Quilts from two Valleys

Two hidden valleys-one in Pennsylvania, the other in Virginia-held vibrant communities and quilting traditions during the closing years of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century. How do the quilts made by the Amish and Mennonites in these tucked-away places compare? Includes photographs of richly colorful quilts, and of the two communities from which they come. The Big Valley in Pennsylvania's Mifflin County was (and continues to be) the home of three Old Order Amish groups. The quilts from this Valley were made mostly from dress fabrics (solid colors without prints). They are strong and bold with occasional flashes of powerful color. Precisely pieced but more subdued quilts, filled with minutely stitched quilting, were made at the same time by the Mennonites of the Shenandoah Valley. Phyllis Pellman Good, curator of The People's Place Quilt Museum, offers historical background to the two valleys and their people, and insightful descriptions of the quilts they made.