Thursday, December 24, 2015

A Blessed Christmas!



This is one of my favorite Christmas decorations, a simple fabric Nativity made for me by a dear friend when our children were young.

And these were made by my mom's closest friend and given to her many years ago.  We love them every Christmas.





Oh, the sweetness of gifts from the hands of loved ones!

A Blessed Christmas to you, each one!


Sunday, December 20, 2015

Sunday Pics!



I'm wondering if this is her first quilt?  Big 9-patches, fun fabrics.  What do you think?

I love her hair bow!  Fashion is such a strange thing.  Just imagine if we dressed our daughters or granddaughters now with a bow like that?!

Such a sweet face.  I wonder who she was and if she became a famous quilter? :-)

A Blessed Sunday to You!

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Saturday at the Quilt Museum - Feathered Stars

Feathered Star Collage

Since we've already looked at "Star of Bethlehem" quilts recently, I though we'd focus on some Feathered Stars this week in honor of this Christmas season.

One of the things I've noticed in looking at this pattern is how the tips of the stars have changed. Back in the 1800's, it appears it was much more common to have a half-square triangle unit used at the end of a point, while now a diamond is the usual treatment.

So, let's start our tour......


Chintz Feathered Star
Virginia
1850
Chintz Feathered Star Virginia 1850

This first one has very little information attached to it.  It was made around 1850 in Virginia.  The thing that stands out to me about it is the use of chintz in the centers of the stars and alternate blocks.

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Possible Mourning Quilt
1880-1890

Possible Mourning Quilt 1880-1890

I've not found any further information about this one, but I really like the simplicity of it.  I think the sawtooth border is a perfect finish to it after the wonderful open space around the stars.

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Feathered Star
Jan Hoard Hubbard
Texas
1860
80" x 97"
Feathered Star Jan Hoard Hubbard

Isn't this one striking?  I like her use of color and the second star she created on the interior of each.  The quilting looks kind of like a clam shell.


There is quite a lengthy note attached to this record on the The Quilt Index.  If you follow the link, you can read more about it.
http://www.quiltindex.org/basicdisplay.php?kid=4F-88-CF

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Double Feathered Star
1850-1860

Double Feathered Star 1850-1860

There's no additional information about this one, but I really like the "double" treatment in this.  There's so much to see.  The traditional feathered star in the middle of much larger "feathers" as well as the secondary pattern that kind of has a Navajo feel to it.  The border and corner stones finish it well.

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Feather Quilt
Barbara Voilu; Barbra Pennington
1860's
77" x 79"
Feather Quilt Barbara Voilu; Barbra Pennington
Another one with no additional information, but if you follow the link below, you can see many more pictures of it and a note that was attached to the back.

The use of ombre in the centers adds a very distinctive touch to it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/291146284634?roken=cUgayN

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Feathered Star and Oak Leaf
Sarah Lefever
1847
Feathered Star and Oak Leaf Sarah Lefever 1847

I've posted about this one before, but it is probably my favorite among many.  Made by Sarah Lefever in 1847, the workmanship is stellar.  You can read more about it and see more pictures on Bonnie Hunter's blog
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/05/sarah-m-lefever-1847.html

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Thanks for joining us for our tour of Feathered Star Quilts!

Happy Quilting!!


PLEASE NOTE:
- I am not a quilt historian.  I simply enjoy finding interesting quilts and sharing them with you!

- The quilt images on this post were sourced from Pinterest, unless otherwise noted, and are linked to their origin whenever possible.


Sunday, December 13, 2015

Sunday Pics!



Don't you just love this photo??

It was taken in the last quarter of the 1800s in Sumter County, Georgia.  It is of members of the Holloway family in front of their home.

The profusion of quilts on the fence is so amazing.  I recognize many of the patterns....square in a square, flying geese over a pieced dog-tooth circle - two of them - (actually, maybe 3), pinwheel, Texas Tears.  I love that we as women are the same then as now....wanting to share our handiwork.

You can see more about the photo (and zoom in on it) and read the names of the people here:

A Blessed Sunday to You!

