Help Center
Frequently Asked Questions about Quilts and the Amish
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Who are the Amish?
The Amish are a Christian community that emphasizes simplicity, peace, humility and separation from the outside world. Their roots are in the Anabaptist movement of the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation, a time when these Christians were heavily persecuted and martyred for their opposition to infant baptism and state run religion. As the movement gained strength, many Anabaptists began to call themselves Mennonites after Menno Simons, a prominent Anabaptist writer and preacher of the time. Fast forward 150 years to Swiss-born Jacob Amman, a preacher who emerged in the late 1600s. He sought to revitalize the Anabaptist movement by implementing strict discipline for his congregants and shunning those who did not adhere to the new rules. When church leaders could not agree with his tenants, Amman led a split from the Anabaptists and Mennonites to form the Amish community in 1693.
Large numbers of Amish immigrated to North America in the 1700s. The first settlement of Amish occurred in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Today, there are large communities of Amish in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. Experts estimate that there are approximately 227,000 Amish in the United States. Lancaster County is host to the second largest Amish population, with close to 27,000 members.
In the home and with each other, the Amish speak a dialect of German called Pennsylvania Dutch. Prior to the 1800's, the term "Dutch" referred to people of German descent. Some of the components of Amish culture are pacifism, an emphasis on community over the individual, plain dress, transport by horse and buggy, and absence of public electricity in the home. Families usually have between eight to twelve children, which means that Amish grandmothers average 50 grandchildren! Children are educated through the 8th grade in one room schoolhouses where subjects are taught in English. Primary vocations for the Amish include farming, construction, selling wholesale goods, and making furniture or crafts.
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What is a quilt?
A quilt is made up of three parts, the quilt top, the batting and the backing. The quilt top is the top fabric of the quilt where the patterns are displayed. The batting is the middle layer, often made of cotton, polyester or bamboo. The backing is the back layer, usually made of large pieces sewn together with minimal design.
Quilts come in many sizes, an incredibly wide variety of designs and can be used as blankets, bedcoverings, wallhangings and even framed art. At AmishQuiltShop.Net, you will find a wide variety of high quality, handmade Amish quilts that are great for multiple uses.
Here are some additional definitions that might be helpful:
- Piecing: Small pieces of cloth are sewn into patterns, called blocks. The blocks are then sewn together to make a quilt top.
- Patchwork: Quilt tops made by piecing.
- Applique: Fabric designs are applied to the top fabric of a quilt. The designs are layered and raised compared to a patchwork top.
- Quilting: Sewing the quilt top, backing and batting together, using stitches to make decorative designs.
- Binding: The edge of the quilt that seals the quilt top, batting and backing.
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What is an Amish quilt?
Amish women started making quilts in the late 1800s. They used them for blankets. Because of their plain lifestyle, the original Amish quilts had dark solid colors, simple designs, fine stitching and wide borders. Some of their early patterns were Center Square, Rectangle, Diamond, and Bar. At AmishQuiltShop.net, we call these Amish Colors Quilts. They are still the types of quilts that you would find in a present day Amish home.
At AmishQuiltShop.net, you will find quilts of many patterns and colors. That's because Amish ladies are creative and have experimented with different designs over the years. We define an Amish quilt as any quilt that is pieced and quilted by the Amish. All of our quilters live in the Lancaster County area.
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What do you mean by the term "hand-made quilt?"
When you see the term "hand-made" quilt throughout our shop, we mean that the quilt is one of a kind…it is not a mass-produced product. On the quilt top, the patchwork pieces are cut by hand and then sewn together on a standard sewing machine. The quilting stitches are all sewn by hand. Our hand-made quilts take about 400-800 hours to complete. As a result, most of our Amish quilters can only make two quilts per year.
You may come across mass produced copies of Amish quilts. These quilts are much less expensive and are not unique works of art. On many manufactured quilts, the quilting is done by machine rather than by hand and often suffer from low quality stitching.
Each one of our hand-made quilts is quilted by one Amish lady right here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The quality is very high because great care and attention is paid to the hand stitching. We are confident that you will love our meticulously hand-made Amish quilts. We can even have one of our Amish quilters customize a hand-made quilt just for you (just click this link: How to Order a Custom Quilt).
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How can I judge the quality of an Amish quilt?
Most "handmade" Amish quilts on the market today are not high quality quilts. In fact, many are not even Amish but are actually made in China and other Asian countries. While you can be sure that each one of our quilts is lovingly hand-made by one Amish lady from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, we'd like to tell you how you can identify a high quality quilt.
