Day 30 Garden of Beauty

One of the best of the best applique wreath quilts. Part of the Starley Quilt Collection and headlining the Birds and Blooms trunk show and 1/2 day quilt study session too. Would love to bring it to your quilt guild or show.

Circa 1850 antique applique wreath quilt along with more of the Starley quilt collection.

Love the honeysuckle vine

Day 29 Uneven 9 Patch

Detail of  1885 uneven 9 patch in the Starley Collection

The dark print with cheddar was 1st printed in 1881 by Hamilton Printworks so fairly easy to give the quilt an approximate date.

This uneven 9 patch or Puss in the Corner or Sheepsfold always makes me smile! The wonderful zigzag border really makes it sing as does green/pink combo and the cheddar accents

Day 28 Double 9 Patch

Love this delicate double 9 patch block.

Gorgeous green ivy print

Can't go wrong with polka dots

Or with an amazing 1820s pillar print backing

day 27 - Rocky Road

This year has definitely been a "Rocky Road" so it is a good block to post as we near the year end.
Version below is c. 1890 from Pennsylvania and I call it Rocky Road to Kansas via Lancaster (PA)

Detail of the amazing floral striped backing: a true neon print.

This block pattern is part of my Patterns Through Time lecture along with a 1930s version made by my great grandmother in Kanosh, Utah. Here are both of them together.

day 26 More Caesars Crown

Another recent study pattern is Caesar's Crown- an intricate pattern, not for the faint of heart. Most of the early versions are done by hand curved piecing NOT applique. 

And while most signature album blocks are made with simple pieced blocks (Baltimore Album style not withstanding), this difficult pattern had some popularity as a signature album.

The ownership block: Mary A Bankis (or Banks) the owner of this quilt. 1851. Maia(?)

Another signature Caesar's Crown from SE Pennsylvania dated 1851

Another colorful version without signatures

And finally a version from about 100 years later - also a signature quilt

Day 25 - Bethlehem Star

Merry Christmas - What could be more appropriate for Christmas than a Bethlehem Star with snow flakes and red and green too!

day 24 Christmas Love

Detail from my antique reproduction quilt - the little flower basket is just an inch and a quarter!

The antique block - from an 1850's quilt that survived the Civil War in Virginia

Here is the full antique crib quilt

Day 23 Dotty Christmas

Day 22 Hexagon Joy

Most of my collection is from the 1800s but I do have a few quilts from the 1900s. Generally, they are interesting graphic examples that I use to show how patterns change and stay the same through the centuries.  This hexagon and its older twin are beautiful examples for teaching quilt dating by comparing the same designs through time.

This hexagon medallion is c. 1950. Scroll down to see the older twin example from about 1885.

21 Tulip or Lily Signature Quilt

Detail of an unusual signature presentation quilt inscribed and dated: "Easton PA 1846. Presented to Solon Chapin by his Mother in law Mrs. Hocker 1846".
Solon was a famous bridge architect and lived in Easton Pennsylvania.

The chimney block (pieced squares) is a very common signature block but is very unusual to find it paired with a floral block. Here is a more standard version- also a signature quilt from across the river from Easton in New Jersey c. 1860.

More of the Chapin quilt

Full quilt

98" x 102"

day 20ish Amazing 1843 Signature Star Quilt

Very early signature quilt from Hunterdon Co, New Jersey. signed and dated 1843.

day 19 Horses on quilts

Love this folky Christmasy quilt with a lot of unusual horse appliques. It is not common to find horse appliques  on antique quilts. Birds and flowers and wreaths are usual but not horses.
Thanks Sharon W.! It is from New York state

But I have another horse on a quilt with a few funky appliques and cheater cloth prints too (see the compass pre-printed or faux patchwork on the left)

Most of the horses seen on antique quilts are found on novelty/conversation prints. Equine motifs were very popular in the 1880s and 1890s.

And here's a running horse on a cotton crazy quilt (and another faux patchwork print, upper right)

Another with a trio of horses

Here's a horse and rider from a crazy quilt dated 1885.

here's a redwork horse from a fundraising signature quilt from Pennsylvania dated 1914