Old country quilts, as in, made in a rural rather than city environment, have a special charm to them. You can almost imagine the lady sitting there, working through her scrap basket, sorting and choosing bits and trying to make the best combinations in her patchwork. One sort of print tends to turn up in country quilts: geometric lined patterns like homespuns, ginghams, and plaids. Think men's work shirts and house dresses. These are real remnants of clothing from both men and women and are endearing for the reason that real folks wore them. To make the point: here's a piece of antique Mariner's Compass made in black and red plaid. Too bad some "crafter" (I use the term loosely-) cut the quilt up.There's this beauty, fresh as the day it was made in the 1940s, that waltzed into the Quilt Appreciation Day at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum last February. The star
quilt was made on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina.Or this collection of odd blocks, recently seen on ebay-what pattern is that anyway? The lesson for modern quiltmakers is clear: want to make your quilts look country? Better not forget the plaids!
