Antique Woven Coverlets -- The Real Thing

Antique Red Coverlet at The Star Gallery in Oshkosh.

 

My friend Karla took me on a field trip this week to visit her friend's Star Gallery Antique Shop here in Oshkosh.  She wanted me to see some of her antique wool coverlets.  She has the real thing, and Karla wanted me to see how they compare to the light-weight remakes I've been purchasing online.

The ones in The Star Gallery were in excellent condition. Very heavy compared to my much lighter weight Godwin Guild re-makes.  Most of hers were the Jacquard-factory loomed type -- These are the much fancier ones woven by men in factories, of the type I would not be able to re-create on my 4-shaft floor loom at home.  These are so thick and heavy, you might compare them to moving blankets or rugs (though much more pliable than you might think of a rug).  No wonder they cost more ...  On a cold winter's night, of course you'd want the heft and weight -- the sheer BTUs of a heavier bed covering.  But then, you would not want to use that in the sweltering months of summer, so I suspect the lighter ones have their place too.

She did have 2 that I thought were prob. woven at home ...  and these two were also much heavier than the more recently woven Godwin Guild recreation coverlets I have.

Both the blue and red coverlets were examples I thought I could prob. make myself with the very square and geometric patterning.  The blue wool was quite a bit thicker and heavier than the white background which might have been linen or cotton.  A very sturdy coverlet that is wearing well over time.

You can see one of the fancier Jacquard coverlets underneath this one, with sun and flower motifs in the design.  Those punch cards made it so much easier to keep track of the design, and allowed for much more complicated patterns.  It was one of the first computers, after all!

Both of these coverlets were priced between $200-$400. More than I was ready to pay, but now I see the value of the better quality and heavier materials.

Red and white coverlet I purchased a few months ago.

The Red one at The Star Gallery (photographed at the top of this post) made me think that the red coverlet I bought in June might indeed be the real thing after all.  It feels more like these heavier coverlets, which may be why the one I purchased felt so strange at first.  The wool has the same scratchier feel, and it's got a similar weight and heft to it, though not the patchwork feel.

I am learning more as I go ...  

Meanwhile, I just purchased a copy of Carol Strickler's American Woven Coverlets. It's so interesting!