Linsey-Woolsey

One of the earliest fabric used in American quilts was linsey-woolsey. This fabric consisted of a linen (or sometimes cotton) warp and a wool weft. The name of the fabric came from the village of Linsey in saussex, England. Flax was one of the larger crops in colonial America and linsey-woolsey was a strong, durable fabric.

Linsey-woolsey bedcovers were generally whole cloth quilts. As the quilt wore out, usable sections were salvedged and were pieced into other quilts.