what batting for correct Civil War look?
02-24-2018, 05:56 AM
#12
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When thinking about how quilts were made back then, they were pieced together with scraps and using new fabric for a quilt was blasphemy. There wasn't commercial batting as mentioned before, so they used whatever they could come up with: old blankets and quilts that were too full of holes to serve their purpose, left over flannel from baby diapers and probably worn wool coats that were pieced together. Not sure what information you will find here but this is the link for the International Quilt Museum at the University of Nebraska. It might help you. http://www.quiltstudy.org/ here are some other interesting sites: http://worldquilts.quiltstudy.org/am...ement/sanitary http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/civilwar.htm http://www.patternsfromhistory.com/civil_war/
02-24-2018, 06:05 AM
#14
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We used to buy and sell antique quilts and almost all of them had cotton batting. Once or twice there would be a wool blanket inside, but it made for a very stiff, heavy quilt. I would go with the thinnest cotton batting, I have no opinion on the crinkle factor.
Are you going to hand quilt it?
Are you going to hand quilt it?
02-24-2018, 06:25 AM
#15
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Interesting question and answers. I know nothing about period quilts, but could one layer of pre-washed flannel be used for batting??? I did try to google knife edge quilt finishes and nothing came up. 
02-24-2018, 06:50 AM
#16
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true. especially in the new england states. scrap quilts were made as people started moving west into the interior of the country. few drygoods stores & any income was needed to feed children & livestock ..not wasted on fabric. clothing fabric was recycled into more clothing or household needs such as blankets or scrap quilts. not to say that midwestern people never used newly pirchased fabric, just that there just weren't that many who could afford to do so.
02-24-2018, 06:57 AM
#18
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i have found baby quilts at flea mkts that when peaking thru tears i found older baby quilts from late 1800's. i have a carriage quilt found at farm auction that had layers of old heavy cotton blankets for batt. heavy quilt made of mens wool suits. i found on my husbands family farm a pad on tractor seat. i saw a spot of read thru a torn seam. i grabbed it ..grinned at the hubs, said "this is mine! went up to house to open it up. beautiful quilt. his 90 yo grandfather recognized some of "mama's" dresses, the pinstripe from his fathers' bar tender shirts (think opening credits to "Cheers") ..he sai mama & the other women were "always sewing & making things. the batt in that quilt is cotton ..looks like carded cotton.
02-24-2018, 06:59 AM
#19
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It's possible that the quilts from that era weren't as crinkly because they were never washed. In that time period washing was done by hand, probably on a washboard. It would be really hard to wash a quilt that way. I've been told that they used to bring the sheet up over the blankets and pinned it so that it kept the blankets from getting dirty. The sheets were easier to wash.
02-24-2018, 07:17 AM
#20
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Oh wow...I had not even given a thought yet to finishing the edges! I will have to look up what a knife edge binding is!
Roguequilter...are you saying that you have pictures of quilts from that era that do NOT appear crinkly? I have read that they used whatever they had on hand for batting...old blankets, wool cardings, etc. That, plus however "shrinky" their fabric was, would affect the end "crinklyness". I am beginning to think there are too many variables here to be able to say what is "correctly authentic"...hmmmm.
Roguequilter...are you saying that you have pictures of quilts from that era that do NOT appear crinkly? I have read that they used whatever they had on hand for batting...old blankets, wool cardings, etc. That, plus however "shrinky" their fabric was, would affect the end "crinklyness". I am beginning to think there are too many variables here to be able to say what is "correctly authentic"...hmmmm.
there is a thread on here from few weeks ago that we discussed knife edge finishing. if i can find it i'll pm you the link. but one thing i have learned in my reading is that quilts were finished in ways unique to geographic region.
i.e. ..four poster beds were new england states primarily. haven't found discussion re: finishing, but in my books of quilt history in america, all the four poster quilts were knife edge finish & minimal quilting in the pieced quilts, more quilting covered surface of applique quilts.
in pennsylvania edges of quilts were made with wrap around finish. bring edge of quilt towards front of quilt.
i have done extensive reading re: quilting history in the last thirty years. always a history buff, when i learned to quilt, i found a whole new to me fabulous world textiles to research. i am not a quilt historian expert like cuesta benberry, barbara brachman etc ...but i do know a lot
and still learning more. hang out at brachmans cw site ..there's a wealth of historical info there re: quilts of 1800's, lifestyles ..plus free patterns for her various series quilts. i love all of her websites.
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