My grandmother, born in late 1800's, Scotch-Irish from a valley in central Pennsylvania, used the word "hap" to refer to the heavy tied quilts used everyday, made up of squares or rectangles of wool. I found a reference to it in one quilt book, saying it was a local term, and that the word means to cover or wrap. I wonder if anyone else has had this word passed on in generations in their family?

I hadn't heard the term before, but there is at least one pattern out there for a hap quilt:

http://designandplanningconcepts.com...=quilts&pnum=2

Learned something new!:)

I' ve never heard that term, but I sure remember sleeping under heavy wool pastchwork quilts when I was little. My grandma and mom made them with wool on both sides and batting too. They sure kept you warm.

My family's from Western PA, and we had haps, which meant a heavy tied quilt to us, too. They usually had an older blanket as a batting; when it got too unsightly, Grandma would make a new cover and just layer it over the old one.

Although, we also referred to those heavy wool army blankets as haps, too. I'd completely forgotten the term until you brought it up :-)

Have not heard that term, but do know someone with the nickname "Hap"~

This must be a PA term, I remember them well. Yes, very heavy and just add a new layer when worn out.
Sure felt good in the cold winters. Thanks for the remembrance. Ruth

Hap
 

My grandmother, born in the early 1900s, also used the word "hap" for a specific crazy-quilt-style blanket that she had. I think it was made by either her mother or mother-in-law, who was very Irish. My grandmother was born and lived out all her life in Altoona, PA (central PA). The hap was probably made of pieces of wool, but all the pieces were dark and of different sizes and shapes. If my memory serves me correctly, the pieces were stitched together using a blanket-type of stitch. It was very heavy and very warm. I don't know what ever happened to it. I wish I had it, though, for posterity's sake! It's nice to know that someone else has heard of the term "hap", and that it has the same defining characteristics.<object type="cosymantecnisbfw" cotype="cs" id="SILOBFWOBJECTID" style="width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block;"></object>

I heard that word over on Ravelry referring to a shawl...I had never heard of it before...

My husband - of very definite scottish descent - uses the word 'hap' to refer to heavy waterproof covers such as a tarpaulin or rip-stop nylon. Kinda like what you'd put over a car overnight, or a car trailer to cover the contents in transit, or the groundsheet for a tent, etc.

cheers, K