American Quilting in the Depression Era

"Depression Quilts" or American quilts produced from 1930-1940 are a beloved and highly recognizable genre of American quilting history. As an afforable and useful hobby that was so intrinsically tied up with American folk identity, the practice reached new heights of popularity during the Great Depression. 

The stereotypical Depression Quilt is a patchwork quilt made of scrap fabric and patterned feed sacks. While these certainly exist, often this patchwork, scrappy aesthetic was a conscious design decision rather than a necessity. In the interwar period, Americans were experiencing a newfound, patriotic interest in the history of American folk and decorative arts. This, coupled with a romanticized notion of the adventurous, make-do American spirit of the Colonial period, found expression in the scrappy, cheerful style of Depression Quilts.

Windblown Tulips

Published Quilt Patterns

Original quilt patterns were published in women's magazines as early as the mid-19th century,  but the practice took off in earnest in the early 20th century. Marie Webster, a born Hoosier and a prolific designer, published quilt patterns in the first half of the century. Windblown Tulips, shown at left, is an early example of Webster's work, published in the Ladies' Home Journal in 1911.