Keeping warm on cold winter nights in 18th century Connecticut meant heavy use of wool bed coverings, and the Webb Deane Stevens Museum owns several examples. The pink quilt on the canopied bed in the best bed chamber (Washington bed chamber) of the Webb House dates to 1788. These 18th century whole-cloth quilts were lined and stuffed (three layers) entirely of wool. The top piece was one color of high-quality wool, which was glazed by applying heat to give the fabric a sheen. The middle layer, or filling, was a thin layer of wool, and the back piece was of undyed wool, often home woven. An intricately stitched quilting design of stylized flowers and leaves on the top piece not only decorated the quilt but also held the three layers together (often done in trapunto, or high relief). The glazing, with its sheen, showed off the stitched design to best advantage. Whole-cloth quilts were common in the 18th century. Patchwork quilts became popular in the 19th century.
