An Upcountry Legacy: The Black Family Quilts
Laurel Horton, Seneca, SC
Construction:
Although the chintz fabric in the Bensons' quilt connects it with Charleston fashions, the style of the quilt is quite different. Rather than cutting out the individual floral wreath motifs and appliquéing them onto a plain background, the maker simply sewed the lengths of cloth together to make a whole-cloth top. The construction technique links this quilt to the whole-cloth quilts and comforts characteristic of the backcountry in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The resulting quilt combines the elegance of imported chintz fabric with the traditional construction style of the local area. It contains elements of both traditions but is typical of neither. Other whole-cloth chintz quilts survive from this era, but they are rare.
The quilt is filled with a moderately thick cotton batting, in contrast with the thinly padded chintz appliqué quilts of the lowcountry during the same era. For the backing, the maker chose a fine, plain cotton sheeting, the product of a factory rather than of home manufacture. She quilted the three layers in a simple, overall diagonal crosshatch. The chalk-like material she used to mark the quilting lines remains visible, an indication that the quilt has never been washed.
The information handed down by Mary Black is not specific about who made this chintz quilt; it is probable that Rosa's mother made it, alone or with help from family members or household slaves. The simple crosshatch quilting design could have been accomplished in a relatively short time, suggesting that Nancy Miller Benson chose not to take this as an opportunity to display fine handwork. She may have only had a short time to complete the quilting, or perhaps she was busy with the care of her own small children in addition to the wedding preparations. The printed chintz fabric represents a departure from the more familiar plain white whole-cloth quilts with carefully crafted designs. The maker may have had no models to suggest how it should be quilted and consequently chose to finish it more in the manner of a comfort, with thick batting and simple stitching.
The quilt presented to Rosa by her parents shows a high degree of concern for fine materials and a lack of interest in exhibiting needlework skills. In keeping with its status as a material record of their daughter's rite of passage, the quilt has been handed down with little evidence that it was ever used as a bedcover.
The quilt is filled with a moderately thick cotton batting, in contrast with the thinly padded chintz appliqué quilts of the lowcountry during the same era. For the backing, the maker chose a fine, plain cotton sheeting, the product of a factory rather than of home manufacture. She quilted the three layers in a simple, overall diagonal crosshatch. The chalk-like material she used to mark the quilting lines remains visible, an indication that the quilt has never been washed.
The information handed down by Mary Black is not specific about who made this chintz quilt; it is probable that Rosa's mother made it, alone or with help from family members or household slaves. The simple crosshatch quilting design could have been accomplished in a relatively short time, suggesting that Nancy Miller Benson chose not to take this as an opportunity to display fine handwork. She may have only had a short time to complete the quilting, or perhaps she was busy with the care of her own small children in addition to the wedding preparations. The printed chintz fabric represents a departure from the more familiar plain white whole-cloth quilts with carefully crafted designs. The maker may have had no models to suggest how it should be quilted and consequently chose to finish it more in the manner of a comfort, with thick batting and simple stitching.
The quilt presented to Rosa by her parents shows a high degree of concern for fine materials and a lack of interest in exhibiting needlework skills. In keeping with its status as a material record of their daughter's rite of passage, the quilt has been handed down with little evidence that it was ever used as a bedcover.
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