Many quilted petticoats can be documented as the work of an individual or group of friends and neighbors while others were made by women who earned their living by quilting on contract or in workshops. This petticoat was made by a professional quilter. It was probably imported from London as part of the extensive trade in ready-made clothing.
Winterthur’s founder, Henry Francis du Pont, altered the waistband to create a skirt for a dressing table. Now part of its history, no attempt has been made to replicate the original pleating at the waist.