Linsey Quilt, 1860-1880

This quilt is made from linsey, a handwoven wool fabric with a cotton warp. During the Civil War, when the Union blockade created critical shortages of cloth, southerners wove linsey to help satisfy the need for clothing and bedding for civilians and soldiers. After the war, when factory-made cloth again became available, resourceful southern women used discarded linsey clothing and blankets to make warm quilts.