About This Stamp
In 2001 the U.S. Postal Service paid tribute to a uniquely American folk art form — the Amish quilt. Distinctive in its simplicity, symmetry, deft needlework, and broad fields of deep color, the Amish quilt is one of the most expressive traditions in American design. Amish quilting traditions vary from region to region, yet all are influenced by the religious and social values of Amish daily life: humility, simplicity, modesty, and serviceability.
The four quilts repeated on this pane of 20 stamps display the saturated colors, bold geometric patterns, and central design motifs characteristic of quilts made in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, during the first half of the 20th century.
Art Director
Derry Noyes
For more than 40 years Derry Noyes has designed and provided art direction for close to 800 United States postage stamps and stamp products. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Hampshire College and a master of fine arts degree from Yale University.
Noyes worked as a graphics designer at Beveridge and Associates, a Washington, D.C., firm, until 1979 when she established her own design firm, Derry Noyes Graphics. Her clients have included museums, corporations, foundations, and architectural and educational institutions. Her work has been honored by American Illustration, the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington, Communication Arts, Critique magazine, Graphis, Creativity International, and the Society of Illustrators.
Before becoming an art director for the U.S. Postal Service, she served as a member of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 1981 to 1983.
Noyes is a resident of Washington, D.C.