Antique Coverlets A coverlet is a type of bedspread fashioned by weaving on a loom. In Colonial days the master bed often accommodated not only mom and dad but several other family members as well. As the prominent article of furniture in most homes, the bedstead was beautifully arrayed. Although few of our foremothers could afford silk and damask, America's large variety of early woven blankets represents a
sophisticated, decorative and much sought after remembrance of her past.
Coverlets were made in single, called "single woven," and "double woven" layers. Germanic immigrants were prone to the former while Scottish and English weavers seemed drawn to the latter. Most commonly, a foundation of bleached cotton or linen, the warp, was interlaced with wool, the weft, that readily accepted coloring agents of blue indigo ( by far the most popular dye ), dogwood and bloodroot ( red ), goldenrod ( green ), butternut bark ( brown ) and bittersweet ( orange ). Synthetic dyes were introduced just prior to the Civil War.
More than age or rarity-good condition, graphic color and design, and historical significance are the major determinants of coverlet value. Collectors and dealers categorize their heirlooms as follows:
