Can you help me with this bedspread?

[batcap]

I'm as glad I was born in the USA as much as the next guy, but I don't have a particularly strong "Love It or Leave It", "My country, right or wrong" streak. I don't think about patriotism much at all. But ... this bedspread really struck me. I can't find any marks other than a small grape-juice stain. No tag, no signature, no inscription, no nothing. Yet it looks like great care was taken in it's creation, and that includes the elaborate fringe on 3 sides. It seems to be made of all natural materials.

I hope that this one big pic can show you every side of the spread . . . You can see the underside of the top edge, the front and back of the spread and the front and back of the fringe. So, how was it made? It doesn't have a musty old smell at all. It looks and feels special. At least to me it does.
Please tell me what you see.

 

[Tallone]

That looks like what used to be called a "coverlet". I had one that had been passed down in my family for generations. Here are a few pics of it:



I sold mine a few years ago. I think I got $200 for it. Mine had some damage on one corner which I'm sure hurt the value but having the maker and location woven into the design likely helped the sale price. Some of the old ones with the name and date on them sell for many hundreds of dollars. Be sure to check the corners to see if there is a maker's name woven into the fabric. Search eBay for "antique coverlet" and you will find many examples.

From the research I did prior to selling mine, it seems like patriotic themes were very popular in the design of old coverlets. If you look closely at the borders of mine, you will notice an image of an eagle. My understanding is these were often custom made and given as wedding gifts.

If yours is old, it would probably have been made by hand on a loom which is a device similar to this:



There is a lot of detail in your coverlet so, if it was made by hand, the person who made it knew what they were doing.

If yours had been properly stored, it wouldn't smell musty even if it is old. Mine was about 150 years old and it had no musty smell because it had been kept cool, dry, and well ventilated so there was little opportunity for mold and mildew to set in.

 

[diggummup]

It looks like a lot of the Bicentennial stuff that was put out in the mid 70's. Though many items from that era depict the dates 1776-1976, not everything did. "Bicentennial Chic" - heck to the yeah - Retro Renovation Of course it could be 100 years old and I couldn't tell the difference myself.

 

[batcap]

That's a beautiful old coverlet Tallone, I've seen them for sale (rarely), but there is always someone else holding them or locked in negotiations. I was kind of hoping my cover might be from the centennial, but I think Diggumup is probably right. If anyone hasn't clicked that link and read up, there is a LOT of food for thought hidden in the Bicentennial Chic article. I remember the Bicentennial, I was 19. To me it represented money grubbing kitsch and crapola. But since we were poor renters, I never knew there was quality workmanship to be found. To me it was all pewter plates and flag pins, and 1776/1976 emblazoned across every piece of junk. Diggummup's link shows there is an actual nostalgia building for this stuff, and back then the quality was built-in. The Ethan Allen catalog photos look like about 1/2 of the finished basements I've visited at estate sales. I failed to realize that some of the people who grew up in that atmosphere may want to relive it. Anyway, I'm happy with my bedspread and may use it next winter. I know it's well made and it doesn't have to be old or valuable to enjoy, but it might be worth something to "Bicentennial Chic" set. Thank you Tallone and Diggummup.

 

[diggummup]

That's a beautiful old coverlet Tallone, I've seen them for sale (rarely), but there is always someone else holding them or locked in negotiations. I was kind of hoping my cover might be from the centennial, but I think Diggumup is probably right. If anyone hasn't clicked that link and read up, there is a LOT of food for thought hidden in the Bicentennial Chic article. I remember the Bicentennial, I was 19. To me it represented money grubbing kitsch and crapola. But since we were poor renters, I never knew there was quality workmanship to be found. To me it was all pewter plates and flag pins, and 1776/1976 emblazoned across every piece of junk. Diggummup's link shows there is an actual nostalgia building for this stuff, and back then the quality was built-in. The Ethan Allen catalog photos look like about 1/2 of the finished basements I've visited at estate sales. I failed to realize that some of the people who grew up in that atmosphere may want to relive it. Anyway, I'm happy with my bedspread and may use it next winter. I know it's well made and it doesn't have to be old or valuable to enjoy, but it might be worth something to "Bicentennial Chic" set. Thank you Tallone and Diggummup.

As long as you like it that's all that matters. I like it too, I'm a sucker for anything with an old style Federal looking eagle on it.
I always thought you were younger than me, come to find out you got 9 years on me. I was a Cub Scout or a Webelos at that time. I remember having to build a science? project for the "EXPO 76" in D.C.