Minneapolis Institute of Art

Log Cabin (Barn Raising) Quilt

Unidentified

Date

c. 1890

Medium

Wool, silk, cotton, pieced

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Log Cabin quilts are constructed of blocks made up of narrow strips or “logs” of fabric—half of them dark, half light—around a central square. The squares are often red, a reference to the fireplace, the center of the home. The blocks in this quilt are arranged so as to form concentric diamonds that create a bulls-eye effect, a Log Cabin variation called Barn Raising. Many of the strips in this quilt are woolen fabrics, probably scraps cut from worn-out men’s suits. This suggests the maker was frugal and resourceful. Yet her thriftiness did not overwhelm her aesthetic sense. Even this economical utility quilt is meant to please the eye. United States, Americas

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