Small Amish Quilt Patterns: For Crib Quilts and Wall Hangings by Rachel T. Pellman

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Table of Contents

Read an Excerpt

How to Use Small Amish Quilt Patterns

Antique Amish crib quilts are prizes, persistently searched for by collectors. These small treasures are highly valued, bringing prices close to, or exceeding, full-sized antique Amish quilts.

Why are these small quilts so sought after? Why do they bring such high prices? First, these bedcovers are scarce. Fewer crib quilts were made to supply the needs of a household. A quilt could be made for the crib and remain as the crib cover for a series of different occupants. Obviously, such a quilt went through repeated washings. Often they were used until they were thoroughly worn and then thrown out and replaced. Today, collectors are often willing to pay high prices for a crib quilt even if it shows severe signs of wear.

Second, crib quilts are desirable because of their size. They make choice wall displays and are more likely than larger quilts to fit the wall spaces of modern homes.

Crib quilts also carry special feelings. They stand as tangible symbols of love and caring. They hold warm memories of childhood, carefree days, and restful nights, the secure feelings of loving and being loved.

Small Amish Quilt Patterns provides the patterns to create these treasures anew. The patterns have been adjusted and refined so that the proportions are pleasing in a small quilt. Templates for piecing, as well as quilting designs, are also given in actual size so that you do not need to adapt them to fit. Though they are suitable for crib quilts, these patterns should not be limited to that. They make startlingly beautiful wallhangings and can be custom-designed to suit any room's color and space needs.

If you choose to create one of these quilts for use as a wallhanging, you know it will not be subjected to the wear and tear that the original crib quilts suffered. So you may piece and quilt with painstaking care and have an heirloom to enjoy.

Or you may choose to create one of these small beauties for a loved child and invest the quilt with hours of tender care.

Select Pattern and Colors First

Good planning is the most basic rule in successful quiltmaking. It will minimize many frustrations!

You should know before selecting your fabric which quilt pattern you are going to make, how many colors you will need to complete your choice, and which colors or color families you want to use. Since it is difficult to visualize a grouping of colors and fabrics in a quilt when working with either large bolts or small swatches, it is helpful to sketch a scale model of the quilt onto graph paper, and then use crayons or colored pencils to fill in your choice of colors.

Making a Model

You can get an even more accurate color representation by purchasing small amounts of the fabrics you are considering and cutting them into tiny patches to cover the appropriate areas on your scale model. This is especially helpful when working with those patterns using large geometric shapes. It becomes more tedious when working with patterns involving small patches. Despite that, it is a beneficial exercise since it allows you to see in advance whether one fabric is lost or dominant among the others. If, for instance, you are trying to emphasize a particular design within a patch, the surrounding areas will need to provide adequate contrast so the design pattern will stand out. You achieve this by using light and dark fabrics or contrasting colors.

Choosing Good Fabric

The quality of a quilt is only as good as the quality of each of its components. Therefore, it is essential to choose high quality fabrics for quiltmaking.

Lightweight 100% cotton or cotton/polyester blends are ideal for quiltmaking. In addition, 100% cottons have a dull finish, making them similar to old fabrics. (Cottons blended with synthetics tend to have more luster or sheen.) The fabric should be tightly woven so it does not ravel excessively. If you check its cut edges and find it frays easily, the fabric will be difficult to work with, especially in small pieces.

Test it for wrinkling by grasping a handful and squeezing it firmly. If sharp creases remain when you release the fabric, it will wrinkle as you work with it and will not have a smooth appearance, especially if it is used in large sections on a quilt.

It is wise to wash all fabrics before using them to preshrink and test them for colorfastness.

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