Design:
It is difficult to design a high quality quilt. The choice of patterns, fabrics and proportions is daunting. A quilt can be ruined by the inclusion of a fabric with just the slightly wrong hue. Most quilt-makers are much better at sewing than they are at design. You need to look critically at how the fabrics in the quilt play off against each other. If it doesn't look good to you, it isn't a high quality quilt.
Alignment:
Keeping all the pieces of a traditional patchwork in alignment is a challenge to the quilt maker. Any misalignment of more than an eighth of an inch indicates an inferior quilt. Look closely. If there are flaws, it won’t take long to see them. When misalignments occur, quilts can get puckers and wrinkles. Look for bulky areas from sloppy seam allowances.
Quilting Density:
It has got to be enticing to a quilt maker to cut back on the density of the quilting pattern. The hand sewing of this pattern is by far the biggest cost of making a handmade quilt. Anything that can be done to cut back on the sewing will reduce the cost of a quilt. The purpose of the quilting stitches is to hold the batting material and two outer fabric layers together. On average, within each square foot of a good quilt, there should be at least 90 linear inches of quilt stitching (if a crosshatch pattern is used for the quilt stitching, the crosshatch squares should be no more than 3 inches per side). Where one quilting pattern stops and another starts, the designer sometimes leaves small areas without any quilt stitching. In a high quality quilt, there will only be a few areas where there are gaps in quilting larger than a fist.
Quilting Stitches:
The quilting stitches in a high quality quilt will be the same size and evenly spaced (about 6-8 stitches per inch). A high quality quilt will have over 50,000 stitches. As you can imagine, some quilt makers will be tempted to make a few less stitches to save time!
Uneven stitching is the mark of an inexperienced or sloppy quilt maker. The quality of the stitching is usually best seen on the back of the quilt.
Binding:
This is the edge of the quilt and the first place where a quilt can wear out. The binding should be neat and straight with the corners neatly stitched together. Watch out for quilts that have curved edges.
AmishQuiltShop.net Quilts:
All of our quilts meet or exceed all the above-mentioned standards. When you buy one of our quilts, we will supply you with a certificate of authenticity, guaranteeing that it was quilted by one Amish craftswoman in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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How should I care for a quilt?
It very likely took hundreds of hours to make your Amish quilt. We know you want to handle it with care so that it will last a very long time. Here are some helpful hints.
To clean your quilt, we recommend two solutions:
Traditional Amish Care
Barbara L. told us this is what she does to clean her quilts. Soak the quilt in cold water in either a bathtub or washing machine. Add 2 quarts of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of mild soap, and 1/2 cup of table salt. Do not use bleach. If you use your bathtub, let the quilt soak for 1 hour. If you use you washing machine, put the quilt on gentle cycle. Hang dry your quilt. Do not machine dry it or use fabric softeners.
Dry Cleaning
Quilts can be dry cleaned. Ask your dry cleaner if they have dry cleaned quilts or bed coverings in the past. Dry cleaning is recommended if your quilt has loose lace or puffy applique work because this material can be damaged in a machine wash. Dry cleaning is also recommended for fabrics that may run in water, such as fully saturated dark colored and hand-dyed fabrics. To determine if you fabric will run, rub it with a piece of cotton that has been moistened with very hot water. If color bleeds onto the cotton, don't wash the quilt -- even in cold water. Instead, get the quilt professionally dry cleaned. After dry cleaning, we recommend that you hang your quilt outside to air it out. For quilts that are used daily, we recommend that you clean them once a year.
Quilt Markings
Quilters use markings to guide them as they stitch. Often these lines are still noticeable once the quilt is complete. Quilters typically use either pencil or chalk. If the markings are made in pencil, you can purchase an eraser from a fabric store. Do not use a regular pencil eraser as they have oil in them that will permanently mark your quilt. You can also use a clean toothbrush. Dip it in a mixture of warm water and mild liquid laundry soap (we recommend Woolite). Use the toothbrush to gently rub out the markings. If the marking line is white, it is probably chalk and can be brushed off or easily removed with a damp cloth.
Storage
Direct sunlight is not good for your quilt. It will naturally cause your colors to fade and the fabric to weaken. To store quilts, we recommend that you use a pillowcase or sheet. Do not use a plastic bag. Keep your quilt somewhere dark and dry.
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What size quilt should I buy?
To select the right size quilt, you'll need to consider the following four factors: bed size, drop length, bed style and pillows. We'll walk you through each of the factors and then help you find the perfect size quilt with our interactive Quilt Sizing Tool.
Bed size – Is your bed a King, Queen, Twin or some other custom size?
