshot
label: Object Name
content: coverlet
label: Object Type
content: coverlets
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: overshot (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: navy, white, rust (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: whip stich (overall connector/connecting technique)
label: Physical Description
content: cotton, wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: Braddock's Defeat (overall pattern)
label: Physical Description
content: geometric (overall style)
label: Physical Description
content: DELETE (overall shape)
label: Physical Description
content: DELETE (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: DELETE (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 85 in x 77 in; 215.9 cm x 195.58 cm