All of the Amish Quilts that are displayed on Amish Quilter, are hand-made and hand quilted. They are all brand new, made from new cloth often bought at the local dry goods store, new batting cut off the roll by a young Mennonite girl tending the counter, and come to you directly from our quilters quilt frame. The quilt has been on a quilt frame in the quilters home for between 2-5 months, and has been witness to Amish home life, while it was being created.
Our Mennonite and Amish Quilters tend to quilt in the early morning hours before their home gets busy and the outdoor chores like gardening and canning call them to task, and then they quilt again in the late afternoon and evening by kerosene lamps. The Plain People quilt more in the long winter months, as their gardens are resting for the season, and canning of their harvest is complete.
The light pencil markings you see on a quilt are a sign that your quilt is truly hand-quilted, as the quilting pattern is lightly traced before the quilt is placed in the quilting frame so the quilter can see the pattern for quilting. These pencil or chalk tracings add value to an antique quilt, as they are the evidence of authenticity in handquilting, and are the beginnings of the work of art cherished by all.