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Saturday at the Quilt Museum - Pine Tree Quilts



This week I thought it would be fun to take a look at the Pine Tree pattern. Being December and all. :-)

The pattern goes by a number of additional names, among them Tree of Life, Temperance Tree, Live Oak Tree and Forbidden Fruit Tree.

As I understand the progression, the original "Tree of Life" quilts from the late 1700's to early 1800's were made from printed Indian fabric - palampores - and were cut up and used rather like we use the broderie perse method today.

Through the 1800's, the pattern evolved into the current pieced Pine Tree form.

If you'd like, you can read more about it here:

So, here we go!


Pine Tree Quilt (aka Tree of Paradise)
West Virginia
1880
79" x 90"

This first example is stellar. It was made in West Virginia around 1880 and is amazing! The colors used are red, yellow and green on a white ground. The cornerstones are little replicas of a portion of the tree, which is delightful. The border is a well executed accordion zig-zag. The quilting is even and well done. Truly a wonderful example of this pattern.

If you can, do take the time to see more pictures at the link below:

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Pine Tree - Tree of Life
1880's
73" x 73"


Isn't this a beautiful example of a Pine Tree in two colors?  So clean and crisp.  Hard to see, but the quilting in the open squares is in a feathered wreath pattern with gridwork in the middle.

Found on eBay

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Tree of Life Signature Quilt
New York
Willis P. Lingenfelter
1890-1891
Quilted by Mrs. Eugene Gould
1894
70" x 85"

This is an amazing Pine Tree - as well as album - quilt.  It contains 435 names!  It was made for the Methodist Episcopal Sunday School in Clayton, New York.  You can see the indigo and stars in the photos below.



The geography is interesting to me on this one, as well.  The 435 names are said to have come from Clayton/Depauville.  I did a little looking and discovered that Depauville is a hamlet located in the southern region of the Town of Clayton, which is in Jefferson County, of the state of New York.  I love the word hamlet!  

After being put together by Willis Lingenfelter in 1891, it was then quilted in 1894 by Mrs. Eugene Gould.




It can be found here:

I like the depth the floral print gives these blocks.  And the 9-patch and rails borders are a nice frame for it.  The quilting is a nice crosshatch and it's is amazing condition!

It's worth the look to see more pictures here:
http://www.stellarubinantiques.com/items/809774/enlargement809774sra.html


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Temperance Tree
Mary Ann Rogers
New London, Connecticut
1886
79" x 91.5"

In my opinion, it's cool to have this pattern made in forest green. :-)  Very fitting, don't you think?

It was machine pieced in 1886, which piqued my interest.  I went looking to see what the sewing machine might have looked like and found these:



By the 1880's, sewing machines were not rare, but still something that wasn't in every home.  I think it's awesome to be able to learn a quilt's story like this!

I found the pictures here:
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/30152-1886-singer-sewing-machine

Though it was machine pieced, it was hand quilted and bears the inscription below: 

"To William and Rebecca, Please accept this Temperance Tree Quilt containing 2094 pieces pieced by me in my 77th year. your mother, Mrs. Mary Ann Rogers New London Conn. Jan. 1886"

I hope I'm still piecing like this in my 77th year!

See more here:
http://www.quiltindex.org/basicdisplay.php?kid=4D-85-41


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Pine Tree
Missouri
1880
75" x 75"

I love this one!  The beauty of the colors, the impeccable piecing and the amazing quilting set it apart.

If you follow the link below, you can see more pictures and close-ups of it and read a bit about the possible history of the pattern.


Thanks for joining us for our tour of Pine Tree Quilts!

Happy Quilting!!


PLEASE NOTE:
- I am not a quilt historian.  I simply enjoy finding interesting quilts and sharing them with you!

- The quilt images on this post were sourced from Pinterest, unless otherwise noted, and are linked to their origin whenever possible.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Sunday Pics!


Here's another one I love!  These are Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Free and their daughter Cynthia.  It was taken in 1904 in Pickens County, Georgia.

The young woman's face is so serene.  I wish I had known her.  And little Cynthia looks to be a happy baby.

