Skip to main content

"Animals" Quilt

1980-1983
Pearlie Posey (American, 1894–1984)
Pearlie Posey quilted at night after working all day in the fields, making her quilts from the skirts of old dresses that she tore into panels. (She recalled that four or six "skirt tails" sewn together made a quilt top.) Posey focused on quilting quickly and expediently, sewing the panels together with large stitches and thread that she unraveled from flour sacks. She used simple piecework patterns such as Nine Patch, Four Patch, and strips in her quilts until 1980, when she began making appliqué quilts, following the example of her daughter, Sarah Mary Taylor.

Object Details

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.