Tune in today at 4pm EST! www.toginet.com

Hope you’ll tune in today at 4-4:30pm EST when I’m interviewed by Pat Sloan about the history of Amish quilts in America.

It’s a fascinating study! Amish quilts, like their makers, are diverse and varied and express the story of their settlement.

For example…did you know? Even the earliest Amish-pieced quilt tops from the 1870s and 1880s were sewn together entirely on the treadle sewing machine.   

Did you know?  In Ohio and Lancaster, where community solidarity was never much of an issue (like it has been in smaller Old Order Amish communities), there seems to be a much greater tendency toward self-expression and experimentation in quilting.

Did you know…Ohio Amish women developed a larger repertoire of pattern designs. By the 1940s, many liberal groups in Ohio began adopting “English” styles and influences. Lancaster Amish have fewer patterns.

Did you know? Until the late 1940s, Amish women in Lancaster used fine wool for their quilts almost exclusively. In contrast, women in Ohio preferred very different materials.

Pat and I will be discussing influences on Amish quilting, how collectibles got started, and so much more! And if you leave a comment on Pat’s blog, you’ll be entered into a giveaway of my book, Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World (Revell).

Hope you’ll join us! Today at 4pm EST!