Coverlet Butchers On Auction Sites

Would you cut up these coverlets to make phony Christmas stockings or stuffed cats?

Colorful historic textiles, such as American coverlets, are now targets of crafters and opportunists. These persons sacrifice coverlets, quilts, antique linens and more for short-term financial gain.

At best these newly created fragments are used as upholstery or to create somewhat functional items such as pillows.

Some bits are sold separately in small pieces.

Others are used in idiotic creations called "cupboard pillows" or "door pillows" to hang up as disconcerting, supposedly decorative items. More pieces are formed into small stuffed items called "bowl fillers," or into animal forms.

Absurd terms are used to describe these, such as "make-do" when these are newly created items bearing no relationship with actually functional make-do items of the past. Some made into pincushions are called "pin keeps."

Some coverlet fragments are put to destructive uses such as lampshade covers. The glue, seams, and exposure to heat and light will quickly end the lives of these textiles. Yet the vendors have the temerity to state that this is "preservation" of an old textile.

Another destructive use seen is as sack shown holding clusters of candles. The wax, colorant and fragrance also are textile destroyers.

Some use embarrassingly silly crafter language, such as the non-existent word "ornie" for when unrelated stupid items are sewn or glued to the coverlet piece.

Here are some of the butchers' usernames on a popular internet auction site. It is tempting to let them know directly how terribly destructive their activities are:

kittyscatnip
homemade321
*primlover*
kcebnaoj
homesteadoriginals
webuyubid
primitivesouls
bjlane336uyu
thistlebroomsprimitives
pickeringcreek2

belulu5
neverenoughcountry
maryjane1043
redbamps

lynntintin

theamishdepot

cheswickcompany

mabsie

'prairieprimitives' is one of the most revolting of these butchers. She cuts up multiple-harness starwork coverlets, makes them into pillow covers or whanot, stains them with tea and coffee, calls her results 'folk art'. Makes you want to scream. She offers to sign these products, just to make sure you can always know who did this revolting thing to rare historic textiles.