EP7: We've Got Midwestern Fever Y'all! Farmhouse Decor & Quilts as Americana with Thrifty Whitney

Meet this episode’s guest, Whitney Conard — aka Thrifty Whitney! Whitney is a lifelong thrifter and vintage lover who grew up in the Kansas countryside influenced by the style of her grandparents’ multi-generational farmhouse. She brings a Midwest mindset to her vintage aesthetic, hunting for true farmhouse pieces such as dark veneered furniture, hand-stitched quilts, well-loved pottery, and vintage needlework.

Whitney shares her passion for the history of antiques and how, in a rural community, their unique craftsmanship often stems from necessity. Then, we take a deep dive into handmade quilts, which were originally devised as a way to repurpose precious scraps of fabric, but have become one of the penultimate examples of American folk art. We explore how to identify their eras, looking at fabrics, patterns, and construction techniques — and how to care for those treasured quilts before you sell or add them to your collection.

How to follow Thrifty Whitney

Website: https://thriftywhitney.com/ 

Instagram: @thrifty_whitney  https://www.instagram.com/thrifty_whitney/

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThriftyWhitneyShop

Email: [e-mail]

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quilt Buyer Beware: https://timquilts.wordpress.com/buyer-beware/

Smithsonian Quilt Controversy: https://worldquilts.quiltstudy.org/americanstory/identity/smithsoniancontroversy

IG Accounts mentioned in this episode:

@monarchlandingquilts

@potters.daughter

@caravanquilts

@cindysantiquequilts

@_flying.geese_

Books

Dating Fabrics: A Color Guide by Eileen Jahnke Trestain

Clues in the Calico by Barbara Brackman

Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns \ Encyclopedia of Appliqué Quilt Patterns by Barbara Brackman

Kansas Quilts & Quilters by Barbara Brackman

Carrie Hall Blocks: Over 800 Historical Patterns from the College of the Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas by Bettina Havig

How to follow the Vintage Aquarium 

Instagram: @vintageaquarium   https://www.instagram.com/vintageaquarium/

Subscribe to the FREE Vintage Aquarium email for podcast updates and bonus content! https://thevintageaquarium.ck.page

Vintage Aquarium podcast is available on YouTube, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts, and Amazon Podcasts. For links visit https://linktr.ee/Kate_Rader

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