What's inside?

QUILTS

QUILT CARE

Spotting Chinese knockoffs

Ebay quilt scammers 

Easy binding instructions

Favorite links

QUILT HISTORY:

Underground Railroad Quilt Code 

Printable .pdf version now available!

"Looking black":  collectors, attribution, and the Phillips quit

African textiles of the slave trade era

European patchwork 

from the 14th century

Arch Quilts - imported repro quilts

Newcomb Loom Works quilt patterns

Brief history of the 9-Patch Block 

Chainstitch sewing machines

Swatchbook:  Before 1840

Swatchbook:  Before 1850

Swatchbook:  1850-75

Swatchbook:  1870-1885

Swatchbook:  1890-1920

"Turkey" red

Double process greens

Swatchbook: early Depression

Swatchbook: late Depression

Swatchbook:  early 1950s

Fabrics in old Sears catalogs 

"Cotton seeds" and other notes 

on quilt batting

Ladies Art Company pattern books

FULL 1922 and 1933 CATALOGS ONLINE

Century of Progress quilt patterns

FULL 1933 BOOK ONLINE

"Autumn Leaf" quilt history

Double Wedding Ring history 

Sunbonnet Sue history 

19th century machine quilting 

Old quilting machine photos!

"Humility" blocks

Regional Amish quilt styles 

Genuine. 

Hart Cottage isn’t just a folky name for a quilt company. It really exists. It's my home, a tiny cottage built in 1923 by Daddy Hart just outside Pensacola, Florida. It's where I make all the quilts you'll see here.

 

Authentic.  

Other than my Amish reproductions, which are made from contemporary fabrics, I make my quilts from authentic c.1835-1945 antique and vintage cottons.  All are "new old stock"  (not recycled from old clothing), so colors are fresh and bright.  Occasionally I'll also make up a few modern pieces in fine batiks. 

Original. 

Every Hart Cottage quilt is either my own original design or an adaptation of an antique.  They're not cutdowns, never from commercial patterns. I make sure each quilt is different from the hundreds of others I've made, so you can rest assured your Hart Cottage quilt is absolutely one-of-a-kind.

Nationally recognized. 

Hart Cottage quilts have been featured in QUILT, Country Quilts, Small Quilts, Sampler Quilts and Log & Timber Style magazines. I’m honored that several are in the art collection of the Neutrogena Corporation in Los Angeles.

Quilting is how I support my "habit" - quilt history research.  I'm probably best known for debunking the Underground Railroad quilt "code" myth, recommended by Underground Railroad and quilt historians, and I'm just finishing a new series on African textiles of the slave trade era and their relation to African-American quilts.

 Loyal customers (thank you!) make all this possible:  since I first sold my little quilts ebay in 2001, high bids on Hart Cottage little quilts have consistently topped their ebay category - even outpricing most antique doll quilts. 

And a great way to collect fine quilts.

They’re easy to display and conserve. Collectors with limited space find that Hart Cottage quilts let them indulge their desire for fine quilts and antique fabrics without turning their homes into padded cells.

They give more "bang" for your buck. You can often own several Hart Cottage quilts for the cost of one large (and often unwieldy) piece.

They're versatile. Hart Cottage quilts can be used as a background for other antiques, or displayed as works of art all by themselves.

They’re made to last. The antique fabrics I use are as fresh as the day they were made, and my careful workmanship ensures that with proper care, each Hart Cottage quilt will last for generations.

How I protect my customers’ investment.

To ensure that people who purchase Hart Cottage quilts will continue to own original, one-of-a-kind pieces, I actively enforce my copyrights. Federal courts have affirmed that U.S. copyright protection covers a quilt’s design even when it incorporates traditional, public-domain block patterns. I am a member of Ebay's VeRo program. The images, text, and quilt designs appearing on this website and in my Ebay auctions are copyrighted and may not be used without my permission. You can reach me by email by clicking here.

© 2004-2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED