Americans made hundreds of thousands of quilts during the Great Depression. While many are scrap quilts exhibiting signs of making do, and others use commercially available patterns inspired by the Colonial Revival, some makers constructed quilts with overt political messages, promoting New Deal programs, celebrating electoral victories, and depicting the Roosevelts.

Perhaps surprisingly, quilts have long been apt vehicles for expressing empowerment, whether political allegiance, support of a social cause, or distinct personal sentiments. As an acceptable form for women’s expression, stitching one’s politics into a quilt was a culturally appropriate way to communicate allegiance to a cause. Quilts, especially those made as gifts or otherwise publicly presented, could attract attention to contemporary issues. Quiltmakers did all of these things during the New Deal.

Quiltmakers crafted blue eagle National Recovery Administration quilts, various Works Progress Administration quilts, and other quilts that demonstrated their allegiance to various New Deal programs. Other Americans sent quilts to the Roosevelts and other elected officials in gratitude for their efforts in combating the Depression. Commercially published patterns also featured New Deal messages.

In 1933 a major nationwide quilt contest motivated quiltmakers to take a chance on winning prize money, resulting in over 25,000 quilts submitted to a juried contest, many of which expressed the makers’ perspectives and worldviews, while hoping for both prize money and recognition for skilled needlework.