1840 - 1860 "Rail Fence" Pieced Bedcover
date: label: date made
content: 1840-1860
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: A variety of fabrics from the mid-19th century were used for the 6 ½-inch pieced blocks in the “Double Cross” or “Mosaic” pattern. The blocks are set diagonally in strips with white triangles. The bedcover (no filling, no quilting) consists of these strips, joined to create a "Rail Fence" of “Zig-Zag” effect. Fabrics consist of roller-printed florals and geometrics; woven stripes, checks, plaids; and two glazed furnishing fabrics. The lining consists of three lengths of floral motif roller-printed plain-woven cotton. Most piecing on the front is done in an overcast stitch. Later fabrics (c. 1860) are pieced with a running stitch. The two layers of the bedcover are bound on the edges with a 5/8-inch (finished) straight strip of roller-printed floral cotton (one of the fabrics used for the lining), seamed to the front, whipped to the lining. The many examples of fabric design and an eye-catching arrangement of the blocks create interest on this mid-century bedcover.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
topic: label: Subject
content: Quilting
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
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content: Quilts
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content: Textiles
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content: Domestic Furnishings
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T17355.000
label: catalog number
content: T17355.000
label: accession number
content: 321804
objectType: label: Object Name
content: quilt
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: fabric, cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: thread, cotton and silk (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 93 in x 72 in; 236 cm x 183 cm