The quilt is a helter-skelter flying geese, with the points heading up and down and some of them reversed, dark for light.  Interesting!

You can see more about the photo here:
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/cgi-bin/vanga.cgi?format=photo&query=id:pck202-82

A Blessed Sunday to You!

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Saturday at the Quilt Museum - Delectable Mountains


Delectable Mountains quilts are on the docket for this week.

Though I don't know the actual origin of this pattern, apparently the popularity of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress from the late 1600's, and his "Delectable Mountains," contributed to the fact that it was a much loved pattern.  Also the American Westward Trek in the 1800's through the Rockies, Sierras, and Cascades was a catalyst for the same.

I found an interesting story of a Delectable Mountains quilt entitled THE QUILT THAT SURVIVED THE LOST WAGON TRAIN (1853 through the Cascades).  You can read it at Patterns From History.

You can also find a free Delectable Mountains pattern on the same website here.

So, here we go!

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Delectable Mountains Quilt
1850
97" x 83 1/4"
In Brooklyn Museum


Other than being made in 1850, there isn't much information available for this quilt.  It looks to me as if only one grey-green and two red fabrics were used in it, along with one white with a small print for the background.  It is striking in its simplicity.  And I like the half-square triangle border treatment.

No word on who made it, but it was in the "Workt by Hand: Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts" exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum in 2013.

Here is a short piece about the exhibit: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/quilts

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Delectable Mountains
Jane Gibb
Possibly made in Quincy, Illinois
1835
83" x 96"
Delectable Mountains Jane Gibb

This one is amazing.  If my calculations are right, the on-point squares are 3 3/4", making the half-square triangles finish at 3/4" each.  That's just incredible.  All hand done, of course.  I love what she did with the colors, too.  She had a real eye for balance and complement.  The variety of fabric she used is also amazing.

It is part of the Ardis and Rober James Collection and resides at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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Delectable Mountains / Sawtooth
Pennsylvania
1830-1840
70" x 88"

Delectable Mountains / Sawtooth Pennsylvania 1830-1840

I like the beauty of this in its simplicity. It appears that there are just a few fabrics used, one being a stripe.  

You can see more about it here:


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Delectable Mountains
Margaret Carpenter
Lewes, Delaware
1845

Delectable Mountains Margaret Carpenter

I like this one in its simplicity, as well. The use of blue always makes me happy!

It is part of the Quilt Collection of the state of Delaware.

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Delectable Mountains Album Quilt
Ruth Bower Swinney Ogden & Family & Friends
Bridgeton, New Jersey
1839-1847
100" x 102"

Delectable Mountains Album Quilt Ruth Bower Swinney Ogden & Family & Friends

This is a unique Delectable Mountains in that it is also an album quilt.  The light halves of the squares are signed.

It appears in a book entitled Four Centuries of Quilts: The Colonial Williamsburg Collection, and you can see a bit more about it there.

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Delectable Mountains
1870
89 ¾” x 88”
Delectable Mountains 1870

This one struck me because of the bold colors.  It's interesting, but not my favorite.

You can see more about it and other quilts at the American Quilt Study Group below.

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Delectable Mountains Variation
1880's - '90's

Delectable Mountains Variation 1880's - '90's

Absolutely no information about this one, but I really like the color and the integration of other patterns.  The center stars used as the base for the "mountains" half of the blocks, non-contrasting base halves that make the corner blocks look kind of like a bear's paw.  And the nine-patch-and-rails sashing and Sawtooth border.  Just a lot of fun!  I might try to reproduce this one.

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Delectable Mountains Crib Quilt
1840
New England Quilt Museum

Delectable Mountains Crib Quilt 1840

Isn't this sweet?  A little crib quilt using the Delectable Mountains pattern.  I like it.

You can see more about it and other quilts from the New England Quilt Museum on this blog:


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Thanks for joining us for our tour of Delectable Mountains Quilts!

Happy Quilting!!


PLEASE NOTE:
- I am not a quilt historian.  I simply enjoy finding interesting quilts and sharing them with you!

- The quilt images on this post were sourced from Pinterest, unless otherwise noted, and are linked to their origin whenever possible.