U.S. #5099

2016 25c Blue/Red Center Star

Quilt making was not common in the United States until the late 18th century.  Before this, people did not have enough time to spend sewing anything but their family’s clothing.  Only the wealthiest people had the time to quilt during the colonial period.  As such, the quilts tended to be more&...  more

U.S. #5099

2016 25c Blue/Red Center Star

Quilt making was not common in the United States until the late 18th century.  Before this, people did not have enough time to spend sewing anything but their family’s clothing.  Only the wealthiest people had the time to quilt during the colonial period.  As such, the quilts tended to be more  decorative than practical.  Initially, the quilt’s main purpose was to show off the sewing skills of its maker.

Wholecloth quilts were the first type to be made by common people.  These designs looked like one piece of fabric but were actually made up of many strips.  These quilts were three layers thick, and their only decorations were the quilt stitches themselves.  Broderie perse, another style of quilting, was also used in this time period.  This style consisted of cutting shapes from printed fabric and sewing them onto a solid background.

By the 1840s, fabrics were finally affordable thanks to the growth of the textile industry.  This led to quilt making becoming a more popular hobby.  That popularity grew further with the invention of the sewing machine a short time later.  During the Civil War, quilts were even made to raise money for the war and support abolitionism.

The time and effort put into a quilt makes it priceless.  Many become family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation.

Value:  47c

Issued: July 6 2016

First Day City:  Washington DC

Type of Stamp:  First Class Mail

Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America

Method:  Offset, Microprint

Self-Adhesive

Quantity Printed:  150,000,000