Amish quilts have long been prized for their graphics qualities: geometric patterns and vivid colors that arrest the eye. But another type of Amish textile is catching the attention of collectors right now: antique Amish needlepoint pillows.

“Victorian” Needlepoint Patterns
“What’s surprising is to see them in floral patterns, which gives them a surprisingly Victorian sensibility, versus the plain, austere patterns we associate with Amish quilts,” says antiques dealer Laura Fisher of Fisher Heritage in New York City (305 E. 61st Street, New York, NY 10021; 212-838-2596; www.laurafisherquilts.com).

Floral Designs
Fisher herself has collected many Amish needlepoint pillows in geometric patterns, which often emulate the zigzag patterns of Amish quilts. The floral patterns, Fisher suspects, may have been worked from a pre-stamped general store pattern circulated among the Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, an area where Fisher has found the needlepoint pillows in the past.

Wool Needlepoint
The floral patterns are worked in wool yarn in such characteristic Amish colors as lavender, mauve, deep purple, and coral, frequently on a black background. Sizes range from 14-inch-squares to 20-inch-squares, always with a box edge (versus knife edge) of 2 or 3 inches. Fisher says the pillow backs are sometimes pieced fabric in crazy quilt patterns, or even crocheted.

Pillow Pricing
Prices for the antique pillows, which date from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, range from $100 to $250, depending on size and intricacy. For more information, check out “Amish Arts of Lancaster County” by Patricia T. Herr (Schiffer, 1998).

Photograph courtesy of Laura Fisher at Fisher Heritage, NYC.