l, even gorgeous, materials were imported for costumes of the
wives and daughters of the wealthy colonists. There may be a greater
variety of fabrics woven to-day, but none is more splendid in texture
and colour than those worn by the stately ladies of colonial times.
The teachings of the strict Puritans advocated plainness and
simplicity of dress; even the ministers in the churches preached
against the "sinfulness of display of fine raiment." Notwithstanding
the teachings and pleadings of the clergy, there was great rivalry in
dress among the inhabitants of the larger colonial towns. "Costly thy
habit as thy purse can buy," was unnecessary advice to give to the
rich colonist or to his wife. Men's attire was also of costly velvets
lined with handsome brocades; beautifully embroidered waistcoats, silk
stockings, and gold lace trimmings were further additions to their
costumes during the pre-Revolutionary period.

After these gay and costly fabrics had served their time as wearing
apparel, they were carefully preserved and made over into useful
articles for the household. The pinch of hard times during the
struggle for independence made it imperative for many well-to-do
families to economize. Consequently, in many old patchwork quilts may
be found bits of the finest silks, satins, velvets, and brocades,
relics of more prosperous days.

Alice Morse Earle, in her charming book on "Home Life in Colonial
Days," gives us a rare insight into our great-grandmothers' fondness
for patchwork, and how highly they prized their bits of highly
coloured fabrics:

"The feminine love of colour, the longing for decoration, as well as
pride in skill of needlecraft, found riotous expression in quilt
making. Women revelled in intricate and difficult patchwork; they
eagerly exchanged patterns with one another; they talked over the
designs, and admired pretty bits of calico and pondered what
combinations to make, with far more zest than women ever discuss art
or examine high art specimens together to-day. There was one
satisfactory condition in the work, and that was the quality of
cottons and linens of which the patchwork was made. Real India
chintzes and palampores are found in these quilts, beautiful and
artistic stuffs, and the firm, unyielding, high-priced, 'real' French
calicoes.

[Illustration: MEXICAN ROSE

Made in 1842. Colours: red and green. Note the exquisite
quilting]

[Illustration: CURRANTS AND COCKSCOMB