Among some midwestern Amish settlements, oblong sized quilts like this one were common. The atypical size suggests it was for a youth’s bed or a day bed. Sometimes dealers have called these spreads “hired man’s quilts” suggesting they may have been used on a spare bed. The pattern, which makes a visually interesting use of scraps, was a distinctly Amish version of a string quilt in which leftover bits of fabric were pieced together to form a graphic—and thrifty—design.

Pattern: 
Chinese Coins
Maker: 
Maker unknown
Circa
1930
1950
Possibly made in
Holmes County
Ohio
United States
72.5
43
IQM, Ardis and Robert James Collection
1997.007.0470