Discover the Needlework Artistry of America’s First First Lady
Martha Washington’s “Neoclassical Swag” quilt top is now on view for the first time at Mount Vernon. The quilt takes its name from the most prominent printed cotton border, which features elegant swags of ribbons and flowers.
This artifact is a dramatic example of her artistry as well as the needlework tradition she passed on to her granddaughter. She pieced the center section with its circular appliqués, but left it unfinished upon her death.
Martha Washington's granddaughter Eliza Custis Law inherited the quilt top and finished it in 1815, as described on the original note that still accompanies it. Her descendants carefully preserved it for the next 200 years.
James D. Marsteller presented the quilt to Mount Vernon in 2019. The Founders, Washington Committee for Historic Mount Vernon, generously funded the conservation and display of the delicate quilt top as part of a larger project to conserve all of Martha Washington’s quilts.
