October 4, 1987
By Ada Hodge
Vigo County Historical Society
Coverlet design reflects Illinois folk art
The historical treasure of the week is an overshot coverlet, an example of an American folk art. Such coverlets are known as American folk art because they were woven by non-professionals, and because the designs are different from weaving found anywhere else in the world.
According to records at the museum, this coverlet was woven in Hunter Township, Edgar County, Ill., of material produced on the farm. The fibers are linen and wool, and the soft, rose-pink color of the wool indicates that a natural material was used as a dyestuff. The coverlet was woven in two pieces and then sewn together with a center seam. In some places, the motifs do not match exactly.
Surviving examples of early-18th-century coverlets probably once were part of young women’s dowries. Girls were taught to spin and to weave to help provide textiles needed by the family. These skills found an occasional creative outlet when there was time to weave a coverlet. A coverlet might represent a year of work, including the preparation of flax and wool, the spinning and dyeing the yarns, and, finally, the weaving and finishing of the coverlet.
The overshot weave, made of geometric shapes, is easy to change, and the same design might be given several titles. The design of this coverlet, with radiating lines that swell and contract to meet at a central point, is sometimes known as a leaf design. However, Mary Atwater, an early expert on coverlets, lists this design as “Double Bow Knot--A Variation from Kentucky.”
The Vigo County Historical Society is displaying this coverlet along with several others from the collection at the museum today during Pioneer Days at Fowler Park. The display, located in the pioneer barn, also features weaving demonstrations on two- and four-harness looms.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.