you selling now?' " says Ms. Pellman
who, among her museum responsibi-
lities, runs a store that sells Amish
goods. "And I'll say, 'peach and green'
or 'mauve and blue,' and they'll go
and buy those colors. And they'll put
together a beautiful quilt, but a
predictable one.
"Before, quilt-making was done
much more intuitively," adds Ms.
Pellman. "Now it's a practical study.
They're making what they think you
and I would like, instead of what they
like."
Moreover, the quilting in many of
these newer creations is not nearly as
extensive as in the older ones. "The
average buyer doesn't care if there
are straight lines or feathers on the
border," says Ms. Pellman. "So if
you're a quilt-maker and you're do-
ing something for sale, and you know
that straight lines are going to take

less time than feathers, you'll do that."
Sue Bender agrees. "The quilts that
are made now have a different feel
to them than the older ones, since the
intention behind them is very dif-
ferent," she says. "They lack that com-
pelling feeling of the ones that were
made just to give to children."
Still, all hope isn't gone for the
Amish quilt. Women belonging to a
community in Nebraska, which is per-
haps the strictest of them all, still
make quilts in solid colors that pos-
sess the "ring" of the older Lancaster
quilts. Another group in Ohio is creat-
ing black and blue quilts which also
seem to hit the mark. But perhaps
there will never again recur the
phenomenon of the first half of this
century, when a group of Lancaster
County women sewed quilts that
made the heart pound and the palms
sweat.

Kitchen Trends

The kitchen has outgrown its
original purpose as a cooking and
eating area to a central location for
relaxing, pursuing hobbies, paying
bills and entertaining. Top kitchen
trends include:
New types of furniture: Sofas for
families and guests to lounge in,
armoires to hold audio/visual
equipment, and custom dishracks in
place of traditional cabinetry are
taking the "cooking only" edge off
kitchen decors.
Theme kitchens: "Shaker style" and
European country are favored for
their simple sophistication, distinct
architectural and decorative points of
view, abundant use of natural-looking
wood, clean lines, functional
approach, and nostalgic touch of
"grandma's house.
Contrasting, age-old materials: In
harmony with today's "back to
nature" thinking, kitchens fuse earthy
materials with a new design twist.
Cabinetry and flooring feature white
oak, bleached maple, bird's eye
maple, and other clear-stained or
lightened woods revealing their
natural grain. Against this neutral
setting are gleaming countertops and
tabletops of black or speckled granite
and composite marble, ceramic tile,
or new stone-like materials,
synthetically made with marble
particles and polymers.

Special prep areas: A passion for
gardening and concern for the
environment lead to installations of
canning and recycling centers, either
in addition to, or in place of the
ubiquitous island or peninsula. Prep
areas that open onto herb and
vegetable patches are part of the
trend as well.
New appliances & storage solutions: Get
ready for your very own wood-
burning pizza oven and built-in wok!
To make room for the endless
temptation of new gadgets and
appliances, kitchens feature a series
of wall pegs to hold chairs, utensils,
etc., and special cupboards and wall
units to mask refrigerators, microwave
ovens and more. I1

Ornamental
Grasses

Interiors By
Ruth Schwartz

A S I D. - I F D A

.

.

.

.

.

.

design
ideas
to suit
your
lifestyle

• Furnishings
• Consultations
• Fine Arts

30

Years Experience

Please Call

352-2264

In
Home .
In
Gifts . .

Ornamental grasses are neither
flowers that bloom or grasses that
need to be mowed every few weeks.
They are attractive throughout the
entire year, and the only upkeep
required is to cut them down every
spring before the growth starts.
Planted in the fall, they thrive
anywhere and are virtually
indestructible, increasing moderately
year after year.

FALL '91 25