Jessica R. Smith on the perceived value of woven coverlets in the 19th century:

The idea of weaving and being able to weave this beautiful—what we would call Op Art now—coverlet showed that you were a hard worker and you contributed to the material goods of the family... And the farmers would say “Well my daughter wove this beautiful coverlet—and this is because she made something that was utilitarian, that it was a material good. It was part of our... it's part of our family wealth and it's not just frivolous like embroidery or silk painting, Which I had never heard— like I'd never thought of that, right? And so, I thought well, isn't that interesting—this idea of you like making something that has actually utility... value to it. That it's a functional object is viewed having more value, right? Than this decorative object...