People have always depended on furs, fibers, and fabrics for protection and warmth, but these materials also served as a way to enrich their environment. Until the rail lines opened up routes to the South Carolina backcountry in the middle of the nineteenth century, residents had little access to imported goods. In the mountains and foothills, Scots-Irish immigrants brought a strong tradition of flax harvesting and linen production. In other parts of the rural south, plantations provided another source of homespun textiles. Textiles, especially quilts, can serve several functions. Quilts carry powerful emotional significance and many were made to show off fine fabrics and fancy needlework; others were composed of scraps and remnants. Whether using imported fabrics, domestically produced fibers, or material scraps from the family farm, quilts are intimately connected to the maker’s social and economic environment.

Content is provided by McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina.

For further information about any of the artists featured on Digital Traditions, send your questions and comments to hallagan@mailbox.sc.edu.

Quilts | Digital Traditions
Episode 10

Audio

Mabel Hagan Is an accomplished quilter. She is pictured with a “Save All” quilt. The rop was made by her grandmother and was given to her as a wedding present. Five or six years later, she and her...
Ruby Richey & Estelle Rineheart
Episode 10

Audio

Ruby and Estelle discuss an afghan Rineheart is especially proud of, and using small scraps and making something out of it.
Amanda Brown: Quilting | Photos
Amanda Brown: Quilting | Photos

Photo

Mrs. Amanda Brown is a quilter from Greenwood County. She works both by herself and with a local quilting group. Mrs. Brown learned from helping her mother and has been practicing her art for over...
Audrey Liddle: Quilting Photo | Digital Traditions
Audrey Liddle: Quilting Photo | Digital Traditions

Photo

Quilting Ms. Audrey Liddle is a shop owner and quilter in Lexington County. She learned the art of making quilts from her grandmother in Pennsylvania. She started when she was just six years old and...
Corduroy Quilt -1 | Digital Traditions

Audio

Resident of Promised Land, SC (Greenwood County). Learned how to quilt and make lye soap from her mother. Her father could make just about any type of split-oak basket: fish trap, clothes hamper...