Double wedding ring quilt
Double Wedding Ring Quilt isconsidered to be a romantic design. This pattern is time and again thought ofas a twentieth century quilt. However,it appears to have developed from a very ancient design. The pattern of two interlocking rings dates backto the fourth century. During that time,it was used to decorate Roman cups. These cups were made of glass decoratedwith connecting mental rings.
Gimmal ring is another classicalexample of interlocking rings. In the 15th and 16thcenturies these were the rings in vogue in Europe. Thegimmal rings consisted of rings that could be interlocked. One would be worn bythe man and the other by the woman at the time of engagement. Later, when theyboth marry, the wife would wear both rings fitted together.
It is said that the style ofdouble wedding ring was brought to Americathrough Germans in the late 17th century after their settlement in Pennsylvania.This pattern of interlocking rings was seen on coverlets, ceramics and otherdecorative objects among findings from ancient America.
According to some customs, thewedding ring forms the last in a series of gifts, which also may include theengagement ring, traditionally given as a betrothal gift. Other more recenttraditions, and the jewelry trade, seek to expand the idea of a series ofring-gifts with the promise ring, often given when serious courting begins, andthe eternity ring, which symbolizes the renewal or ongoing nature of a lastingmarriage, sometimes given after the birth of a first child; and a trilogy ring,usually displaying three brilliant-cut round diamonds each, in turn,representing the past, present and future of a relationship.
A European tradition encouragesthe engraving of the name of one\'s intended spouse and the date of one\'sintended marriage on the inside surface of wedding rings, thus strengtheningthe symbolism and sentimentality of the rings as they become family heirlooms.
Myths about Double weddingring
The Capper\'s Weekly was the first magazine to publish the Double Wedding Ringpattern in 1928. A bit of mythical romance was added to the pattern by this Topeka,Kansas publication. It read, "When some good but unknown manconceived the idea of a double wedding ring ceremony it gave his wife anequally good idea. She worked two circles into a double wedding ringquilt."
In 1932, a brochure published anotheramusing myth about the double wedding ring quilt connecting it to the CivilWar. The origin of the name of the pattern was published as a story in thebrochure. It seemed a grandmotherly woman had made a great many quilts. One wasparticularly special and she was saving it for her niece\'s wedding. Sadly thewedding had been delayed because the potential groom had been wounded in thewar and spent several years away in the hospital. He finally came home and awedding was planned but he had no rings for the wedding. When the bride to betold her beloved aunt that the rings would have to wait, the older woman said,"My child, I\'ll furnish the rings. You shall have my favorite quilt and wewill call it the Double Wedding Ring." All these information seem tobe more fascinating, but still simply myth and speculation. The facts, as inmost quilt patterns, are hard to trace.
Loss of True Origins a Maze ofNames
The ShelburneMuseum> contains a quilt made muchlike the Double Wedding Ring. It is dated 1825-50. The title of this quilt in ShelburneMuseum> is Pincushion placed amongthe exhibits. But the actual Double Wedding Ring pattern appears to have been usedonce in a blue moon until the 1920s. Over the time, the pattern was made underalmost 40 different names. This makes itdifficult to trace the earlier use of this pattern. Some of the names given tothe pattern are Rainbow, Around the World, Pickle Dish, Coiled Rattlesnake,Endless Chain, King Tut and Friendship Knot. The remains of some of these were found in the research findings. The great varieties of names exemplify how differently the pattern was visualizedin various periods and regions. While we read an early diary or letter, thepattern might be found under different names by different writers. We may notbe able to make sure if writer was really referring to a Double Wedding Ringlike pattern or not.
During ancient times, whilemaking the quilts of this pattern, the pieces of the rings were first sewedtogether and then the same was appliqu?d on the solid fabric. The doublewedding ring quilt began to be sewed as a pieced quilt only around thebeginning of the 20th century. However, it was difficult to make such quilts,irrespective of the method used in their preparation. In her book published in1935, Carrie A. Hall wrote her opinion on the Double Wedding Ring, "Realquilt enthusiast delight in this all-over pattern but it is hardly the designfor the novice to undertake." Due to such difficulties inpreparation, the double wedding ring pattern was a popular one for cheaterfabric. A woman could decorate her bed with a quilt in which the only sewingrequired was quilting the layers together.
The Quilt That Brought Romanceto the Great Depression
During the depression era, thispattern became popular due to the fact that many scraps could be used in itspreparation. However, such reasoning doesn\'t make sense because a good deal ofsolid fabric had to be purchased for the preparation of background of thewedding ring. The nine-patch variation of the wedding ring is considered to bean exception to this. In this pattern the scraps were included in the centers. This is in contrast to other patterns whichincluded the scraps in the outer ring.
The use of the Double Wedding Ring wasespecially made during good or special occasions. It?s difficult to imaginechildren being allowed to jump on or even play on a bed topped by a lovely doublewedding ring quilt. In an interview an elderly woman telling about her cottonsack quilts explained about one exception to her usual use of sacks for fabric.According to her the Wedding Ring Quilts are domestic. They are not made from sacks.They are made out of material from dresses. The dress material can be boughtfor eight cents a yard. A dress can bemade for eighty five cents.
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