I've been thinking of asking this very question. Glad you did. I have a quilt that has been handed down through the years to the oldest daughter in the family. Happened to be me this go 'round. It's a quilt that was made before the Civil War. During the war, it was buried in the ground to hide it from the Yankees (the original family was in Virginia). I'll post a picture in the next few days. You can even see the cotton seeds when the quilt is held up to the light.