Drop length - this refers to how far the quilt hangs over your bed. Common drop choices are:
- Full Length Quilt (drops to ½" of floor)
- Blanket Size Quilt (drops to 1" below box spring)
- Coverlet Size Quilt (drops to 3" below mattress)
Quilts for king and queen size beds typically fall between Coverlet and Blanket size. If you buy a Coverlet Size Quilt, we recommend that you use a bed skirt to cover the box spring.
Bed Style – Does your bed have a foot board? If so, you will want a quilt that has a drop only on the sides. If not, you will want the drop length to be uniform on the sides and base of your bed. Tell us if you have a footboard below.
Pillows - Would you like to cover your pillows with the quilt? If so, you will need an additional 10" to 18" to tuck in the pillows. Make your selection below.
Simply put your bed size information into the Quilt Sizing Tool below and we'll tell you the perfect size for your quilt.
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How to hang a wall hanging?
The following information will walk you through the steps of hanging your quilt…you can do it…it's easy!
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Choose your wall hanger
Wall hangers are what you attach to your quilt to hang it from your wall. There are several varieties available with the most common being wooden. Wooden wall hangers are available for quilts of all sizes and come in many different finishes. The second type is a metal rod wall hanger. Because they are heavy, metal rods should only be used for small quilts.
If you choose to use a wooden wall hanger, make sure you purchase one that has dimensions that are at least two inches longer than the width of your quilt. You don’t want excess quilt hanging out the side edges of the hanger.
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Choose a location
We recommend the following:
- In a well lit area, but not direct sunlight
- On a wall that contrasts in shade or color with your quilt
- Away from heat or air conditioning ducts
Some suggestions:
- Foyer
- Dining room or kitchen
- Living room
- Above a bed
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Hanging your quilt
Follow these steps to hang your wooden hanger:
- Use a slightly damp clean cloth to remove any dust on the hanger (inside & out). Let it dry completely.
- Measure the distance between the keyhole slots on the back of the hanger and mark this on your wall. Often the slots are placed in 16” increments to line up with the studs in your wall. This isn’t always the case, though, so check to be sure. (and your studs might not be 16” apart!)
- Depending on the size of your hanger, fasten two or three screws into the wall. For smaller hangers, you will only need two. For larger hangers, try two to start. Fasten a third if you feel the hanger needs more support. Leave the screw heads slightly out from the wall surface. You will use them to attach the hanger.
- Take only the back piece of the hanger and try placing it on the screws. The screws may have to be so that the keyhole slots can engage. When the screws are properly aligned, take the back piece down and lay it on a table or the floor with the grooved side facing you. Place your quilt so that the top binding lays in the groove and does not cover the holes for the knobs.
- Now place the front part of the hanger on top of the quilt. Screw in the knobs, tightening until there is enough tension to hold the quilt. Place the assembled hanger over the heads of the screws and pull down until it engages in the keyhole slots.
Follow these instructions to hang your quilt with a metal rod:
- Use a slightly damp clean cloth to remove any dust on the rod. Let id dry completely.
- Drill hanging hooks into your wall studs. Thread the rod through the quilt and let it rest on the hooks.
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Choose your wall hanger
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What size wall hanger should I buy?
You don't want your quilt hanging out the sides of the wall hanger. The quilt will look good up to around an inch shorter than the wall hanger on both sides. Therefore, make sure that your wall hanger is no shorter than the hanging side of your quilt and no more than two inches longer.
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Where can I find patterns for your quilts?
While some of our quilt designs have been developed by local Amish ladies for their exclusive use, many of our quilt patterns are commercially available.
The following are good resources that can help you find a quilt pattern that suits your needs:
- Bargello Rhapsody Quilts – written by Marge Edie
- Country Bride Quilts – written by Craig Heisey and Rachel Pellman
- Dahlia Quilts – written by Cheryl Benner
- Heart of Roses – written by C. Jean Horst
- Small Amish Quilt Patterns – written by Rachel Pellman
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The World of Amish Quilts – written by Rachel Pellman and shows the following antique Amish patterns:
- Bachelor’s Puzzle
- Bars
- Baskets
- Bear Paw
- Bow Tie
- Carolina Lily
- Center Diamond
- Crown of Thorns
- Diagonal Triangles
- Double T
- Double Wedding Ring
- Drunkard's Path
- Fan
- Garden Maze
- Irish Chain
- Jacob's Ladder
- Log Cabin
- Monkey Wrench
- Multiple Patch
- Ocean Waves
- Pinwheel
- Rail Fence
- Railroad Crossing
- Robbing Peter to Pay Paul
- Rolling Stone
- Roman Stripe
- Shoo-Fly
- Stars
- Sunshine and Shadow
- Tree of Life
- Tumbling Blocks
