Minneapolis Institute of Art

Barn-raising pattern quilt

United States (Tennessee); Or United States (Kentucky)

Date

c. 1890

Medium

Wool, cotton, rayon, sewn piecework, quilted

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This is a much-loved quilt. Made at the end of the nineteenth century from rather ordinary fabrics, the maker's eye has turned it into a dramatic statement. Over the last hundred years this quilt has seen much wear and now has over a hundred patches that have been carefully placed over worn and frayed areas. This quilt is a variation of a Log Cabin pattern, a popular style of sewn piecework frequently used to make decorative quilt tops. The individual squares used to create Log Cabin quilts are based on a diagonal axis division of the modular square unit which in essence creates two triangles. One triangular section of the square is composed of light fabrics and the other of dark fabrics. By adjusting the relationship of these light and dark areas when laying out the individual squares a variety of patterns can be created. United States, Americas

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